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The states with the largest numbers of Physician Assistant Programs are: New York (21 Physician Assistant Programs) Albany Medical College CCNY Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education Clarkson University Cornell University CUNY York College D’youville College Daemen College Hofstra University Le Moyne College Long Island University Mercy College New York Institute of Technology Pace University Rochester Institute of Technology St. John’s University Stony Brook University SUNY Downstate Medical Center SUNY Upstate Medical Center Touro College (Bay Shore) Touro College (Manhattan) Wagner College Pennsylvania (20 Physician Assistant Programs) Arcadia University Chatham University Desales University Drexel University Duquesne University Gannon University King’s College Lock Haven University Marywood University Misericordia University Penn State University Pennsylvania College of Technology Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Philadelphia University Saint Francis University Salus University Seton Hill University Thomas Jefferson University University of Pittsburgh University of the Sciences of Philadelphia California (10 Physician Assistant Programs) Loma Linda University Marshall B. Ketchum University Riverside Community College Samuel Merritt College San Joaquin Valley College Stanford University Touro University (California) University of California-Davis University Of Southern California (LA) Western University of Health Sciences Florida (9 Physician Assistant Programs) Barry University Keiser University Miami-Dade College Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale Nova Southeastern University, […]
In 2014 there are currently only 2 school left that offer an associates degree. In other words, this is a dying breed! Physician Assistant Programs offering an Associates Degree Miami-Dade College Our Lady of the Lake College Interestingly none of these programs currently participate in CASPA. and they both reside in Florida.
As part of my “5 steps to PA School” series on my PA Life website I covered the healthcare experience requirements of all 204 Physician Assistant Programs in the United States. Included in the post was a survey asking people to predict what percentage of PA programs in the US required 2,000 or more hours of healthcare experience. The overwhelming majority (32%) thought that 67% of PA schools nationwide required 2,000 or more hours of healthcare experience. What is the actual number? Four percent! Yes, you read that correctly, in the year 2015 only 4% of PA schools nationwide require that PA school applicants have 2,000 hours or more of health care experience (HCE) in order to apply. Despite this, the median number of HCE hours that successful PA school applicants have is quite a bit higher. Does 2,000 hours sound like a lot? Well, the good news is, this is only 1 year of full time work which in my opinion is not just a good requirement but a great goal as an applicant deciding if the PA profession is right for you. You can use the PASchoolfinder website to filter PA schools by healthcare experience requirements in order to […]
* This article originally appeared on Future Tense Online education is gaining credibility, and MOOCs seem to be finding their footing, after burning bright and then sort of flaming out. So perhaps it’s no surprise that Yale announced an online physician assistant master’s program on Tuesday, but it certainly shows that these types of programs are becoming increasingly ambitious. The new Yale master of medical science degree will have the same prerequisites and same tuition as the on-campus version—$83,162 for 28 months—and the university says it will be just as rigorous. Yale is collaborating (and splitting revenue) with the online education company 2U, which will coordinate medical rotations for students. Currently Yale accepts fewer than 40 students into its physician-assistant program, but by adding the online track, the school hopes to bring that number up to about 360 students within five years, theWall Street Journal reports.* Program director James Van Rhee explained in a statement how the course of study will go: PA program students could come to campus during the first week or two in the program to experience Yale. Then at the end of the first year, they would come back to learn clinical skills and again at the end […]
According to a PayScale.com September 2014 report of median earnings for PAs, those at the entry-level made $82,000. With 5-10 years of experience, the median income was $92,000. Experienced PAs with 10-20 years of work made $97,000. After 20 or more years of experience, you could earn $98,000 per year.
September 2014 median incomes from PayScale.com showed that some specialties would pay you at a higher level of compensation than others. At the lower end, physician assistants who worked in pediatrics earned $78,664. Those in emergency medicine earned $89,936 and those in dermatology made $84,822. Higher salary specialties included critical care at $90,322 and surgery at $90,279.
