Christopher Hanifin, Ed.D, PA-C

Department Chair and Assistant Professor
Department of Physician Assistant

Welcome to our department's website! Thank you for stopping by to learn a little more about us. It is an exciting time to be a physician assistant (PA).The demand for skilled, compassionate clinicians in our country has never been greater, and physician assistants are well positioned to help address this need. There is no vocation more rewarding than bringing comfort to the sick and injured.

I graduated from the joint Seton Hall/UMDNJ Physician Assistant Program in 1999. Following graduation, I was employed in open heart surgery with Cardiothoracic Surgery of South Bend in South Bend, Indiana. Practicing in heart surgery is a remarkable experience. The procedures can be intense, and the hours are usually long. At the end of the day you know that you were part of a healthcare team that possibly added decades of quality years to patients' lives. While working in open heart, I gained experience in vein harvesting and postoperative patient management.

Prior to becoming a physician assistant, I had been an EMS volunteer for years. In 2001, I decided to return to New Jersey to pursue a career in emergency medicine. Due to the healthcare challenges in our country, the emergency department (ED) still serves as a safety net for patients. Working in the ED requires a great deal of flexibility, creativity and a broad skill set, all of which are hallmarks of the PA profession. While working in the ED I served as a clinical preceptor for PA students, and I encourage all PAs to consider doing so if it fits into their practice. Nothing keeps you on your toes quite like having an enthusiastic, inquisitive, eager student around!

I joined the Master of Science-Physician Assistant Program at Seton Hall as a full-time faculty member in 2003. I have the privilege of working with outstanding faculty members who have distinguished themselves through outstanding clinical work, scholarship and service. My coworkers are skilled, caring educators committed to the ideal that the close, careful instruction of our students is the most important thing we do. While transmitting the knowledge needed to be a PA is central to what we do, we also work hard to transmit the spirit of being a PA-that our profession was founded to go places no one else wanted to go to care for people no one else wanted to care for.

Again, thank you for stopping by. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.