DMS Legacy Program
Update
Butler University’s Doctor of Medical Science (DMS) Degree Program is no longer enrolling new students.
Physician associates interested in earning their DMS are encouraged to explore Butler’s DMS Bridge Program, now designed for PAs at every stage of their careers with flexible pathways to fit their goals and schedules.
The Doctor of Medical Science (DMS) degree program is a fully online and asynchronous post-professional academic program for PAs. Each module is six weeks in length and taught by doctorate-level faculty. All students will participate in scholarly activity through a required programmatic capstone:
DMS Degree Programmatic Capstone Requirement
Entry-level PA program curricula must include instruction to prepare students to search, interpret, and evaluate the medical literature, including its application to individualized patient care. The Butler Doctor of Medical Science (DMS) degree program builds on this existing scholarly knowledge. Scholarship in the DMS degree program is defined as those activities that systematically advance the teaching, research, and practice of medicine through rigorous inquiry that: is significant to the profession; can be documented; can be replicated or elaborated; and can be peer-reviewed through various methods.
Students are required to complete a scholarly activity designed to target a novel problem or current issue in either clinical practice, leadership, or research. The student is required to work closely with a doctoral faculty advisor to develop, formally approve, and finalize the scholarly activity. In particular, the scholarly activity should focus in one of four aspects: discovery, teaching, applications in clinical practice, or integration of ideas. These areas support the values of a profession committed to both social relevance and scientific advancement. This description is not intended as prescriptive, nor as exclusive of other considerations, but may be used to guide the student in developing their scholarly activity. The capstone requirement may be initiated upon the successful completion of five course modules.
The DMS degree requires 27 credits to be earned through Butler coursework with an additional 23 credits automatically transferred from your ARC‑PA–accredited PA program degree, fulfilling the total 50 credit hours required for DMS degree conferral.
For tuition questions or concerns, please reach out to Student Accounts.
Payment plans and loan options
Butler makes payment plans and loan options available to its graduate students. Visit the Financial Aid website for more information.
Butler University recognizes and thanks those for their commitment to military service. As a military-friendly University, we certify Chapter 33-Post-911, Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Chapter 35, Chapter 1606, and Chapter 1607 education benefits for use at Butler. Learn more about Veterans Admissions Information.
Read our alumni profiles to get a glimpse into the lives of our alumni and how the Butler DMS is shaping their future in healthcare.
Brittini Santos
Brittini Santos, the Butler DMS program’s first international student, earned her Bachelor of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Toronto in 2018.
Although very attracted to the program’s curriculum, Santos enrolled at Butler with some trepidation, assuming she’d encounter lessons and information only applicable to PAs in the United States.
“I thought it was not going to be very relevant. But the learning I’m doing so far is very high level and very easily applicable to my experience in the Canadian system as well.”
Santos has spent most of her time working as a PA in forensics medicine. She works for the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Solicitor General in Ontario.
In her position, she conducts autopsies under the supervision of a forensic pathologist in non-homicide/criminally suspicious and non-pediatric cases.
“I don’t see live patients,” Santos says. “On days when I’m scheduled for autopsy cases, I do about four per day. On other days, I write my reports. I look at the histology; I look at the toxicology. I look at my gross findings as well as all the other studies that we request and then formulate the cause of death.”
Recently, Santos desired a refresher in clinical medicine and the career flexibility an advanced degree designed for PAs could provide.
Despite no plans to leave her current position, she understood her DMS would make her an attractive candidate for a new job in the future, even after spending most of her career in the forensic world. She researched potential options for PA degrees in the United States.
Last fall, she enrolled in Butler’s Doctor of Medical Science (DMS) program, which accepted her without requiring her first to obtain a master’s degree.
“What drew me most to Butler’s program was the medical courses involved, like cardiology, pulmonology, and endocrinology,” Santos says. Those sold it for me because I wanted to refresh, and this program was the perfect opportunity to do that.”
