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Ten Questions With Our March 2025 Faculty Spotlight
Getting to Know Dr. Debra (Dee Dee) Herrmann
A note from the CFE regarding the Faculty & Staff Spotlights:
For the past two years, we have been honored to highlight the excellence in teaching & learning, scholarly endeavors, and leadership all around us at GW Medicine. As we continue to spotlight our faculty’s contributions to our academic community and beyond, we are thrilled to unveil a new, updated format: Ten Questions with…Getting to Know Our Colleagues. As part of our highlights, we will also be creating a Spotify playlist based on the songs they selected. We hope that you enjoy the new format and getting to know our GW Medicine Colleagues. We thank our highlighted faculty and staff members for sharing their advice and perspectives with us!
- SMHS Center for Faculty Excellence
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Join the CFE as we highlight Dr. Dee Dee Herrmann, who discusses her roles as the Director of the Center for Faculty Excellence and her journey and career as a Physician Assistant and faculty member. Dee Dee also discusses her plans for the future of the CFE, including the transition of the Master Teacher Leadership Development Program (MTLDP). Finally, she shares her accomplishments this past year and what keeps her motivated in her various roles.
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Biography
Debra (Dee Dee) Herrmann, DHSc, MPH, PA-C, is an Assistant Professor and serves as faculty in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies and is the Director of the SMHS Center for Faculty Excellence.
Dr. Herrmann graduated from The George Washington University Physician Assistant Program in 2001. Immediately after graduation, as a National Health Service Corp Scholar, she practiced clinically in Outpatient Community Medicine in rural West Virginia. Since returning to the DMV area, she has practiced clinically in Emergency Medicine, Urgent Care, and Family Practice. In 2010, Dr. Herrmann completed the Master Teacher and Leadership Development program at the George Washington University and finished her Doctor of Health Science degree with an emphasis on adult education in December of 2017 at A. T. Still University.
At the GW PA Program, in addition to teaching and engaging in departmental/university service and scholarly pursuits, Dr. Herrmann has served as the Associate Director of the Didactic Curriculum, the Director of Clinical Education, and the Associate Program Director. She was appointed the Associate Director of Engagement for the SMHS Center for Faculty Excellence in 2018.
Dr. Herrmann recently learned she was selected to receive the George Washington University 2025 Morton A. Bender Teaching Award. In 2024, Dr. Herrmann received a GW Academic Medical Enterprise Pillars of Excellence Award. She was awarded the National Physician Assistant Educator Association Faculty Rising Star award for PA education in 2011. She served as the mayoral-appointed chair of the PA Advisory Committee for the DC Board of Medicine from 2010 until 2016 and continues to serve as an advisor to the BOM regarding PA practice and regulations in the District of Columbia when called upon.
Her research interests include transition to professional practice, professional identity formation, professional development and performance improvement, clinical reasoning, curriculum design/evaluation, and educational innovations.
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Interview Q/A
How long have you been at GW Medicine, and what drew you to your current position?
Dee Dee: I first came to GW as a student in the Physician Assistant program from 1998 to 2001. I also completed my master's in public health at the same time. After graduating, I returned to work as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of PA Studies department and joined the department as a full-time faculty member in 2007.
I completed the Master Teacher and Leadership Development Program (MTLDP) under the leadership of Dr. Ellen Goldman, who also developed the Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE). When I joined the CFE in 2018, I helped design faculty development sessions for clinical educators, and in 2020, I became the director of the CFE.
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Why did you decide to pursue a career as a Physician Assistant?
Dee Dee: Growing up, I had many relatives who lived in rural health professional shortage areas, and watching them struggle and having to drive miles and miles away to get just basic primary care was really frustrating to me. In school, I always had an interest in science, particularly anatomy and physiology, so I became very passionate about wanting to be a healthcare professional and serve communities of patients in need. The PA profession was created to improve and expand healthcare, mainly to serve as primary care providers in health professional shortage areas. So, the career choice was an excellent match for me to pursue these passions.
