Rate My Professor James Tkacik

James E. Tkacik, DMSc, PA-C, is the Program Director and Department Chair of the Physician Assistant Studies program, as well as Associate Professor of Physician Assistant Studies at Thiel College, a position he has held since August 2023. Possessing over 35 years of experience as a certified Physician Assistant in diverse clinical settings, Tkacik earned his Bachelor of Science in medical science from Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, West Virginia, in 1987; a Master of Science in medical science from St. Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania; and a Doctor of Medical Science from the University of Lynchburg in Lynchburg, Virginia, in 2022. Prior to Thiel College, he served as Director of Clinical Education and Assistant Professor in the Physician Assistant program at St. Bonaventure University in St. Bonaventure, New York, from 2019. His extensive career includes clinical roles at G&A Physician Services in Washington, D.C.; Charles Cole Memorial Hospital in Coudersport, Pennsylvania; St. James Mercy Hospital in Hornell, New York; Olean General Hospital in Olean, New York; WellNow Urgent Care in Olean, New York; and Allegany Family Medicine in Allegany, New York, encompassing emergency departments, family practice, urgent care, hospitalist medicine, and practice management.

At Thiel College, Tkacik leads the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program, which graduated its inaugural cohort in August 2023. He supervises student medical mission trips, such as those to the Dominican Republic where students delivered care under preceptor guidance including his own. In October 2023, Tkacik published an op-ed in The Meadville Tribune celebrating National Physician Assistant Week and discussing the profession's projected growth of over 30 percent in the next decade. His research includes a 2021 publication in the Lynchburg Journal of Medical Science examining assessment tools as predictors of pass rates for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination. In 2025, he was elected Director at Large for the Pennsylvania Society of Physician Associates, a competitive leadership role requiring active membership in both that organization and the American Academy of Physician Associates, aimed at advancing the physician assistant profession and improving medical care in Pennsylvania.