She also found the enrollment process straightforward. Her online coursework affords her the flexibility necessary to pursue a DMS despite her demanding schedule.
One of her long-term goals is to be a faculty member at an academic institution where she can contribute to the growth of the PA field in her own country.
“It’s much less developed in Canada than in the States by a lot,” Santos says. “Right now, we have about 1,000 PAs in the entire country. In the United States, there are hundreds of thousands.”
She loves guiding and encouraging others to learn and believes her current profession gives her a unique perspective to share with students.
“I think my job in pathology helps that with teaching because all we do is study how the body works and how its processes went wrong,” Santos says. “So, combined with wanting to teach people, it would help the PA profession, specifically in Canada, and individual learners.
Kevin Bogenschutz
Kevin Bogenschutz, PA-C, DMS, earned a Master’s in PA Studies from Butler University in 2017. Upon graduation, he spent nearly eight years as a PA and the Clinical Director at Pike Medical Consultants, where he practiced primary care, urgent care, and pulmonary medicine.
In 2018, Bogenschutz also began teaching part-time as a Clinical Affiliate Faculty in Butler’s PA Program, where he fostered an affection for instruction and imparting knowledge to others.
“I always knew I loved teaching and wanted to move into the educational realm at some point later in life,” Bogenschutz says. “That’s when Butler’s DMS presented itself.”
At first, he thought earning a Doctor of Medical Science (DMS) would keep him updated on the latest industry knowledge, improve his leadership skills, and empower him to transition to academia down the road.
The program exceeded his expectations and accelerated his desired career trajectory.
Bogenschutz graduated from the program in January 2023. That fall, a position opened in Butler’s College of Health Professions, and he became an Assistant Professor in the Department of PA Studies.
Throughout the 24-month program, he teaches various courses to recent college graduates pursuing a master’s in PA studies.
Despite limited experience in full-time academia, he felt well-prepared for his new responsibilities. His DMS included a PA Educator concentration.
“Although I still had a learning curve,” Bogenschutz says, “it’s not nearly as significant as it probably would have been if I didn’t have that educator track and learn some important traits.”
His concentration included courses focused on curricular design, program leadership, and the use of technology in the classroom.
“There’s a reason that people take so many classes to become educators,” Bogenschutz says. “Although I loved educating others and I knew I was very effective at it, my DMS showed me the nitty-gritty (skills) of how to write learning outcomes and objectives and develop a syllabus.”
Bogenschutz also learned valuable lessons from his desired DMS Capstone project—to complete a research paper for submission to the Journal of PA Education (JPAE). With support from his Capstone and faculty advisors, he developed a hypothesis, received approval from the Institutional Review Board, sent surveys to PA programs nationwide, analyzed the results, and completed the paper.
Kevin received additional peer feedback from the Journal of PA Education and completed those edits. His efforts related to his Capstone project resulted in the publication of his article.
In December 2023, Preceptor Tools for Success: Student Review on Creating an Effective Clinical Rotation appeared in The Journal of Physician Assistant Education.
That experience serves him well now that he’s a full-time professor.
“It’s less daunting now that I’m writing a couple of journal articles as a faculty member with other faculty members,” Bogenschutz says. “I feel more like a contributing team member if it’s a group of us. I’ve published a paper. I know the process, and I’m happy to be part of this.”
Bogenschutz keeps his clinical skills sharp by practicing pulmonary medicine one day per week and providing intermittent urgent care coverage. He also devotes one or two Saturdays each month to running the Near West Free Clinic in Indianapolis, which provides care to the underserved in Indianapolis.
Ultimately, he’s achieved the harmony he always wanted from his career.
“I was reflecting with my wife on what actually gives me a lot of joy,” Bogenschutz says. “Now, I’m in a position in my life where I can teach, I can practice medicine one or two days per week, and I can do research. I feel more balanced than I ever did before.”
