Lipscomb ‘lifer’ completes PA degree, caps two decades on campus
Kim Chaudoin |
Tucker Hamar celebrated the completion of this Master of Physician Assistant Studies at commencement Dec. 13.
When Tucker Hamar walked across the Allen Arena stage this December to receive his Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree, he wasn’t just celebrating a new credential. He was closing a remarkable chapter in a lifelong journey that has unfolded almost entirely on the Lipscomb campus.
Hamar has been a Lipscomb student since he started as pre-kindergartener in 2002. He graduated from Lipscomb Academy in 2017, completed a Bachelor of Science in biology with minors in chemistry and psychology from the university in 2021, earned a master’s degree in biomolecular science in 2022 and now adds a physician assistant degree to his growing Lipscomb résumé.
“Lipscomb is much more than a place and means so much more than an education to me,” Hamar said. “It represents the many years of my life that helped transform me into the man and future health care provider that I am today. It took me as a young kid who had no idea what he wanted to do and felt lost in life at times, it gave me a dream, challenged me to my limits and transformed me into a man who lives his life with purpose and strives to be the best he can be every day. Lipscomb has and will always be home to me.”
Finding a calling in health care
Hamar says he did not arrive at Lipscomb University with a clear career path in mind, and he didn’t consider himself a naturally gifted student. But he always sensed that God was at work in his story.
“I ended up pursuing a PA degree by the pure guidance of the Lord,” he said. “Coming into college, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life at that moment and had historically never been the best student. Given that, God always knew the plans that he had for me and every step of the way was perfectly crafted by His hand even if it didn’t seem like it in the moment.”
A love for people and for health care was planted in Hamar’s heart early on. Growing up, he went on mission trips with his home congregation, the Church of Christ in Green Hills, and he often visited his father, Chuck, a 1982 Lipscomb graduate and former Bison baseball player, at the hospital where he worked as a pharmacist. Those experiences sparked a curiosity about medicine and shaped his desire to serve.
Lipscomb is much more than a place and means so much more than an education to me. — Tucker Hamar
“I always thought health care was one of the coolest things ever and had always taken an interest in it,” Hamar said.
During his junior year as an undergraduate biology major, friends in his classes introduced him to the physician assistant profession. He began asking questions, talking with mentors, shadowing practicing PAs, volunteering at a local clinic and attending Lipscomb’s pre-PA club meetings. The more he learned, the more clearly he saw a path forward.
“The more I learned about the PA profession, the more I fell in love with it,” he said. “I made the decision that I really wanted to be PA and started working towards that goal. I saw the PA profession as a route to use my acquired skills, knowledge and experience to be able to care for others on a much deeper level and to actively be the hands and feet of Jesus.”
Lipscomb President Candice McQueen with Tucker Hamar and his parents, Amy and Chuck, at the PA School hooding ceremony on Dec. 12.
Choosing Lipscomb — again
When it came time to apply to PA programs, Hamar knew he wanted more than strong academics. He wanted a program whose mission matched his desire to integrate faith and practice and his vision for his life.
“Lipscomb’s School of Physician Assistant Studies was a no-brainer for me and the only school to which I applied,” he said.
That decision proved to be the right one. Hamar said the academic rigor, clinical preparation and deeply invested faculty in the School of Physician Assistant Studies exceeded his expectations and aligned with what he had experienced across his time at Lipscomb.
“On clinical rotations I often hear preceptors that take Lipscomb PA students say ‘I love Lipscomb students, y’all are always so prepared,’” he said. “I think this is a true testament to all of the amazing teachers and professors that I have had throughout my time at Lipscomb. I think it also highlights just how amazing, knowledgeable and passionate our professors at the School of Physician Assistant Studies really are. They care about us as students on a much deeper than an academic level. They truly want to see us succeed and work so hard to help us reach our goals as students.”
He credits faculty across the university with both challenging and encouraging him at every step.
“Lipscomb has always prepared me for the next level in my education and provided me with the best resources and connections possible to succeed,” he said. “Whether it be the transition from high school to college, college into two master’s degrees, or the new phase that I’m about to step into as a new grad PA… they continually pushed me to be better and genuinely made learning difficult topics so much more fun.”
Growing up on campus
Hamar’s story with Lipscomb began in pre-kindergarten, where he spent two years before moving through elementary, middle and high school at Lipscomb Academy. Along the way, classroom moments, athletic memories and student life traditions all wove together into what he calls an “amazing” experience.
