Melissa Murfin
Associate Professor & Research Coordinator for PAS, Director of Curriculum & Instruction for PAS, Dir of Edu Strategies for School of HS
Department: Physician Assistant Studies - Elon
Email: mmurfin@elon.edu
Phone number: (336) 278-6857
Professional Expertise
Brief Biography
Dr. Melissa Murfin joined the faculty of the Elon University Department of Physician Assistant Studies in September, 2012. She is the course director for the pharmacology courses in the didactic year of the program. Dr. Murfin was previously a member of the faculty at the LECOM School of Pharmacy in Bradenton, FL where she was the course coordinator for Physical Assessment, Drug Literature Evaluation and Clinical Toxicology. She is also a member of the peer review panel of Prescriber's Letter.
Dr. Murfin received Doctor of Pharmacy and a Master of Physician Assistant Studies degrees concurrently from the University of Florida. She also holds a B.S. in Molecular Biology/Microbiology from the University of Central Florida. She is licensed as both a physician assistant and a pharmacist in NC and FL. Her past work experiences include the areas of endocrinology, infectious disease and internal medicine.
Dr. Murfin's research interests include applying gaming concepts to graduate education, the use of technology in medicine and medical education, antibiotic resistance, and access to care for underserved populations.
Education
Doctor of Pharmacy -- University of Florida
Master of Physician Assistant Studies -- University of Florida
BS Molecular and Microbiology -- University of Central Florida
Courses Taught
Pharmacology I & II, 2015 - present
Advanced Clinical Reasoning 2015 - 2016
Pharmacology, Endocrinology, Pulmonary, Neurology, Oncology, Behavioral Medicine, Geriatrics 2013 - 2014
Physical Assessment and Laboratory Diagnostics 2009 - 2011
Clinical Toxicology 2010 - 2011
Drug Literature Evaluation 2010- 2011
Leadership Positions
Director of Curriculum and Instruction, DPAS 2021 - present
Director of Educational Strategies, School of Health Sciences 2020 - present
Research Coordinator, DPAS 2020 - present
Chair and Program Director 2017 - 2020
Academic Coordinator 2014 - 2017
Chair, Academic Curriculum Committee 2014 - 2017
Chair, School of Health Sciences Curriculum Committee 2014 - 2016
Chair, Academic and Professional Progress Committee, School of Health Sciences, Department of Physician Assistant Studies 2012 - 2016
Current Projects
Pharmacogenomics 101
https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/aapa/65319
Augmenting Reality in the Classroom
Pharmaceutical Games with professor Melissa Murfin
http://blogs.elon.edu/technology/pharmaceutical-games-with-professor-melissa-murfin/
Book Review: The Multiplayer Classroom: Designing Coursework as a Game by Lee Sheldon
http://blogs.elon.edu/technology/author/mmurfin/
Medical informatics: use of antibiotic apps as decision-support tools
Publications
Murfin, M. Using Pharmacogenetic Testing in Primary Care. Journal of the American Academy of PAs: August 2019 - Volume 32 - Issue 8 - p 17–21
Baginski R, Buchs S, Coombs J, et al. PAEA End of Rotation Exams accurately identify students at risk of PANCE failure: a multi-centered study using scaled scores. JPAE. Submitted for publication, Nov 2018.
Peterson E, Hussaini S, Murfin M, et al. Specialty Certification and Clinical Flexibility. JAAPA. 2019;32(3):43-48.
Brown, J, Murfin, M. et al. “Drug Information and Electronic Resources.” ACSAP 2017 Book 3 Nutritional/GI Care. American College of Clinical Pharmacy. 2017.
Miller, AA, Murfin, M, Woo, TM, et al. Commentaries on health services research. JAAPA. 2017;30(4):1-3.
Murfin, M. Special Considerations in Choosing Diabetes Therapy. Physician Assistant Clinics. 2017;2(1):39-52.
Murfin, M. Thyroid Cancer: Incidence on the Rise. Clinician Reviews. 2016;26(10):22,48-49.