Full-time faculty & staff
Dr. Renee Andreeff Ed.D., PA-C, DFAAPA is an Associate Professor in the Butler University Doctor of Medical Science Program. She has over 19 years of experience in PA education and has served as the Program Graduate Research Director, Academic Coordinator, and Interim Program Director for the Physician Assistant Program at D’Youville College prior to joining Butler. She has over twenty-three years of PA experience in Family Medicine. She earned her Doctorate degree in Health Education from D’Youville College and her master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Dr. Andreeff also holds a Master’s in Education Degree and a Certificate in Health Service Administration.
Professor Andreeff is an Accreditation Specialist for the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) and volunteers as a site visitor. She is active within the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) serving on the Grants and Scholarships Committee and also volunteering as peer reviewer for the Journal of Physician Assistant Education (JPAE). Activities within the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) include serving as a peer reviewer for the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (JAAPA), being a member of the PA Research Team Initiative, reviewing applications for the Distinguished Fellow program, and serving as a peer reviewer for submissions to the AAPA and PAEA’s national conferences.
After earning a graduate M.S. degree in Exercise Physiology, Dr. Eifel worked in hospital-based wellness and cardiac rehab programs until returning to school at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio to become a physician assistant. Trained as a surgical PA, upon graduation, Dr. Eifel entered a medical residency for physician assistants at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and continued to work at the clinic in urology before leaving clinical practice to become a PA educator at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia. During his career in education, Dr. Eifel has been a member of the team that started an online PA program at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia and recently closed the program he graduated from in Cleveland in December 2018 following the institutions decision to withdraw from accreditation and cease operations. Dr. Eifel earned an Ed.D. from the George Washington University in Higher Education Administration completing research on transformational leadership in PA program directors.
Dr. Eifel has presented at multiple national meetings and served as a member of the Research Mission Advancement Committee and currently serves on the Finance Steering Committee with the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAES). In 2018, Dr. Eifel was recognized as a Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of PAs.
Allison Ermol, DHPE, PA-C, DipACLM, is a graduate of the Doctor of Health Professions Education program at Logan University and earned her Master of Medical Science from the Physician Assistant program at Arcadia University. She is board-certified in Lifestyle Medicine and has completed additional training in trauma-informed coaching and culinary coaching. Dr. Ermol has practiced as a physician assistant in a wide range of clinical settings, including correctional healthcare, family medicine, emergency medicine, college health, gynecology, and surgery. After more than a decade in clinical practice, she transitioned into medical education and academic leadership.
Throughout her academic career, Dr. Ermol has held leadership roles in assessment, accreditation, curriculum development, student success, and remediation. She has presented at national conferences, published scholarly work, and maintains research interests in the use of educational technologies to support evidence-based learning strategies, the role of failure in learning, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and the integration of culinary medicine into health professions education. She is currently pursuing certification as a Culinary Medicine Specialist.
She is an active member of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) and Pennsylvania Society of Physician Associates (PSPA). In the past she has also served in several roles with the Delaware Academy of Physician Assistants (DAPA) and Georgia Academy of Physician Assistants (GAPA).
DMS adjunct faculty
Dr. Folusho Ogunfiditimi, is a PA who has amassed over 21 years of administrative and clinical knowledge as a healthcare administrator and a former practicing Physician Assistant in Urological Surgery. Folusho currently serves as the Administrator of Practice Management for Florida Health Care Plans (FHCP). He graduated from Howard University with a BSc. in PA Studies, obtained a Master’s in Public Health from the Medical College of Ohio and earned a Doctor of Management in Organizational Leadership in 2013. His experience in healthcare administration spans both inpatient hospital administration to outpatient clinical practice management, all the while providing senior leadership opportunities to PAs, NPs and Physicians. Dr. Folusho is Well-versed in managing complex projects, planning, creating, and developing strategies in outpatient, ambulatory and inpatient healthcare settings while maintaining compliance with regulatory agencies. He is recognized as an empowering administrator with daily physician engagement and encounters, substantial knowledge in healthcare trends, Outpatient and Inpatient care management systems, physician compensation, incentives, alternative payment models as well as new and emerging technologies.
