Student Representative
Hunter Drake, PA-S
Waltham, MA
Hunter Drake (she/her) is a second-year PA student at Monmouth University in Long Branch, New Jersey. A proud first-generation college graduate, Drake brings with her a decade of clinical and leadership experience spanning emergency medicine, research, advocacy, and education.
Originally from Massachusetts, Drake earned her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from the University of Maine, graduating summa cum laude. She later completed a Post-Baccalaureate in Pre-Medical Studies at Columbia University, becoming the first graduate from her high school to attend an Ivy League institution. At Columbia, she served as President of both the Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Student Council and the Queer Health Alliance, while also working as a Graduate Assistant for the women’s basketball team throughout her tenure.
Drake also served as a student researcher with Columbia’s Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy (ISERP), in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She contributed to a comprehensive study titled Epidemic/Pandemic Response in Africa: COVID-19 in Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, which analyzed pandemic responses in five of Africa’s most prominent economic and cultural hubs. The project was later presented at the Preparedness by Schmidt Futures forum and formed part of a multi-institutional analysis across 23 nations, involving 47 research teams. For her leadership and academic excellence, Drake was awarded the Kevin J. and Edith Sullivan Scholarship during her time at Columbia.
Before entering PA school, Drake amassed over 10,000 hours of hands-on clinical experience across a range of roles, including work in pediatric critical care—a specialty she is deeply passionate about and hopes to continue pursuing after graduation. Most recently, she served as an Emergency Department Technician at Lahey Medical Center, a Level I trauma center. In addition to her clinical work, Drake has shown a longstanding commitment to education and mentorship. She has served as a middle school ski instructor, a volunteer summer school aide, and a volunteer tutor for low-income families during the COVID-19 pandemic—providing academic support to students with limited access to resources.
Currently, Drake serves as President of the Monmouth University Physician Assistant Student Society and is a frequent speaker on pre-PA pathways and healthcare access panels, where she advocates for inclusivity and representation in medicine. As the newly appointed Student Trustee of the Physician Associate Foundation, she looks forward to bringing a student-centered perspective to national initiatives, expanding opportunities for leadership and service, and advocating for equitable access to healthcare education across the profession. She is especially passionate about advancing pathways for underrepresented students in medicine and creating space for future leaders to thrive.
In her free time, Drake enjoys walk-and-talks with friends, skiing, cooking, traveling, hot yoga, and spoiling her dog, Olive.