International Speakers

Scott Smalley is a Lecturer and Faculty Member of the Division of Clinical Associates at University of Witwatersrand. He is the current Immediate Past President of the International Academy of Physician Associate Educators. Mr Smalley organised the Wits Mandatory COVID 19 Vaccination Project during the pandemic. He is the facilitator for the National Clinical Associate Consortium involving stakeholders to mobilize the clinical associate agenda in South Africa. His research involves the global PA/PA Analogue footprint for assessing education, curriculum mapping and competency outcomes leading to clinical practice.

The flair for administration made him to do an MBA with specialization in HR from IGNOU, New Delhi. He then took up hospital administration and has worked in leading corporate hospitals for over a decade now. During the course of this journey he completed Post Graduate Diploma in Medical Law and Ethics from National Law School of India University. He played a major role in setting up of the cardiac unit in Fortis Malar Hospitals. He has worked with the McKinsey team for reducing turnaround time, patient and employee satisfaction and was instrumental in setting up a stroke institute in Apollo Hospitals.

In 2013, he took over as the president of Indian Association of Physician Assistants and has been successful in bringing the Physician Assistants across the country under IAPA. Three state chapters have been formed. Annual scientific conferences are conducted which are on par with other major conferences across the world. He was instrumental in establishing network with all the leading PA associations across the world. He was invited by International Academy of Physician Associate Educators (IAPAE) as a keynote speaker in their conference conducted in Lusaka, Zambia in 2018.Certification examination for cardio-vascular PAs by Indian Association of Cardiovascular surgeons (IACTS) was started. He became the task force lead for curriculum standardization established by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India in 2014 and with effective advocacy has ensured government recognition in March 2021.

Professor David Fahringer retired on June 30, 2023 after 35 years as Associate Professor in the Physician Assistant Program, Department of Health Services, College of Health Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky (USA). Prof. Fahringer holds two undergraduate degrees and a master in Public Health. He also holds two professional degrees in radiology and as a Physician Assistant. Since 1994, he has been teaching in the Physician Assistant Program at the University of Kentucky until his retirement.

Professor Begg has been a clinician and educator for over 40 years. He is programme director and departmental chair at Aston University Medical School in Birmingham England. Prof Begg is one of the four founders of IAPAE and is a past president of the academy. He developed the very first Physician Associate programme in the UK in 2003. Prof Begg’s highly regarded research is in the field of Cochlear Implantation, and he has recently completed a £1.6 NIHR funded programme of research, which was featured on the BBC’s “Surgeons at the Edge of Life” series. He has started or consulted on multiple PA Programmes across the globe and is currently launching his 3^rd programme in the UK. He has been a visiting professor at the University of Kentucky since 2006. Past President of UK & Ireland Board for PA Education, contributor to the UK Curriculum and Competence Framework for PAs. He is also visiting professor of Medical Robotics at Brunel University London, where the team is looking at the use of robotics in cell regeneration in the cochlear.

Olaf Ahlers is a Professor for Educational Research in Health Sciences. He established the International LOOOP-Network for Educational Research since 2004. Currently, about 180 Health Science programs from 28 countries are mapped, analysed, modified or developed within this LOOOP network. One of his newest projects is support for IAPAE with analysis of the global PA/PA Analogue footprint for assessing education, curriculum mapping and competency outcomes leading to clinical practice.

Lumbani Tshotetsi is a Faculty Member of University of Pretoria working in the Department of Family Medicine under the Clinical Associate Program since 2012. She qualified as a clinical associate in Malawi in 1997 and holds Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health and Master of Science in Epidemiology.
Her interest is in research and training of competent patient centred clinical associate/health care workers. She has contributed to the training of clinical associates in South Africa through assessment and curriculum review. She has served as Secretary of the IAPAE for four years and served in the research committee.

Dr. Alias Mahmud, a Senior Lecturer in Emergency Medicine at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, boasts a diverse career. Starting as a dedicated Medical Assistant in various Malaysian hospitals, he pursued advanced degrees, earning a Ph.D. in paramedical curriculum evaluation from UPM. With over a decade of experience, Dr. Mahmud has been instrumental in shaping healthcare curricula, serving as a curriculum consultant for multiple institutions. Recognized for his expertise, he’s appointed as a Member of the Accreditation Assessor Panel by the Malaysian Medical Assistants Board and the Malaysian Qualifications Board, focusing on Medical Assistants, Paramedics, Health Sciences, and Applied Sciences.

Dr. Anitha Chandrasekhar is a distinguished healthcare professional with a remarkable background, holding a BS in Cardiothoracic Surgery, an MSc in Translational Cardiovascular Medicine (UK), and a DMSc (USA). As the Surgical and Research Program Manager for Lung Transplant at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, she demonstrates exceptional expertise in her field. Dr. Chandrasekhar is a Certified ECMO Specialist by ELSO, actively contributing as a Taskforce member for the National Curriculum Standardization of Physician Assistant education and practice in India. Her leadership extends to past roles as Senior Vice-President of the Indian Association of Physician Assistants and as a Board member of the American Association of Physician Assistants in Cardiovascular Surgery. Furthermore, she serves as an Associate Editor and Peer Reviewer for JAPACV and is a CALS Provider and Instructor accredited by STS/EACTS.