The Physician Assistant (PA) program at San Joaquin Valley College will close in the Fall of 2015, after its last cohort of students completes the program. SJVC will continue to meet all of the educational standards of the PA programmatic accrediting body (ARC-PA) for its current students. The College is not enrolling any future cohorts of students for its PA program. Individuals interested in applying to a Physician Assistant program are encouraged to visit www.arc-pa.org/acc_programs to research accredited institutions. Specific information on the status of the SJVC PA program is available here. At its March 2014 meeting, the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) placed the San Joaquin Valley College Physician Assistant program sponsored by San Joaquin Valley College on Accreditation-Probation status until no later than September 30, 2015, at which time the sponsoring institution will voluntarily withdraw from the accreditation process. The institution and program have agreed to teach-out the currently enrolled students in accordance and compliance with the educational Standards for accredited programs. Should the program not comply with the Standards, thereby failing to provide an acceptable educational experience for its students, it is subject to having the accreditation status withdrawn. Specific questions regarding the […]
The Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine launches today its Master in Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS). There are 45 students in the inaugural class chosen out of nearly 700 applicants. 25-year-old Mildred Castro is thrilled to be one of them, but there are two other people who are probably even more excited — her mom and dad, Nicaraguan immigrants who never finished middle school. Castro is a first generation student, the first person in her family to graduate from college and to move on to graduate school. “For both of them, it’s a dream come true. They’re really proud of me,” she says. Castro says she was inspired to go into medicine by her pediatrician, who is now the pediatrician of her 15-month-old son. Because she’s a mom, Castro says the relatively short time commitment for the PA program, 27 months, versus roughly 10 years she’d have to invest in going to medical school and residency, was perfect for her. “People say that PA school is med school in 27 months,” says Ksenia Petrushkina, a 32-year-old native of Russia who moved to the United States 10 years ago with a master’s in English, but always wanted to study medicine. Petrushkina was at her doctor’s […]
During the ARC-PA’s recent meeting, eleven new PA programs were awarded provisional accreditation by the Commission. This brings the total number of accredited entry-level programs to 210. The number of new programs predicted to open their doors by July 2018 currently stands at 36. California Baptist University located in Riverside, California Program Director: Allan M. Bedashi, DHSc, MSHPE, MPAS, PA-C Case Western Reserve University located in Cleveland, Ohio Program Director: Cynthia Booth Lord, MHS, PA-C Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science located in Los Angeles Program Director: Katayoun Moini, PA-C, RD, MHS, CNSC University of Dubuque located in Dubuque, Iowa Program Director: Warren E. Gall, MD, FACS Francis Marion University located in Florence, South Carolina Program Director: James F. Hull, Jr., MPAS, PA-C College of Saint Mary located in Omaha, Nebraska Program Director: Shaun Lee Grammer, MS, PA-C Sacred Heart University located in Fairfield, Connecticut Program Director: Teresa Thetford, DHSc, MS, PA-C Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania Program Director: Teresa R. Preston, MPAS, MBA, PA-C Southern California University of Health Sciences located in Whittier, California Program Director: Ingrid E. Patsch, MD Stephens College located in Columbia, Missouri Program Director: Eric D. Johnson, MS, […]
Top 20 Most Expensive PA Schools in 2017 Of 244 Physician Assistant Programs in the United States these are the top 20 most expensive PA Programs 20. Sacred Heart University Connecticut $107,040 $107,040 27 19. D’youville College New York $107,550 $107,550 54 18. Union College Nebraska $108,160 $108,160 33 17. University of the Pacific California $108,770 $108,770 27 16. Seton Hall University New Jersey $108,960 $108,960 33 15. University of South Carolina School of Medicine South Carolina $110,472 $150,267 27 14. University of Toledo Ohio $110,961 $145,401 27 13. Monmouth University New Jersey $112,880 $112,880 31 12. New York Institute of Technology New York $113,190 $113,190 30 11. Marquette University Wisconsin $114,000 $114,000 33 10. Springfield College Massachusetts $114,158 $114,158 27 9. University of Nevada, Reno Nevada $117,220 $117,220 27 8. MGH Institute of Health Professions Massachusetts $117,236 $117,236 25 7. MCPHS University (Boston) Massachusetts $122,625 $122,625 30 6. Touro University – California California $124,360 $124,360 33 5. Pace University New York $125,000 $125,000 27 4. Medical University of South Carolina South Carolina $128,000 $132,000 27 3. University of Southern California California $157,916 $157,916 33 2. Gannon University Pennsylvania $176,240 $176,240 24 1. Duquesne University Pennsylvania $222,000 $222,000 27
