The School of Physician Assistant Studies offers a 27-month program resulting in a master of science in physician assistant studies.

Mission

To prepare and mentor students with innovative curricula to provide primary and other specialty care for diverse global communities focusing on vulnerable, underserved, and rural populations.

Core Values

Leadership:  

  • Advocate for the highest quality care for all patients
  • Exemplify competence, compassion, and respect
  • Champion patient autonomy and access to care
  • Advance the PA profession through participation in professional, legislative, and community outreach activities

Excellence:  

  • Teach and practice high quality evidence-based healthcare
  • Foster a culture of peer-mentoring and relationship building
  • Encourage lifelong learning, self-awareness and well-being
  • Promote an interprofessional team approach that improves healthcare resource equity and patient outcomes

Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion:  

  • Embrace diversity and respect individual expression in all its forms
  • Practice and teach culturally responsive healthcare
  • Work to address the impacts of social determinants of health on patients
  • Further equitable access to PA education

Vision

Pacific University will be a national leader in PA education known for preparing highly skilled, responsive, and patient-centered clinicians committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, community service, and leadership.

School Goals

Four primary goals guide our school in accomplishing our mission to prepare and mentor students with innovative curricula to provide primary and other specialty care for diverse global communities focusing on vulnerable, underserved, and rural populations. 

  1. Prepare clinically competent clinicians through an innovative systems-based modular curriculum. 
    Success of achieving goal: The Pacific University School of PA studies has a PANCE pass rate which has exceeded the national average over the last five years.
  2. Provide students with enhanced training to care for vulnerable and underserved populations through completion of the The Rural and Underserved Service Track.
    Success of achieving goal: Continued enrollment and successful completion of both tracks compared across the last three cohorts.
  3. Promote equitable access to PA education for students from Hawai'i and Veterans through our established outreach admissions advantage programs.
    Success of achieving goal: Applicant participation in the outreach initiatives. Outreach initiatives have been established and numbers of Hawai‘i and veteran students are steady with 3 Hawai'i students and 4 veterans in the Class of 2022; and 3 Hawai'i students and 1 veteran in the Class of 2023.
  4. Foster alumni engagement.
    Success of achieving goal: Ongoing alumni support of the school as preceptors (43), lecturers and skills examinations proctors
    (20), admissions applicant evaluators (31), and members on our Alumni Board during the last Academic Year.
Physician Assistant Studies (MS)

This seven-semester PA program includes didactic coursework with clinical experiences, enabling graduates to work in a variety of primary care settings.

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Physician speaking with patient
Behavioral Health Physician Assistant Postgraduate Fellowship

The Pacific University Physician Assistant Postgraduate Behavioral Health Fellowship provides an intense, well-rounded 12 months of clinical and didactic training to facilitate a successful career as a behavioral health physician assistant (PA).

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School of Physician Assistant Studies Accreditation

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Pacific University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Pacific University.

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Preceptor Information

A clinical preceptor is a vital part of the School of Physician Assistant Studies’ teaching team. Preceptors supervise, mentor, observe, and provide feedback for PA students as they further develop their clinical reasoning and technical skills.

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