Teresa Thetford DHSc, M.S., PA-C, N.P.

Teresa Thetford is the director for the physician assistant program and an associate clinical professor at the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis. As both a physician assistant and a nurse practitioner, she adds unique perspectives and teaching to the family nurse practitioner and physician assistant programs. She provides both teaching and mentorship to students as well administrative leadership for the physician assistant program.

Thetford’s professional interests include primary care medicine, improving patient safety and health care outcomes, interprofessional education and decreasing health disparities.

Before joining UC Davis, Thetford launched physician assistant programs at two other universities. She was department chair and founding program director of Physician Assistant Studies in the College of Health Professions at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, for the past five years. Prior to that, she served as the assistant dean for Interprofessional Health Studies and founding physician assistant program director at Marshall B. Ketchum University, where she successfully developed the first physician assistant program in Orange County, California. She was also an assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine physician assistant program.

Thetford earned a Doctor of Health Science in Leadership and Organization Behavior from A.T. Still University (ATSU) in Arizona. She also earned a Master of Science Degree in Advanced Physician Assistant Studies from ATSU. She earned both a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physician Assistant Studies and nurse practitioner certification from USC.

She has presented at a variety of professional conferences, including the American Academy of Physician Assistants and Physician Assistants Education Association conferences.

Contact Information: phone: 916-734-3954 | Email: tathetford@ucdavis.edu