Looking to save money on PA school? These are the twenty cheapest physician assistant programs in the United States. Top 20 Least Expensive PA Schools in 2017 1. Miami-Dade College Florida $25,000 $45,000 27 2. Rush University Illinois $26,000 $26,000 33 3. University of Texas – SW School of Health Professions Texas $29,570 $70,116 30 4. University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Oklahoma $30,000 $78,682 30 5. Towson University CCBC – Essex Maryland $31,325 $52,026 26 6. Cuyahoga Community College/Cleveland State University Ohio $31,492 $55,821 28 7. Wichita State University Kansas $31,616 $63,543 26 8.Barry University Florida, Virgin Islands $32,000 $32,000 28 9. SUNY Upstate Medical Center New York $32,150 $62,425 27 10. University of North Texas HS Center Ft Worth Texas $33,260 $89,285 34 11. Louisiana State University – Shreveport Louisiana $35,000 $60,000 27 12. University of Wisconsin – Madison Wisconsin $35,031 $72,000 24 13. University of Nebraska Nebraska $35,055 $104,511 28 14. University of Texas – HS Center at San Antonio Texas $36,000 $76,000 30 15. University of Texas – Medical Branch at Galveston Texas $36,000 $74,000 25 16. Wayne State University Michigan $36,000 $72,902 24 17. University of North Dakota North Dakota $36,630 $36,630 24 18. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Texas $38,710 $87,439 27 19. SUNY Downstate Medical Center New York $39,000 $77,735 27 20. Missouri State […]
In a lab on the University of Dubuque campus, students unwrapped the plastic covering from four cadavers. They were tasked with making incisions to the chest wall and abdomen, exposing the muscles. The goal of the exercise was to teach them more about medical physiology and anatomy, laying the foundation for the practices they will learn later. The students are in the first class of UD’s new physician assistant program. The first class consists of 25 students — about 5 percent of the approximately 500 people who applied to the program, officials said. The students started orientation at the end of July and began classes this month. The program serves as an extension of the college’s mission and trains professionals who play a role in improving access to medical care, according to school officials. “This is really, some people would call this the first month of medical school — it’s equivalent of that,” said Mark Ward, vice president for academic affairs. The program is housed in a new addition to University Science Center. The space includes a lab set up as a hospital ward with patient beds, an area built to mimic a doctor’s office with exam rooms, an anatomy […]
Looking to avoid GRE Prep on your path to PA School? You are not alone! Here is a list of the 80 US physician assistant programs that do not require the GRE for PA school acceptance in 2016-2017. Click here to view the interactive map Arizona School Of Health Sciences Physician Assistant Program Augsburg College Physician Assistant Program Bay Path University Physician Assistant Program Bethel University (Minnesota) Physician Assistant Program CCNY Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education Physician Assistant Program Charles R. Drew University Physician Assistant Program Concordia University Physician Assistant Program Cuyahoga Community College Cleveland State University Physician Assistant Program D’youville College Physician Assistant Program Daemen College Physician Assistant Program Drexel University Physician Assistant Program Duquesne University Physician Assistant Program Eastern Michigan University Physician Assistant Program Eastern Virginia Medical School Physician Assistant Program Franklin College Physician Assistant Program Franklin Pierce University Physician Assistant Program Gannon University Physician Assistant Program Gardner Webb University Physician Assistant Program Heritage University Physician Assistant Program Hofstra University Physician Assistant Program Interservice Physician Assistant Program King’s College Physician Assistant Program Le Moyne College Physician Assistant Program Loma Linda University Physician Assistant Program Marquette University Physician Assistant Program Marshall B. Ketchum University Physician Assistant Program MCPHS […]
Postgraduate education for physician assistants (PAs) first developed in the early 1970’s. Over the past four decades the PA postgraduate training movement has slowly expanded, and in 2017 there are 70 programs listed on the Association of Postgraduate PA Programs programs (APPAP) website. All of these post graduate training programs, also referred to as residencies or fellowships, provide some form of advanced learning in various medical and surgical specialties. Those who attend residency programs claim that PA residencies offer hands on practical experience that will prepare you to be better perform at your job. PAs who jump into specialty without residencies claim you can get paid 2-3x as much, work less, and learn just as much while getting your training on the job. Who is right? I am not here to debate this, but I think it depends on the person and your individual needs. By far the most comprehensive PA residency program is hosted by the Carolinas Healthcare system which offers eight PA fellowships in Acute Care, Critical Care/Trauma, Family Medicine, Hospitalist, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Urgent Care and Urology! PA program residency quick facts: Program certification: There is no official certification process for post graduate residency programs. ARC-PA: There are […]
The Cuyahoga Community College Cleveland State University CCC/CSU PA program located in Parma Ohio, is currently on probation and will cease to operate in December 2018. Currently, the program has no active admissions process and is not accepting any more students. The institution is eligible to re-apply for accreditation but at this time there is no timeline to submit a new application. The application process can take up to 5 years to complete.
