For more than two decades, Taisha McIntyre, DMSc, PA-C, CAQ-Psychiatry, has dedicated her career to caring for patients, mentoring future PAs and advancing the profession through volunteer service.
A Board Certified PA practicing in psychiatry, McIntyre cares for patients of all ages in South Florida through a combination of in-person and virtual visits. She also serves one day each week as an adjunct professor in the Miami Dade College PA Program. Beyond the classroom and clinic, she mentors pre-PA and PA students and recently began leading mental health discussions for health care and service professionals in Jamaica coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.
Her commitment to service began long before she entered practice.
“I had long been very interested in health, disease processes and how they are treated or even prevented,” McIntyre said. “As the child of immigrants, I often saw the stark differences in medical care available for loved ones overseas versus in the U.S. and felt an overwhelming desire to provide compassionate, comprehensive care for everyone.”
McIntyre graduated from Duke University’s PA Program and has spent the past 20 years building a career grounded in patient care, education and service.
Her journey with NCCPA began when a Duke classmate encouraged her to volunteer. Since 2018, she has contributed to Psychiatry CAQ exam writing and standard-setting activities, helping ensure certification reflects the knowledge and skills practicing PAs need.
For McIntyre, the experience has provided far more than an opportunity to give back.
“Volunteering offers new insights into the growth of our profession while encouraging us to continue our great work as PAs,” she said. “The meetings bring together PAs from across the country, allowing us to learn how different states, employers and institutions utilize our skills.”
Those conversations have also become an unexpected source of inspiration.
“Whenever I begin to feel stagnant or unsure of what my next move should look like, these meetings and the great PAs I get to meet always provide some form of encouragement,” she said.
While the work requires time and effort, McIntyre said the rewards are well worth it.
“You’ll see how much NCCPA cares about PAs and the work it takes to maintain strong certification standards,” she said. “It can be a refreshing change of pace from your regular routine and help reignite your passion for supporting the PA profession.”
