Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences is excited to announce the new appointment of Michael S. Burney, EdD., PA-C as program director of the Physician Assistant (PA) Studies program at the Rinker Health Campus. Dr. Burney has held several leadership positions in PA education and PA professional organizations.  He has served as vice-chair, director of operations, and regional clinical education coordinator for Western University of Health Sciences and most recently as the program director at West Coast University.  He has served as a California Association of Physician Assistants House of Delegates representative to the American Academy of Physician Assistants and has been the CAPA director at large and education committee chair.  He has taught extensively and has more than 25 years’ experiences as a practicing PA in the areas of family medicine and orthopedic surgery.

Dr. Burney received a B.A. in Exercise Science from USC in 1984 before going on to receive his PA certificate and M.S. in Health Professions Education from the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific. In 2002, he completed his Doctoral degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of La Verne. He has published a number of papers on health and education and has been a medical volunteer at Marina High School, Grace Community Church, and the Seal Beach Fun-Run 5-10K. He continues to keep his clinical skills sharp by working one day per week in patient care at Health Pointe Medical Clinic in Corona, CA.

When asked what excites him most about his new job as PAS director the “dedicated faculty and students” are the first thing he mentions. Being a part of a “new college with incredible support and state-of-the-art facilities” is also a major plus. His short-term goal is to ensure the success of every student in the inaugural class of 2018. That includes graduating on time and passing the PANCE certification test. He also hopes to work with local physicians and medical groups to expand the clinical experiences available to future cohorts. Long-term, he will be working toward the programs continued accreditation success.

When he is not teaching at Chapman’s Rinker Health Campus, Dr. Burney enjoys spending time with his wife and daughters. He also has a passion for surfing that started around 1976 and continues today. He has traveled to some of the best surfing destinations around the world including Hawaii, Fiji, Ecuador, Australia, New Zealand, and Costa Rica.

Mike Burney surfing at the Seal Beach pier. Image taken by Steve Yuen