School of Physician Assistant Studies

 

Our Mission

Physician Assistant working with patient


The mission of the Physician Assistant Program is to prepare students to provide quality care for a diverse population in a changing healthcare environment through an education based in primary care medicine with a focus on critical thinking.

Our global perspective on healthcare is supported by our focus on community based practice and international education. We embrace the role of the physician assistant in an interdisciplinary team, and are committed to the advancement of the profession by participating in professional, legislative and community activities.

Values

The faculty, staff, students, and alumni of the Physician Assistant Studies Program:

Programs

The School of Physician Assistant Studies currently offers an entry level Physician Assistant Professional Program and a Post Graduate Residency Program in Rural Trauma and Hospital Care.  For more information about these programs please use the links below.

 

Physician Assistant Professional Program

PA checking a young girl's ear.

The Physician Assistant program is 27 months in length over seven consecutive semesters and grants a Master's of Science Degree in Physician Assistant Studies. The program emphasizes problem-based learning, small group sessions, diversity awareness, evidence based health care, integration of computer technology and the use of the internet in the educational process.

In addition, students participate in community service projects that include staffing of a free clinic and sponsoring a community health fair on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Clinical sites are located throughout the United States but students have the option of selecting an international Clinical elective in many countries of the world including, but not limited to, Mexico, Ecuador, China and Kenya.

Learn about the PA Studies Program >>

           Rural Trauma and Hospital Care (RTHC)

           Post Graduate Residency Program

           The RTHC Residency Program is an intense two year on-site 

           residency designed to train graduate physician assistants in

           trauma, surgery and hospital care to provide care to patients

           in an in-patient environment with a focus on the rural hospital

           setting.  The program builds upon the primary care PA training

           and clinical experience of the residents in the program. 

           Graduates of the program are expected to be employed by

           Medical Centers in both urban and rural areas to augment the

           surgical, emergency and critical care needs of those

           communities.

  

        

FAQs About Physician Assistants

 

What do Physician Assistants do?

They practice medicine under the supervision of a physician.  They take comprehensive histories, perform complete physical examinations, order and interpret laboratory tests, diagnose and treat illnesses, develop treatment plans, counsel patients and their families, perform minor procedures and assist at surgery.

 

Where are Physician Assistants employed?

You can find Physician Assistants in virtually any medical setting where you might find a physician.  They work in private physician offices and clinics, hospital inpatient and emergency departments and mental health facilities.  They are employed by individual physicians, medical groups, hospitals, clinics and federal agencies.

 

What does the future look like?

The U.S. Department of Labor Statistics lists the Physician Assistant profession as one of the fastest growing in the nation and projects an additional 49,000 will be needed by 2010.  Salary data provided by the AAPA shows the average salary for all physician assistants in 2005 to be $81,129.