Ms. Pagel is the Executive Director of PA Services at the Cleveland Clinic Health System, and is responsible for the oversight, compliance, utilization and productivity of all physician assistants, ensuring they practice within a team-based model to promote and enhance patient access and care. She is a member of the Cleveland Clinic Physicians Health Committee, CRO/APP Optimization task force, and the BOG Practice Innovations & professional Fulfillment Council. She serves as Clinical Associate Faculty to the PA Program at the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University and Butler University’s Doctorate of PA studies program. She is a member of the USAO Task Force on Heroin & Opioid Action Planning.Ms. Pagel is a Past President of the AAPA. She has held multiple appointed and elected positions within the organization and is a Distinguished Fellow of AAPA. She has served as a member of the AAPA finance committee, External affairs, Executive Committee, and the Collaboration for REMs Education team, which involves primary care, addiction medicine, and pain and hospice-palliative care specialty perspectives. She is the Director of Governmental Affairs and the Chair of the pharmacology CME committee for the Ohio Association of Physician Assistants and represents OAPA as a delegate to the HOD. She has served on the AAPA CEO Search committee, the Title change advisory Council, Nominating Workgroup and the Governing Commission Task Force.She has received multiple awards for her work within the PA profession. In 2018 Ms. Pagel was the inaugural recipient of Case Western Reserve’s “Josanne Pagel PA Advocacy Award”, an award recognizing all of her work advocating for the PA profession. The award is named in her honor. In 2017 she accepted the Partnership Award from PA Education Association for all of the work Cleveland Clinic’s PA Services has done to promote clinical training of PA students. In spring of 2014 she was inducted into the Pi Alpha Honor Society for Physician Assistants. She is a two time recipient of the OAPA Charles Hudson award for outstanding service. She has received multiple commendations for her volunteer work in the profession.As Executive Director of PA Services for The Cleveland Clinic Health System she accepted the inaugural Employer of Excellence award from AAPA’s Center of Health care leadership. She accepted the Employer of Excellence award again in 2020.Pagel began her PA career 42 years ago as a Peace Corps volunteer, working with communities in the Philippines. Returning to the U.S., she has worked in various medical disciplines, including CT surgery, family practice, psychiatry and addiction medicine. She presently volunteers with the county free clinic, providing much needed health care to members of the community.With more than 40 years of clinical experience and more than 30 years of executive administrative experience, Ms. Pagel has broad expertise in facilitating groups in organizational management, team building. Inter-professional work relations and engagement and executive leadership. She frequently gives talks on APP Reimbursement and practice models. As a former elected city council member of North Ridgeville, Ohio, Pagel represented her community on safety, building and lands, and administrative committees. She also ran for the Ohio House of Representatives. She is a champion of PA practice in Ohio and in the U.S. and continues to advocate for enhanced PA practice laws through legislation and lobbying.Pagel is a graduate of the Cuyahoga Community College Surgical PA program. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from Baldwin Wallace University and her master’s in PA studies, psychiatry and addiction medicine from the University of Nebraska. She is an Ordained Minister with a Masters in Divinity and is presently finishing her studies for a doctorate in divinity and metaphysical sciences. She is an avid gardener, and speaks to community groups on herbal gardening.
Current (2019 to Present)
Assistant Professor, Pharmacy Practice
Butler University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Indianapolis, IN
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Internal Medicine
Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital, Indianapolis, IN
Former
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Neurology
Summa Akron Campus, Akron, OH
Assistant Professor, Pharmacy Practice
Northeast Ohio Medical University (’13), Rootstown, OH
Research Interests: Internal Medicine/Cardiology/Neurology, Transitions of Care, Anticoagulation, Perceptions of Pharmacists, Professional Development
Jaclyn Demeter, MPAS, PA-C is an Assistant Professor in the Department of PA Studies. She earned Bachelor of Science in Health Science and Master of Physician Assistant Studies degrees from Butler University. She began her PA career in Orthopaedic Spine Surgery in Indianapolis, Indiana—caring for patients in the office, hospital, and operating room settings. In her clinical role, she precepted PA students in their clinical rotations. Jaclyn is passionate about teaching and mentoring PA students through all stages of their PA education and career.
