David J. Bunnell, MSHS, PA-C, DFAAPA, is a physician assistant/physician associate (PA) whose career spans clinical practice, research, leadership, advocacy, and education.
Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, Bunnell was raised in several cities across western Pennsylvania, following his father’s pastoral assignments in the United Methodist Church. His upbringing was rooted in service and community engagement, values which shaped his professional journey.
Bunnell’s path into healthcare began early. In high school, Bunnell became an emergency medical technician and later completed paramedic training at the Center for Emergency Medicine of Western Pennsylvania. He served in EMS for 20 years. He also worked in pediatric transplantation at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and as an organ recovery coordinator for the Center for Organ Recovery & Education. He later served as a Technical Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) Fellow at the National Institutes of Health, managing a protocol on islet cell transplantation in primate models for type 1 diabetes.
Bunnell was introduced to the PA profession through his wife, Captain Rebecca Bunnell, MPAS, PA-C, USPHS, who was in PA school when they met. Inspired by her path, he enrolled at the George Washington University (GW) PA Program, earning a Master of Science in Health Sciences in 2004. He received a comprehensive interprofessional education at GW and learned from faculty mentors such as Drs. Jeffrey Heinrich, Susan LeLacheur, Jacqueline Barnett, Howard Straker, and Professor James Cawley.
Although Bunnell had years of emergency experience, he discovered his passion was in surgery. After graduation, he briefly worked in emergency medicine at the Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven, Connecticut, before transitioning to cardiothoracic surgery at the West Haven Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, where he became the first PA in the department. He went on to serve in surgical critical care at the Washington Hospital Center and in cardiothoracic surgery and cardiac electrophysiology at the Washington, D.C. VA Medical Center, where he was the lead medical center PA. Across nearly two decades in the VA system, Bunnell remained deeply committed to serving veterans.
Bunnell’s leadership trajectory began with the Association of PAs in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (APACVS), where he advanced from Leadership Fellow to president (2020), also serving as their chief delegate to the AAPA House of Delegates for ten years. Within the American Academy of PAs (AAPA), he has held numerous leadership roles, including chair of the Research and Strategic Initiatives Commission, chair of the governance commission, and liaison to the American Medical Association. He contributed to the 2016 Optimal Team Practice Task Force, which laid the groundwork for modernizing PA legislation. From 2022 to 2024, he served as an AAPA director-at-large, engaging in strategic initiatives focused on PA workforce transformation, health equity, diversity, and inclusion (DEI). He currently serves on AAPA’s Research and Strategic Initiatives Commission and chairs the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Task Force.
Bunnell has advanced the profession through a broad portfolio of scholarly work, including publications and presentations on topics such as islet cell transplantation, cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, artificial intelligence, telehealth education, leadership, and professional burnout. He served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Association of PAs in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (2018–2021), editor of CardioVISION (2013–2022), and has been a peer reviewer for the Journal of the American Academy of PAs since 2013.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bunnell transitioned into academia. He joined Frostburg State University as director of clinical education and later served as director of assessment, interim chair of the Department of PA Medicine, and associate PA program director. He also completed an academic fellowship at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) in 2020 and earned a PhD in health professions education in 2025. His dissertation defined competency-based expectations for new PA graduates through Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs). He received the 2022 UMB PA Leadership and Learning Academy Alumni Award for his contributions.
His recent work emphasizes the integration of AI in education and healthcare. In 2024, Bunnell received the UMB Leaders in Education: Academy of Presidential Scholars Grant to support faculty development in AI. That same year, he joined the UMB faculty as assistant professor in the doctor of medical science (DMSc) program. In 2025, he and colleagues from the schools of medicine and nursing were awarded a grant from the UMB Center for Interprofessional Education to explore AI-augmented student feedback.
Bunnell’s career reflects the versatility and leadership potential of the PA profession. Through clinical care, educational leadership, research, and policy work, he has contributed meaningfully to advancing patient care, promoting PA practice, and preparing future clinicians.
Outside of his professional life, Bunnell enjoys spending time with his wife and their two children. He is also passionate about baseball and aviation, earning his private pilot’s license while living in Connecticut.
Acknowledgements: This biography was prepared by Phoebe Zhang. It was submitted to the Society in May of 2025. The photographs are courtesy of Mr. Bunnell.