From learning about monarch butterflies with Ms. (kindergarten teacher Becky Collins) and participating in ‘sock wars’ and Space Day in elementary school, to field days and world geography with his aunt, teacher Rita Cochrane (LA ’75, ’79), in middle school, to Friday night football under the lights for Coach Scott Tillman (’94) in high school, each season gave him community and memories.
At Lipscomb University, those memories continued to grow as he joined Tau Phi social club, taking part in Cowboy Show and Singarama, going to formals, watching the Bisons’ first NCAA Tournament appearance during his sophomore year, playing pickup basketball in the Student Activities Center, serving as a teaching assistant in the microbiology lab during his first master’s program and later serving as vice president of his PA class.
“My Lipscomb experience has been nothing short of amazing,” he said. “It has given me lifelong friendships and provided me with a sense of community that’s so hard to find anywhere else. I have more memories than I can count from my time at Lipscomb that I often reflect on and will always give thanks for. Lipscomb was the experience that God knew that I needed.”
Family has been threaded through that experience as well. His mother, Amy Hamar (LA ’78, ’81), is also a Lipscomb “lifer,” having attended from kindergarten through the university and serving for years as director of Lipscomb’s Lifelong Learning program. She started working at Lipscomb around the same time Tucker began pre-K, and the two often crossed paths on campus, grabbing lunch, traveling on Lifelong Learning trips and cheering on the Bisons at basketball games. “Having my own mom working on campus while I’m was growing up at Lipscomb was also very special to me,” he said.
To make this season even more meaningful, Hamar is finishing PA school just as his mother transitions into a new part-time role and semi-retirement.
“To be finishing up at the same time that my mom transitions to a new part-time position at Lipscomb and into semi-retirement makes it even more special to me,” he said. “Without the guidance of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the support of loving parents, family and friends, and the many connections that I made throughout my time at Lipscomb I wouldn’t have ever made it to where I am today.”
In all, five members of his immediate family, his parents Chuck and Amy, and siblings Kaylee Hamar Plaut (LA’06, ’11), Megan Murphy Hamar (LA ’03, ’09) and Keegan Hamar (LA ’07), have attended or graduated from Lipscomb; grandfather Willie Cato graduated in 1953; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins, including cousins Brooke Hamar (LA 17, ’21) and Maggie Hamar Campbell (LA ’20, ’24) and Braden and Blake Sweeney attended Lipscomb as well. He also regularly saw extended family on campus. In addition to Cochrane, his aunt, Janice Cato, worked in the Raymond B. Jones College of Engineering, and.
“A lot of my best friends from middle school and high school also came to Lipscomb University like Judson Chaudoin (LA ’17, ’21) and Barr Ellenburg (’21),” he reflected. “Some of my fondest memories have been while in PA school. I made so many new best friends for life and sat on the back row of the classroom with three of my best friends, cadaver lab, long nights of studying in the library, late night hangouts with all of my friends, teddy bear repair clinic, project access, clinical rotations, and being the vice president of my graduating PA class.”
“I have more memories than I can count from my time at Lipscomb that I often reflect on and will always give thanks for,” Hamar continued. “My Lipscomb experience will always hold a special place in my heart and I look forward to the many memories to come.”
Formation of faith and purpose
After more than 20 years as a Lipscomb student, Hamar said the school has had a tremendous impact on him.
“Lipscomb has helped to shape me into the person that I am today, spiritually, physically and mentally,” he said. “Not only did Lipscomb provide me with the opportunity to further my education and career, it provided me with the means to find who I was as a person and where I stood in my faith. It challenged me to always work to be the best version of myself that I could be and strive to keep Christ at the center of my life. It taught me the importance of a faith-based education and surrounding myself with a community of believers.”
“Lipscomb left a lasting impact on me that I will forever carry with me throughout the rest of my life and career,” Hamar added.
That sense of responsibility extends to the way he views the Lipscomb name in health care settings.
“When people in the Nashville community, around the country and around the world hear the name Lipscomb, they don’t just see an average student,” Hamar said. “They see a direct reflection of Jesus and the product of a community that prepares its students so well.”
What’s next
With his PA degree in hand, Hamar plans to work in orthopedic surgery and hopes to re-engage in medical mission work, continuing to blend his love for medicine, people and service.
As he looks ahead, the “Lipscomb lifer” carries deep gratitude for the place that has shaped nearly every season of his life and a word of encouragement for current students who may still be trying to discern their path.
“To all of the students out there who feel lost and don’t know what to do with your life: Dream big, work hard, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances,” Hamar said. “God has a plan for you.”
Learn more about Lipscomb's School of Physician Assistant Studies.