The Physician Assistant College Admission Test (PA-CAT) is a specialized test that is designed to measure applicant knowledge and application in key prerequisite science subjects typically required for PA school. The PA-CAT measures general academic ability and scientific knowledge necessary for success in the demanding Physician Assistant curriculum. The PA-CAT has been developed specifically for use by PA educators and admissions experts as part of a holistic admissions process. Facts About the PA-CAT A 240-item assessment covering 9 science subject areas Field-tested with over 1700 examinees at 36 PA programs Available May of 2020 at over 5,000 Prometric testing centers Cost: $228 (includes the test center fee for standard administration) Includes free study resources including 8 subject-specific practice exams and PA Pre-Matriculation Course Physician Assistant Programs Requiring the PA-CAT As of September 2020, there are ten physician assistant programs requiring the PA-CAT as part of their admission criteria. AdventHealth University Sciences Physician Assistant (PA) Program Central Michigan University Physician Assistant Program College of Saint Scholastica Physician Assistant Program Hardin-Simmons University Physician Assistant Program Harding University Physician Assistant Program Miami-Dade College Physician Assistant Program Pfeiffer University Physician Assistant Program Stephens College Physician Assistant Program Theil College Physician Assistant Program Wake Forest […]
Are you applying to PA school with a low GPA? Are all the “accepted” blog posts of attractive PA school applicants with 3.9 or 4.0 overall GPAs and perfect hair got you feeling down? When I applied to PA school, I had a cumulative GPA of 2.9, a result, probably like many of you reading this, of some early misguidance and misdirection. I got my act together in the second half of my undergraduate career, finishing on the Dean’s list with a 3.8 GPA. But my overall GPA never fully recovered and was lower than the 3.0 minimum of the PA school where I was accepted. The good news is that many PA schools realized that undergraduate GPA might not be a good predictor of PA school success. To attract well-rounded, qualified candidates, they relax their GPA requirements with this goal in mind. Below are PA schools that currently require less than 3.0 overall GPA minimum or have no overall GPA requirement. Physician Assistant Programs That Accept Overall/Cumulative GPA of Less Than 3.0 or Have No Minimum GPA Requirement Arcadia University Physician Assistant Program – Glenside Pennsylvania Baldwin Wallace University Physician Assistant Program Brenau University Physician Assistant Program Bryant University […]
The majority of US physician assistant (PA) programs require 1,000 hours or less of healthcare experience hours in order to apply to their program. 68 PA programs require more than 1000 hours of healthcare experience. For applicants who have little (or no) patient care experience, there are 96 PA programs have set their healthcare experience requirement as “recommended/preferred” and eight US physician assistant programs who do not require healthcare experience hours. PA Programs That Don’t Require Healthcare Experience Hours Baylor College of Medicine Physician Assistant Program Duquesne University Physician Assistant Program Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program Mary Baldwin College Physician Assistant Program Northeastern State University Physician Assistant Program Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Physician Assistant Program University of Toledo Physician Assistant Program Valparaiso University Physician Assistant Program Follow this link to see a full breakdown of PA programs sorted by healthcare experience requirements. For a more detailed analysis of PA school, healthcare experience requirements read my post Healthcare Experience Required for PA School: The Ultimate Guide.
