Anne Heiner, PAS1

The second of four girls, I grew up in New Mexico on the banks of the Rio Grande–a rio that is much less grande than the Willamette. I went to school in Utah, where I enjoyed flying across the country to run around in circles (on a track) while trying to figure out what to do with my life. Shortly before graduating with a degree in biophysics (I’m still trying to figure out exactly what that is), I learned about the Physician Assistant profession through a conversation with a friend, and I immediately knew it would be a great fit for me. I wanted to learn the knowledge and skills that would enable me to give back to others by facilitating their good health, and I liked the PA’s role as part of the healthcare team helping to do so at a more affordable cost.

After college I worked for two years as a medical assistant at a fertility clinic. I also spent 17 months living in Hamburg, Germany as a volunteer with my church. A month before moving to Portland for school I completed my first Ironman triathlon. I’d love to do another, but that will have to wait a couple years, since I’ve now switched out the long hours of swimming and cycling for as many long hours of studying. I love being at OHSU, and if I could synthesize amazing information ant retain it as quickly as it comes at me here I would be very, very smart already. Whenever my brain is on overload and I can’t remember the difference between a coma and a punctuation mark, or between a fibula and a small lie, I usually figure it’s time for a little break, and you can find me running the single-track trails on Marquam Hill.