Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Woods | 260306-N-FB730-1036 CAMP LEJEUNE. (March 6, 2026) The Interservice Physicians...... read more read more
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – Military medicine’s newest physician assistants received their diplomas and commissioned as officers during a ceremony on March 6, 2026, at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.
The eight service members completed the second phase of Navy Medicine’s Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP), recording approximately 10,300 patient encounters and more than 1,700 clinical procedures during the Phase II portion at Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune (NMCCL).
Through the past year of Phase II, graduates rotated to multiple points of care including orthopedics, emergency/trauma medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics, and more.
“Physician Assistants (PAs) are the answer to the demands of the operational tempo that the Marine Corps and the Navy require,” said Lt. Cmdr. Kyle Blood, program director for NMCCL Phase II site. “PAs are versatile, deployable, capable of practicing medicine anytime, anywhere.”
Navy Medicine PAs work contiguously with supervising physicians and surgeons, able to conduct exams, diagnose illnesses, develop treatment plans, and prescribe medication among other duties.
The program is offered to Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard active-duty personnel within the enlisted ranks E5 through E9. Successful completion of the program resulted in a Master of Physician Assistant Studies through the University of Nebraska and commissioning into the Medical Service Corps.
Newly commissioned Lt. j.g. Lisa Brandt, a prior Marine Corps master sergeant, took top honors in class 23-3 with the highest-grade average in the class.
At the ceremony, NMCCL Director Capt. Anja Dabelić, spoke about the crucial mission for the new PAs.
“Physician Assistants are indispensable to military medicine,” said Dabelić. “You are the force multipliers of readiness, the trusted providers who will serve at the tip of the spear, ensuring our Marines and Sailors are healthy and ready.”
Phase I of IPAP is completed at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Houston. Since establishment in 2021, Phase II of IPAP at NMCCL has graduated and commissioned 38 physician assistants into the Navy officer ranks.
| Date Taken: | 03.06.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.06.2026 15:17 |
| Story ID: | 559572 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 225 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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