Faculty
Heather L Heggem, DMSC, MPAS, PA-C
Fall 1980 - Fall 2120
College of Medical Sciences
HeatherHeggem@scuhs.edu
Current Position
Biography
Dr. Heggem is the Dean for the College of Medical Sciences at Southern California University of Health Sciences. Previously, she was the founding Director of the Doctor of Medical Science Program at Rocky Mountain College. Hailing from Winifred, MT, Dr. Heggem realized early on how rural populations can be underserved and has continued striving to provide competent healthcare to Montanans. Dr. Heggem’s journey started at Rocky Mountain College, where she pursued her passion for Biology and Environmental Science with a Chemistry Minor. After completing her undergraduate studies, she began the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program. With several years of experience in Cardiology, Dr. Heggem’s journey led her back to her alma mater, where she shared her knowledge and expertise as a dedicated professor in the PA Program. She worked as the Director of Clinical Education, Academic Coordinator, and later became the Program Director. Passionate about education and lifelong learning, she took on the challenge of the Doctor of Medical Science Program at Lynchburg University, all while continuing her role as the Director of the PA Program. Dr. Heggem has practiced as a PA-C for over 18 years, bringing her skills and compassion to patients across Montana and is a leader in medical education.
Degrees
D.M.S., Rocky Mountain College
M.A., Physician Assistant Studies, Rocky Mountain College
Professional Licensures (Healthcare)
NCCPA, Montana, United States, 1069542, Active, 2005, December 2025
DEA, Montana, United States, MH2538190, Active, 2005, October 2026
Work Experience
2019 - 2024
Founding Program Director Doctor of Medical Sciences Program & Assistant Professor of Physician Assistant Studies, Rocky Mountain College
2014 - Ongoing
Physician Assistant, Rocky Mountain College
2012 - 2019
Program Director & Assistant Professor of Physician Assistant Studies, Rocky Mountain College
2010 - 2011
Director of Clinical Education & Assistant Professor of Physician Assistant Studies, Rocky Mountain College
2005 - 2010
Cardiology Physician Assistant, St. Vincent Healthcare
Hear from the Students Who’ve Been in Your Shoes
I chose SCU when looking for a PA program because of their Integrative Medicine approach. I am from Michigan, and not many programs focus on this Integrative, Holistic approach when it comes to patient care in the Midwest, and I felt that was very important for me to learn as a future provider. My transition to semi-virtual learning has been very smooth and quite enjoyable. [su_accordion][su_spoiler title="Read More..." open="No"]My favorite part about attending SCU is how tight-knit and diverse the community is. Coming from a large undergrad university and moving so far, it was very important for me to have a PA program that made me feel valued and invested in my success. At SCU, they do a great job of making you feel that.[/su_spoiler][/su_accordion]
Brianna Hadley
MSPA Class of 2022
One of the great things about SCU is we do have a campus layout, so all your classes aren't in a single room. We have our cadaver lab. We have different specialty rooms for physical assessment classes vs. acupuncture classes. All our acupuncture-specific classes have all the herbs in the room. You can pull out the herbs and look at them, whether in class or in between classes to get that extra studying in.[su_accordion][su_spoiler title="Read More..." open="No"]My favorite part of SCU is the collaboration from our beginning terms. We were working alongside chiropractor students, PA students, and ayurvedic students. It's a unique community where we get to learn about these different fields and sit in classrooms with them and work with them in the clinic. It allows you to get an understanding of all the different fields and how they can work together, and what is unique about your field. I think that is a wonderful aspect that I didn't think was going to be as prominent as it is here; even now, in my upper term classes and I am not in class with chiropractic students, I can still reach out to them about a certain aspect I may not understand or if I am working on a case. I want another perspective I know I have them to reach out to, so that has been a great networking community to have resources for.[/su_spoiler][/su_accordion]
Dr. Jamie Kuljis
Graduate, Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine
"There are a lot of things that I love about the program at SCU. The first one is that the faculty come from a long line of Ayurvedic knowledge deeply rooted in ancient classical text. They studied Ayurveda, but they also lived it. When you learn from people who embody this wisdom, it's much easier to grasp this knowledge. The second thing I love is the camaraderie within the cohort. The combination of the training, supportive faculty, and the support of my peers and classmates has given me the confidence I need to start my own practice."
Portia Harris
Student, Ayurveda Program
Some of my favorite courses at SCU have to be the chiropractic procedure classes; those are the classes you get to hone in on your chiro skills, your palpation skills and ultimately work on the adjustments that make you a chiropractor. Those are the classes I feel enhance my knowledge the most and are some of the reasons I chose to become a chiropractor here are SCU.[su_accordion][su_spoiler title="Read More..." open="No"]On top of chiropractic procedures classes, my favorite is the cadaver lab experience. The cadaver classes opened up my perception of what the human body is made up of. It allowed me to get an in-person perspective of how the body works and looks on the inside. I am genuinely thankful for those experiences because they opened and broadened my horizons to the human body and anatomy in general.[/su_spoiler][/su_accordion]
Jordan Vega
Student, Doctor of Chiropractic
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