Current teaching assignments include:
- Summer: MPAS 503- Physiology for PAs
- Spring: MPAS 527- Clinical Procedures with Lab for PAs
- Fall: MPAS 538- Medical Literature Interpretation and Evidence Based Medicine, MPAS 519- History and Physical Exam with Lab for PAs
Jaclyn serves as the liaison for Butler University’s PA Program to the Indiana Academy of Physician Assistants (IAPA) where she also leads the Membership Committee as a co-chair. She volunteers with the PA Foundation through the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA). She holds membership in the following organizations: IAPA, AAPA and Physician Assistant Education Association.
When she is not in the classroom, you will find Jaclyn enjoying the outdoors or participating in triathlon swim, bike, and run activities.
Dr. Snyder is the Executive Associate Dean (November 2025) of the College of Health Professions (CHP). She is a tenured professor and Distinguished Fellow Member of the AAPA. She graduated from the Butler University physician assistant program in 1997 and earned a PhD in Health Sciences from Nova Southeastern University in 2014. She earned an MBA from the Lacy School of Business, Butler University in May 2026.
Dr. Snyder has served within the Butler University PA program as the Academic Coordinator, Clinical Coordinator, Program Director, and Chair of the Department. She was the founding Chair and Program Director of the Doctor of Medical Science Program in the Department of Medical Sciences. In 2020, she assumed the position of Associate Dean Academic and Administrative Services of the College. While at Butler University, she has served as a University Faculty Senator and on the College and University Professional Standards Committees.
Dr. Snyder has been active in the national professional organizations of the PA profession. She currently serves as a Board of Trustee for the PA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the American Academy of PAs (AAPA). Dr. Snyder served as the chair of the Research and Strategic Initiatives Commission of the AAPA from 2024 – 2026 and also the co-chair of the Doctoral Education Commission of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) from 2024 – March 2026. She serves as a volunteer site visitor for the Higher Learning Commission.
Dr. Snyder has served as Director at Large and President of the Board of Directors of the PAEA. She has served as a volunteer site visitor for the Accreditation Review Commission on Education of the Physician Assistant. She has served on several Reference Committees and the Standing Rules Committee within the House of Delegates, AAPA. In addition, she has chaired or served on numerous other committees and workgroups in both the PAEA and AAPA.
Dr. Snyder remains active as a member with her state physician assistant organization. In the past, she was elected to positions within the Indiana Academy of Physician Assistants as President, Secretary and on numerous occasions as a Delegate to the AAPA House of Delegates.
Dr. Snyder graduated from the FBI Indianapolis Citizens Academy in October 2025. She received a Scholarship Star by Butler University in 2020-2021, and again, in 2023 – 2024. She was awarded the PAEA Master Faculty of the Year Award in 2019 and the President’s Award in 2011 by the Student Academy of American Academy of Physician Assistants.
Dr. Snyder has worked in both family and emergency medicine as a physician assistant. She has presented and published several peer reviewed publications on clinical, professional, and research topics associated with the PA profession and education.
Dr. Jennifer Simms Zorn, DMS, PA-C is a graduate of the Doctor of Medical Science program at Butler University and obtained her Master of Science in Physician Assistant Practice from Finch University of Health Sciences. Dr. Zorn is a tenured associate professor at Butler University and has previously taught in the Butler PA program from 2006-2021. Her clinical work has been in internal medicine and geriatrics as well as in family medicine.
Since joining the faculty at Butler University, Dr. Zorn has presented on clinical, professional, and education topics locally and nationally. She has published works related to PA Education and the PA Profession.
Dr. Zorn currently serves nationally as a member of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) Awards and Honors Committee. She has also served in multiple roles for the Indiana Academy of Physician Assistants.