The majority of US physician assistant (PA) programs (157) recommend physician assistant shadowing hours to apply to their program. 44 PA programs require PA shadowing hours as part of your CASPA application. For applicants who have little (or no) physician assistant shadowing hours, there are 91 PA programs have set their PA shadowing requirement as not required, and two US physician assistant programs who have no specified requirements. PA Programs That Don’t Require Shadowing Hours Anne Arundel Community College Physician Assistant Program Assumption University Physician Assistant Program Barry University-Miami Physician Assistant Program Barry University-St. Petersburg Physician Assistant Program Baylor College of Medicine Physician Assistant Program Boston University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program Brenau University Physician Assistant Program Bryant University Physician Assistant Program Butler University Physician Assistant Program Canisius College Physician Assistant Program Carlow University Physician Assistant Program Case Western Reserve University Physician Assistant Program Central Michigan University Physician Assistant Program Christian Brothers University Physician Assistant Program College of Saint Mary Physician Assistant Program D’youville College Physician Assistant Program Elizabethtown College Fairleigh Dickinson University Physician Assistant Program Faulkner University Physician Assistant Program Gannon University Physician Assistant Program Gannon University-Ruskin Physician Assistant Program Gardner Webb University Physician Assistant Program George Washington […]
Just like undergrad, the smaller the class size, the more one-on-one attention you’re likely to get from your professor. The size of your class may also affect your clinical years with larger class sizes negatively impacting your choice of rotation sites are and how much 1:1 time you get with a preceptor. The average PA school class size is just over 40 students, but there are smaller PA programs that only take about 20 students per year. While the student-to-faculty ratio may be similar across the board, consider whether or not you’d prefer to have a larger class or a smaller one. There are 203 PA schools with class sizes of less than 50 students There are 88 PA schools with class sizes of more than 50 students PA Programs With Small Class Sizes (Less Than 50 Students) AdventHealth University Sciences Physician Assistant (PA) Program Assumption University Physician Assistant Program Augusta University Physician Assistant Program Baldwin Wallace University Physician Assistant Program Barry University-St. Petersburg Physician Assistant Program Bay Path University Physician Assistant Program Baylor College of Medicine Physician Assistant Program Bethel University-Minnesota Physician Assistant Program Boston University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program Bryant University Physician Assistant Program California Baptist University […]
As you may already know, PA school is not cheap! The average increase in nonresident PA school tuition over the last five years was 3.5%, whereas resident PA school tuition rose by 5.33%, and it appears there is no end in sight. The only good news is that physician assistant salaries have increased 3-5 x more than the PA school tuition cost, with an average wage increase of 15.0% in the last six years. Regardless, finding an inexpensive graduate PA program will help keep costs down and debt low, allowing you more freedom and flexibility well into your retirement years. With the average undergraduate education debt before PA school at $36,300 and the average anticipated debt load from PA school at $112,500, cutting your costs can be profound. Beyond the scope of this article, one must not forget about the myriad of loans and repayment programs available to PA students. I myself was a National Health Service Corps Scholar, which profoundly affected my finances and where I choose to practice as a PA. The Cheapest Physician Assistant Programs Here are the most inexpensive PA programs in the country with resident tuition less than $50,000. Augusta University Physician Assistant Program CUNY York College Physician Assistant […]
When deciding which PA school to attend, PANCE pass rates often enter the discussion. Although I agree that five-year PANCE pass rates reflect well on a PA program, I don’t believe they should be the most important part of your PA school decision matrices. Many factors can affect a PA programs PANCE pass rates, and low PANCE pass rates over a couple of years can negatively impact reported 5-year PANCE pass rates. They may not represent the program’s overall strength, its faculty, or the student body. Since 1998 US News has been publishing the only known ranking of PA programs based on subjective peer assessment surveys of PA program faculty. There are several limitations to this ranking system, not to mention US News only ranks about 64% of PA programs leaving many excellent PA schools out of the mix. Now that you know this, let’s look at the PA programs with a 100% five-year PANCE pass rate. Just remember it is only one factor in evaluating potential PA schools and should not be the “end all be all” when choosing or evaluating which PA program(s) to apply to. Physician Assistant Programs With a 100% PANCE Pass Rate Baldwin Wallace University Physician […]
As of 2023, there are approximately 80 PA programs with provisional accreditation status. These programs are linked below, listed on the ARC-PA website, and are subject to change.
As a PA School Applicant, Should You Worry About Class Size? As a future Physician Assistant/Associate (PA), one crucial factor that may be a part of your PA school decision-making process is class size. Large PA class (> 50 students) or small PA class (< 50 students), you find yourself contemplating which environment will be most conducive to your learning. This question, however, may not have a clear-cut answer, as the “best” class size often varies depending on individual learning preferences and styles. I attended the Rutgers University PA program, where our class comprised around 40 students. In retrospect, the relatively small class size had a positive impact on my PA school journey. We were a close-knit group, akin to a family, right from the start. The camaraderie, support, and shared experiences fostered by our small class size played a pivotal role in shaping my development as a PA. So, this leads us back to the original question, “Does class size really matter?” From my personal experience, I believe it does, but the importance and implications may not be as straightforward as you might think. The Impact of Class Size: The Bigger Picture A larger class size in a PA […]
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