McShane recognized nationally for innovative approach to community-based medical education
Michael McShane, MD, associate professor of medicine at Penn State College of Medicine, has received the 2026 McGraw Hill Pathfinder Award, a national honor recognizing educators who are creating meaningful improvements in student learning through innovative approaches to teaching and education.
Dr. McShane is recognized for his leadership of the LION Mobile Clinic, a community-embedded, student-led mobile health initiative that brings care and resources directly to under-resourced communities across Pennsylvania while giving students hands-on experience in community-based medicine.
The Pathfinder Award honors three educators each year across preK-12, higher education and post-graduate education who are charting new paths in learning. Through the LION Mobile Clinic, Dr. McShane has helped expand access to healthcare and resources for more than 1,000 patients in rural Pennsylvania while also providing real-world, experiential learning opportunities for more than 100 students.
For Dr. McShane, the recognition is meaningful not only because it recognizes the clinic’s impact, but because of what the word “Pathfinder” represents.
“It perfectly describes the way experiential education takes place, with discovery and adventure,” he said. “There is no greater recognition than one that mirrors the very way I hope my work carries itself in the world.”
Launched in 2022 by Dr. McShane and Mark Stephens, MD, MS, associate dean for medical education at the University Park Regional Campus and professor of family and community medicine, LION Mobile uses a student-led free clinic model to bring primary care and essential resources directly to communities.
Often described as “tailgate medicine,” the clinic partners with local organizations to deliver preventive and primary care services, health screenings, vaccinations and other resources in trusted community settings.
The clinic also serves as a hands-on learning environment for future physicians and other health care professionals, reflecting the College of Medicine’s commitment to preparing learners to lead with compassion, collaboration and a deeper understanding of the communities they serve.
For Dr. McShane, that connection between education and service is central to the clinic’s mission.
“When we step out of the classroom or clinic walls and enter a ‘classroom without walls,’ we step into the patient’s daily reality,” he said. “Students see firsthand the social, financial and environmental challenges that patients face and connect with people where they are located.”
Those experiences, Dr. McShane said, help students understand healthcare in a more human and community-centered way.
“The patient becomes another human being, trying to navigate this complex and sometimes profoundly unfair world,” he said. “LION Mobile creates the space where students can work directly with the community in meaningful experiences, moving the learning out of the classroom and into the places that need it most.”
That mission is also tied to Penn State’s identity as a land-grant university.
“So many communities near our campuses are struggling to access basic resources, including healthcare,” Dr. McShane said. “We started LION Mobile because we wanted to give back to those Pennsylvania communities who have given so much to this University for nearly two centuries. We are a land grant university with a core commitment to serve the Commonwealth. LION Mobile is a mission in motion – taking the land grant mission on the road.”
Dr. McShane’s recognition follows several recent honors connected to the LION Mobile Clinic’s growing impact. The clinic was named one of Pennsylvania’s 2025 Community Stars by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health and was highlighted as part of Penn State’s successful 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement.
“Our Pathfinder Award winners and honorable mention recipients exemplify the innovation and impact shaping education today,” said Philip Moyer, CEO of McGraw Hill, in a press release. “Across classrooms, campuses and communities, they are transforming lives and improving outcomes for students.”
LEARN MORE: PATHFINDER AWARD PROGRAM AND THIS YEAR’S AWARDEES
WATCH: DR. MCSHANE TALKS RURAL HEALTH
DISCOVER: THE LION MOBILE ORIGIN STORY
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