Paola Gonzalez, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C, has been a practicing physician associate and a leader in the profession for over 20 years, with clinical and administrative experience across diverse healthcare settings. Born in Colombia and raised in an underserved community as a first-generation immigrant, she became the first in her immediate family to graduate from college. Witnessing healthcare inequities in her community, she was inspired to pursue a career in medicine. With the encouragement of her high school physics professor, she discovered the physician associate profession as her calling to serve others. She is passionate about promoting the profession and healthcare access within underrepresented communities, especially Latinx communities.
Gonzalez earned her Bachelor of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Touro College in Bay Shore, New York, in 2004, and later obtained her Master of Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in 2021. She earned her Doctor of Medical Science degree at the University of Lynchburg, with a specialization in executive and organizational leadership, in 2026.
Her clinical career began in family and internal medicine before transitioning into oncology after relocating to Texas in 2007. It was there that she found her true passion, caring for patients with cancer. She currently serves in breast medical oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where she takes pride in providing compassionate, patient-centered care to individuals from diverse and often underserved backgrounds.
Advocacy and Leadership
Throughout her career, Gonzalez has been deeply committed to advancing equity, diversity, and representation in healthcare leadership. Her advocacy journey began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when disparities in access to care across Texas became especially evident. She wanted to do more to give back. While attending the AAPA Annual Conference, which was held virtually that year, she found the PAs for Latino Health (PALH) Caucus. She became a board member of the group in 2021 and subsequently served as its president from 2023 to 2024. While on the PALH board, she helped create the Pre-PA Mentorship program, which received formal approval from the US Department of Health and Human Services. She also served as the Caucus’s chief delegate to the AAPA House of Delegates.
Paola Gonzalez is also deeply committed to outreach and early pipeline development for the PA profession. Through Project Access initiatives with both PALH, PAEA, and AAPA, she delivers in-person and virtual presentations to elementary, middle, and high school students, as well as college pre-health programs, to raise awareness about the PA profession and encourage diverse students to explore careers in medicine. Her efforts aim to expand the healthcare workforce pipeline and inspire the next generation of Latinx and underrepresented clinicians.
Hearing from students and constituents that they didn’t see themselves reflected in leadership positions within the profession, she sought election to the AAPA Board of Directors and was elected in 2024. Within the AAPA, she is a member of the finance, external affairs, and the government relations and practice advancement committees.
Recognitions
Gonzalez has been recognized numerous times for her leadership and advocacy. Such honors include Texas Academy of PAs: PA of the Year award (2024), AAPA’s Diversity Award of the Year (2024), the National Hispanic Health Foundation’s Award of the Year (2024), and Point of Care Network’s America’s Top PA in Medical Oncology award (2024).
Beyond her institutional and national roles, Gonzalez remains an active mentor and advocate for Latinx and Spanish-speaking clinicians. She has served as a member of the national advisory committee for the Mi Hermana-Latina Health Champions initiative under the Healthy Americas Foundation. She continues to support community-based initiatives through her partnership in clinical activities with Dia De La Mujer Latina, promoting healthcare engagement and education among Latinas across the Houston area. In 2025, she was awarded a national scholarship to attend the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Annual Meeting. In 2025, she also became the first PA appointed to the PCORI Patient Engagement Advisory Panel (PEAP), where she will serve a three-year term advancing patient-centered research, equitable engagement, and inclusive healthcare innovation. Other distinctions include being selected to represent AAPA as the sole PA on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Federal Health Equity Advisory Committee (2024).
Gonzalez is also a sought-after national speaker and educator. She has presented at major conferences and institutions, including JADPRO Live (2024, 2025), Nemours Children’s Hospital, and multiple AAPA, PCORI, and Medical Organization for Latino Advancement (MOLA) panels focused on health equity, cultural inclusivity, patient-centered research and advanced practice leadership. In 2024, she delivered the keynote address at the A.T. Still University White Coat Ceremony, inspiring future physician associate students through her story of perseverance, advocacy, and purpose-driven leadership.
Personal Life
Outside of her professional roles, Dr. Gonzalez enjoys supporting her children through their middle school years, traveling, reading, and sharing a glass of wine with friends.
To watch an oral history interview that Ms. Gonzalez gave to the History Society in 2024, please click here.
Acknowledgments
This biography was written by the PA History Society staff with the assistance of Paola Gonzalez. It was submitted to the Society in October 2025 and updated May 2026. Photographs are courtesy of Dr. Gonzalez.
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