Danielle Harter, PA-C, is the owner of Artistry Luxury Injectables. She’s also a proud Seton Hill Physician Assistant Program alumna. Here, she shares her journey from student, to working PA to business owner, in the hope that it will inspire anyone who is interested in the profession to take that next step forward.

Why did you choose to earn a degree in Physician Assistant?

When I started trying to figure out “what I wanted to be when I grew up” I took a lot of factors into consideration. I wanted to do something in the medical field, I wanted a good work/life balance, I wanted flexibility within my career, I wanted autonomy and I wanted a good income. The PA profession checked all of those boxes! 

Why did you choose the Seton Hill PA Program?

For me, Seton Hill University was an easy choice.  Seton Hill has a highly recognized and established PA program that is close to home. I liked their smaller program size and the charm of the campus.  They have a stellar pass rate for the PANCE, and a very good reputation of producing highly functioning and capable PAs who are ready to enter the medical workforce.

What was your first step into your PA career after graduating?  

After graduating from Seton Hill I took a job in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine in my hometown.  I also started moonlighting in the ER.  Fast forward a year and a half and my dream job as a plastic surgery PA became available at WVU Medicine.  

What did you do as a plastic and reconstructive surgery PA?

I was afforded the opportunity to first-assist in the OR on a variety of cases. Some of my favorite surgeries were cleft lip/palate, facelifts, breast reductions and abdominoplasties.  I ran post-op clinics autonomously and worked hand-in-hand with my surgeons and the plastics team to provide excellent patient care.  

You then moved into a general surgery practice, correct?

I worked with a well-respected group of general surgeons as their lead PA. This opportunity gave me the ability to lead, grow and mentor a team of other PAs in their general surgery group. I was able to onboard three PAs over five years, and take a general surgery practice that had zero PAs to a team of PAs in my time there.  I felt inspired by leadership and was motivated to try and climb the corporate ladder further, so I went into more of an administrative role as the lead advanced practice provider (APP) of the Perioperative Evaluation Center at WVU in 2019.  

How did you decide to circle back to aesthetic medicine?

While I found the WVU position challenging, it also reignited my desire for entrepreneurship in a lot of ways. Since my plastics tenure, I had continued to practice aesthetic medicine part time. I always loved the overlap of science and art when I worked in plastics. You use your medical brain to “fix” the medical problem, but the art piece is just as critical for a good outcome. You must understand the science and anatomy behind everything to get safe and predictable outcomes.  

Do you need special training or certifications to be an aesthetic PA?

When I started learning aesthetic medicine in 2010, there really weren’t any specific training courses. Plastic surgeons and dermatologists were the only specialties doing injectable treatments at that time.  I was fortunate to have a personalized hands-on fellowship with a facial plastic surgeon. He really taught me everything I know about the face, principles of beauty and injectable treatments. 

At Seton Hill I was fortunate to be taught by some of the best PAs in our field; as instructors they were tough, but caring.

Since then, I have attended multiple master courses, symposiums and trainings to keep my aesthetic medicine skills current and refined. I typically go to at least five trainings a year to stay current and up-to-date in this industry, in addition to my regular continuing medical education (CME) requirements for the  National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). This includes 200 hours every two years to maintain our certification, and recertification every ten years by exam testing.  I just completed recertification and am proud to say I am a certified PA through at least 2034!

When did you open your own business?

I opened my business, Artistry Luxury Injectables, in Jan 2023.  Entrepreneurship has always been at my core and having that culminate into a brick and mortar MedSpa has been surreal.  The challenge of opening a business was a mix of emotions.  It’s truly the hardest and best thing I’ve ever done.  

Is there anything in particular that you learned or experienced at Seton Hill that you fall back on in your business?

Some of the most important aspects of medicine I learned at Seton Hill were integrity, honesty and ethics.  Patients come to us as PAs for our expertise.  Sometimes they come to us at their weakest and most vulnerable times.  It is our duty as PAs to treat every patient with ethical, honest care.  At Seton Hill I was fortunate to be taught by some of the best PAs in our field; as instructors they were tough, but caring. They not only gave me the foundational tools of how to be a PA, but they gave me the inspirational tools of what this profession can be - which is really anything you can dream!