Interests:
Educating a diverse workforce by priming students to serve rural, undeserved, and culturally diverse patient populations, impact assessment by the teaching and learning of science, curricular and institutional effectiveness, medical education, and student identity formation.
Background:
Dr. Nagasawa (she/her) is an Associate Professor, with a joint appointment in Biomedical Informatics & Medical Education and the Department of Family Medicine. She serves as the Associate Program Director of Evaluation and Assessment at the MEDEX Physician Assistant program. Dr. Nagasawa is a qualitative researcher trained in educational curriculum and instruction. She has held various roles within University of Washington health science programs, where she examines impact assessment of learning environments, curricular implementation, instruction, and institutional effectiveness, with a diversity and advocacy lens. Dr. Nagasawa has extensive experience in designing metrics collection for programmatic evaluation and accreditation.
Current projects:
Implicit bias awareness and training of physician assistants and clinical preceptors
Physician-Scientists and Identity Formation
Training Grant for PAs –Expanding Access to MAT for Opioid Use Disorder.
Predictive Models for Success in PA School
Cultural Awareness Measurement of Dental and PA Students
Research:
Current research interests – programmatic metrics for equity, diversity, and inclusion; training and preparing students for a diverse workforce and patient population; student success predictive models; programmatic learning environments and institutional responsiveness
Other Roles:
Dr. Nagasawa serves as leadership for the MEDEX Physician Assistant program. In this role she oversees:
- Institutional effectiveness through longitudinal data (learning environment, curricular change, cultural diversity)
- Program evaluation – creating infrastructure and CQI processes
- Comparative trends and outcomes
- Interface between students and faculty
Teaching:
Investigative Skills – Qualitative research skills in health sciences
Faculty education – Use of evidence in curricular and programmatic decision-making
Implementation of educational activities, such as implicit bias awareness and training, preparing students for treating diverse patient populations during clinical rotations in rural and/or underserved communities.
Representative publications:
Abu-Rish, E., Kim, S., Choe, L., Varpio, L., Malik, E., White, A., Craddick, K., Blondon, K., Robins, L., Nagasawa, P., Thigpen, A., Chen, L., Rich, J., and Zierler, B. (2012). Current Trends in Interprofessional Education of Health Sciences Students: A Literature Review. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 26(6): 444-51.
Feng, X., Mugayar, L., Perez, E., Nagasawa, P.R., Brown, D.G., Behar-Horenstein, L.S. (2017). Dental Students’ Knowledge of Resources for LGBT Persons: Findings From Three Dental Schools. Journal of Dental Education, 81:22-28.
Mugayar, L., Perez, E., Nagasawa, P.R., Brown, D.G., Tolentino, L.A., Kuang, H., Behar-Horenstein, L.S. (2019). A Multi-Institutional Study of Dental Student Readiness to Address Adolescent Risk Behaviors. Journal of Dental Education, 83(3):296-302.
Satter, K., Jackson, S., DiMarco, A., Nagasawa, P.R. (2019). Intraprofessional Education with Dental Hygienists: The Post Training Impact on Dentists. Journal of Dental Education, 84(9): 991-998.
Nagasawa, P.R., Harris, T., Bester, V.S, Bolden, A.R., Tshuma, L., Ryujin, D., Murray, D., Brown, S.D, and Sturges, D. (2021). “I Can’t Breathe” – Courageous Conversations and Responses to Racism in Physician Assistant Education. Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion feature article. Journal of Physician Assistant Education, 32(2): 127-130.
Collett, D., Wright, K.A., Woltenberg, L.N., Nagasawa, P.R., and LeLacheur, S. (2022). Student Performance Metrics and the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam® : A 3 – Year Multi – Institutional PANCE Study. Journal of Physician Assistant Education, 33(4): 296-301.