He Dreamed of Becoming a Physician Assistant. New Loan Rules May Thwart Him. - Asian Journal News

He Dreamed of Becoming a Physician Assistant. New Loan Rules May Thwart Him. - Asian Journal News

Pinckney has spent most of his career working for New York City’s Department of Sanitation. But he has dreamed of becoming a physician assistant since he was treated for gunshot wounds at a Jacksonville, Florida, hospital in 1999. (Erica S. Lee for KFF Health News) By Lauren Sausser Jun 30, 2026 Benjamin Pinckney, 46, has dreamed of becoming a physician…

Trump's Student Loan Caps Could Cut Black Healthcare Workers

By Lauren Sausser Benjamin Pinckney, 46, has dreamed of becoming a physician assistant since just after his 20th birthday. He had been targeted by a drive-by shooter in Jacksonville, Florida, and hospitalized with two gunshot wounds. During his weeklong hospitalization, he said, a physician assistant changed the course of his life by visiting his hospital bed each day and warning him that Black men like him, with gunshot wounds, often end up par…

He Dreamed of Becoming a Physician Assistant. New Loan Rules May Thwart Him. - Health Care Today

Benjamin Pinckney, 46, has dreamed of becoming a physician assistant since just after his 20th birthday. He had been targeted by a drive-by shooter in Jacksonville, Florida, and hospitalized with two gunshot wounds. During his weeklong hospitalization, he said, a physician assistant changed the course of his life by visiting his hospital bed each day and warning him that Black men with gunshot wounds often end up paralyzed — or worse. “I used to…