Working in health care is all in the family for Bre’Andria Thompson, a student in the second year of the Physician Assistant (PA) program at the School of Medicine. The oldest of eight children born and raised in Alabama, Bre’ is also the oldest of triplet girls—and all three are pursuing careers in different branches of medicine.
Thompson’s passion for giving back began in the 8th grade. During her master’s program at Hampton University, she was first inspired to become a PA at a career event, and while working as a medical scribe, learned more about the profession from her PA mentor.
“Everything about being a PA suited me. After doing my research, I knew that Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) was the place where I belonged,” she said. “Along with the excellent PA curriculum, the school’s commitment to helping communities matched my desire to become a healthcare advocate.” She also liked the school’s emphasis on interprofessional education, bringing nursing, social work, dental and medical students together to treat patients.
During her time at the university, Thompson worked at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, recruiting volunteers to package food deliveries. She is also Outreach Co-chair at CWRU’s Student-Run Health Clinic and helped lead the Knock Your Socks Off campaign, going to shelters to wash and care for men’s feet. After COVID-19 began, she launched a mask-making program and led a toiletry drive for men living in shelters.
Currently in clinical rotations, Thompson is practicing the skills from her first year as a PA student—how to meet patients where they are and build relationships with them. She especially likes working with children and is leaning toward working for a pediatric practice after graduation.