After graduation, I was able to accomplish these goals immediately. I was a National Health Service Corps scholar, which allowed me to pay for PA school. In exchange, I worked in a health professional shortage area, doing outpatient community medicine in rural West Virginia. After I retire, I hope to return to practicing as a PA in a rural setting in primary care.
Overall, I have loved every aspect of my career and feel very blessed to do what I do. I have enjoyed working in academia as an educator, clinically as a healthcare provider, and in faculty development as the director of the CFE. So even though it can be a lot to manage all three of those different roles at times, I couldn't be more happy with my journey and wouldn’t choose anything else.
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What would you be doing if you did not pursue a career as a Physician Assistant?
Dee Dee: If I were not a PA, I would have wanted to be a veterinarian simply because I love animals! Also, I am just drawn to caring for others and developing relationships with patients and those who love, care, and want the best for them - which you see in both animals and humans.
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Dee Dee: Within the CFE, we have an exceptional team of talented individuals who are passionate about their work. The team brings a wealth of experience as educators, researchers, instructional designers, program associates, and managers. I am proud of what we have achieved together, and I believe that the possibilities for our future endeavors are limitless!
Specifically and more recently, the center has offered various workshops on the use of AI in health professions education, research, and service. These workshops have deepened our understanding of how we can use AI meaningfully as educators and how we may be able to help our students use AI responsibly for their learning, and that has been very exciting.
Within PA, I am excited to be still heavily involved in the program, teaching, and helping to shape and develop the future PAs of the world. The faculty, staff, and students of the GW PA Program are stellar and it is a joy and pleasure to work and learn with them.
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What is a professional accomplishment this past year that you are proud of?
Dee Dee: Honestly, I view every accomplishment, no matter how small, as a significant win. This past year, the accomplishment I am most proud of is transitioning MTLDP completely into the SMHS. This process is still ongoing, but we are taking significant steps to reach this goal. It's been a real learning curve for me to make this transition, and I have liked the challenge and learning things relating to the collaboration between the SMHS and GSEHD and the development of the MTLDP admission processes in SMHS. This transition has allowed me to learn a lot more about how things work from a logistical and administrative process.
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What is a personal accomplishment this past year that you are proud of?
Dee Dee: That is a no-brainer for me. My son is a high school senior who will graduate in June. My biggest personal accomplishment is raising him and watching him achieve his goals while growing and developing into a smart, funny, and kind person and citizen ready to go out into the world and do great things.
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What is something that you are working on this next year that you are really excited about?
Dee Dee: I am excited about the prospect of pursuing promotion in the next couple of years. I have been at GW for a long time, and in the early stages of my career here, I was primarily focused on being a teacher, dedicating all my time and energy to that role. At that time, seeking a promotion was not part of my plans. However, I have since come to realize how important it is, especially as a female faculty member, to strengthen all aspects of the academic stool: teaching, research, and service. Finding a balance in these areas is essential for effective interactions within the school, the university, and the broader community of health professions educators.
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What is something that your colleagues might not know about you that you want to share?
Dee Dee: Something my colleagues may not know about me is that despite my work requiring me to be very extroverted - I appreciate my alone and quiet time way more than anybody could ever imagine. I actually crave it and need it to be effective professionally and personally.
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In baseball, they have walk-up songs to get the players and fans excited about the game. What would your walk-up song be to get you excited about your work?
Dee Dee: A few songs come to mind for me - the first would be Happy by
Pharrell Williams. It gives me instant energy and puts me in a positive mood. My second song is, I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack. It speaks to my philosophy of how I approach life in general. Lastly, the song I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor is a classic and helps me get through challenging times.
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How does this spotlight/recognition make you feel?
Dee Dee: I feel incredibly honored to be recognized in this way and to have people interested in learning more about my background and achievements. Part of our mission here at the CFE is to empower individuals, and these spotlights are a great way to do that.
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