Alumni Highlight: Samantha Brittingham, Physician Assistant
Whether on the volleyball court or in the classroom, Samantha (Swiatek) Brittingham pushed for excellence and success. Samantha’s Biology Pre-Med degree from Maranatha served as a major stepping stone toward her current position as a Physician Assistant. Samantha goes in to work each day doing what she loves, making a difference in the lives of others.
Samantha Brittingham
Please share the details of your degree: major, minor, year you graduated, and what activities, sports, or choirs you participated in while you were a student at MBU.
I graduated in December 2015 with a degree in Biology Pre-Med. I played volleyball all four years of my college career, and I also played softball for three years.
Please tell us about your current job/career. Can you share a few of your responsibilities?
Right now, I serve as a Physician Assistant at an urgent care in Michigan. I independently see patients, which includes many responsibilities. I look through the patient’s medical history, do physical exams, make a diagnosis, and then treat the patient accordingly. I have an attending physician with whom I can work with collaboratively, but I do see patients on my own.
Walk us through your life journey since graduating from MBU? How did you get to where you are today?
While at MBU, I had to get patient contact hours in order to apply to physician assistant school, so I started working at Bethesda Lutheran Communities in Watertown. This opportunity allowed me to simultaneously make money while also getting the required patient contact hours I needed. I also took the GRE Test. The process of applying to various physician assistant (PA) schools included obtaining letters of recommendation and writing a personal statement. I was accepted into DeSales University in Pennsylvania, then spent two years there. I spent the first year in classroom lectures and the second year doing clinicals, where we would go out on rotations and see patients. During my time there, I also worked at a free clinic for homeless men in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Upon finishing my year of clinicals, I had to take a whole week of clinical testing in order to graduate. I also took and passed the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE).
Please tell us about your family – husband, wife, kids?
I met my husband, Chris, at Maranatha. We got married the summer before I started physician assistant school, and he has been incredibly supportive through all of my schooling. Chris currently works in the financial industry, but he plans to transition to sports ministry as we settle down in our new location. We lived close to my in-laws while I was in PA school, and we now live close to my family in Michigan.
What brought you to MBU as a freshman?
Where do I begin? Well, I wasn’t originally planning on attending Maranatha. I had planned on attending another school to play volleyball. I came to a volleyball camp at MBU during high school, and I felt the Lord working on my heart during that time. Coach Thompson spoke in our chapel that Wednesday night and the Lord was telling me that MBU was where I needed to be. I didn’t know why, but I knew that’s where He wanted me to be, so that’s where I went.
What do you appreciate most about your training at MBU?
The sports had the most impact on my life as a whole. Aside from the athletics, I learned many life lessons while participating in sports. I also had the opportunity to travel with Global Encounters, and I grew a lot personally and spiritually through that experience. It is a great opportunity that Maranatha provides for students.
Was there a faculty member who really stood out to you – as having an impact on your life?
Coach Thompson and Coach Delozier were the biggest influences during my time at MBU. They both emphasized hard work, dependence on the Lord, and doing everything to the glory of God. Dr. Garza and Dr. Molitor were a part of my science education and were a great help. They gave me great advice as I was about to head to physician assistant school.
What stands out to you about MBU today compared to what MBU was like when you were a student? What innovations do you see? What new programs have you heard of?
Since graduating, I have followed the girls’ volleyball team the most. It has been exciting to see the girls that I played with as an upperclassman go through the program and grow. The online and distance learning department also seems to really be growing and I think that’s great for the school and the students they’re reaching.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I see myself living in the same area of Michigan that I am now, still working as a physician assistant. I would like to return to my athletic background and coach volleyball. My dad was my high school volleyball coach, and we have had a few opportunities to coach together since I graduated from MBU. I would like to get back into that now that I am done with school.
What is a message you’d like to share with a current student?
Pray hard and work hard. If the Lord has given you a true calling, He will give you grace and strength to do it. He will walk alongside you as you walk in His will. He will enable you to do all that He has called you to accomplish.