Murfin M. Blink Health app helps patients find cheaper prescription drugs: should you recommend it? iMedicalApps. March 9, 2016. http://www.imedicalapps.com/2016/03/blink-health-app-cheaper-prescriptions-review/
Murfin M. New medications for treatment of chronic hepatitis C. JAAPA. 2015 Jul;28(7):57-9.
Murfin M, Ragan P. A review of conveying confident conclusions: p values, confidence intervals, and forest plots. J Physician Assist Educ. 2015 Mar;26(1):49-52.
Murfin, M. Know your apps: an evidence-based approach to evaluation of mobile clinical applications. J Physician Assist Educ. 2013;24(3):38-40.
Murfin, M., Wargo, R. and Vazquez, A. Experiences in a Student-Run Medication Assistance Program. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2013 Dec 15;70(24):2176-9. doi: 10.2146/ajhp120753.
Murfin, M. What's New in...Weight Management. JAAPA. Dec, 2012.
CE/CME for Pharmacist’s Letter/Prescriber’s Letter
Opioid Rotation: Considerations in Opioid Switching, Including Newer Opioid Options
Perioperative Pain Management: How to Help Patients Pre- and Post-op
Osteoporosis Case Study
CE for Pharmacist’s Letter
Diabetes Update for Pharmacists
Pharmacy Law Update
CE for Pharmacy Technician’s Letter
Pharmacy Law Update for Technicians
Keeping the Pharmacy Running - Pharmacy Business for Technicians
Presentations
Game On! Designing Educational Games for Healthcare Students
- 2017 IAMSE Annual Meeting
Pharmacogenomics 101: Using Pharmacogenetic Testing in Primary Care
- 2017 AAPA Conference
Thyroid Nodules and Thyroid Cancer: What to Do When You Find Them
- 2017 AAPA Conference
Augmenting Reality in the Classroom
- invited presentation
- 2017 Elon University Lunch n Learn
Becoming a PA or Pharmacist
- 2017 Hawbridge School Career Day
Meet the Experts: Winning at Geriatic Pharmacotherapy: Using Beers Criteria
- Invited presentation
- 2016 AAPA Conference
Losing Our Resistance: Global Action Plan for Appropriate Antibiotic Prescribing
- 2016 AAPA Conference
Game On! Adding Elements of Game Theory to PA Courses
- 2015 PAEA Annual Education Forum
Game On: Developing Educational Games for Healthcare Students
- poster
- 2015 NASAGA Conference
- Accepted for presentation
The Story of Polly Pharmacy and Beers Man: Adventures in Geriatric Pharmacotherapy
- AAPA Conference 2015
Fun and Gamification in Physician Assistant Education
- Workshop
- PAEA Annual Education Forum 2014
Conveying Confident Conclusions: P values, Confidence Intervals and Forest Plots
- Team presentation
- PAEA Annual Education Forum 2014
Experiences in a Student-Run Patient Assistance Program
- Poster
- ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting 2011
Gastroparesis: When Good Stomachs Go Bad
- Southeast Gatherin’ conference
- Florida Pharmacists’ Association 2011
Celiac Disease: Life Without Wheat
- Southeast Gatherin’ conference
- Florida Pharmacists’ Association 2011
Knowing Your Medicines
- Q and A with Sjogren’s Support Group
A Critical Component: The Role of the Pharmacist in Thyroid Disease Management
- Team presentation to local pharmacists
The FDA Drug Approval Process
- Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences 8th grade Mock UN class
Professional Activities
Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium 2017 - present
AAPA Commission on Continuing Professional Development and Education 2014 - present
JMIR peer review. 2014 - present
ACCP CE Peer review. 2013 - present
Peer review. Prescriber's Letter. 2008 - present
Service Activities
member, University Curriculum Committee
member, DPAS Admissions Committee
member, NC Antimicrobial Stewardship Advisory Panel
Personal Information
born and raised in FL, living in NC since 2012.
for fun: running ridiculous amounts of half marathons, watching Marvel movies, and reading everything!
Professional Development
Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist
2018 Clinical Pharmacogenomics Certificate, University of FL
2016 Short Course in Genomics: Nurse, Physician Assistant, and Faculty Track at National Human Genome Research Institute