Nkechi Mbadugha, DMSc

Nkechi Mbadugha joined the Rutgers Physician Assistant Program faculty in January 2019. She received her bachelor’s degree from Lafayette College, with a major in English Literature and a minor in psychology. She then volunteered as an EMT prior to enrolling in the Rutgers PA program, where she earned a Master’s degree in 2015. Her clinical background is in emergency medicine and urgent care. She also practices as a volunteer with the HOPE clinic in Plainfield, NJ.

Dr. Mbadugha teaches a variety of courses including co-instructing the EKG course for first-year students, simulation exercises, as well as clinical skills labs. Prof. Mbadugha is currently working to earn her DMSc from AT Still University with a concentration in education. Prof. Mbadugha’s interests include psychiatry/behavioral health, simulation, diversity in education, and health equity.

She and a physical therapy colleague were awarded the Dean’s RBHS-IDEA Innovation Grant in 2022 for the development of a mentorship project for underrepresented PT and PA students. In her current research, she is exploring the use of film in teaching empathy and reducing stigma in behavioral health education. She is a core member of an interprofessional research team that recently submitted an R01 grant application focusing on behavioral manifestations of unconscious bias among providers treating MSM.