Programs

Overview

The Master of Physician Assistant program, open to qualified MCPHS premedical and health sciences students and postbaccalaureate students, incorporates the study of medical and behavioral sciences with real-world clinical experiences.

Program Highlights

• Full-time 30-month professional degree program
• Fall semester start
• For qualified MCPHS students who have completed three years of appropriate undergraduate studies in the premedical and health studies program or postbaccalaureate students with similar academic backgrounds
• Accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) for seven year with the next site review in September 2019.

Program Details

The Master of Physician Assistant Studies program incorporates the study of medical and behavioral sciences with real-world clinical experience through clerkships in hospital and ambulatory medicine settings throughout New England.

Through a challenging series of supervised clerkships in a wide variety of settings, students gain experience in surgery, women's health, psychiatry, pediatrics, emergency medicine and internal medicine.

This program is open to both postbaccalaureate students and students who are enrolled in the accelerated program at MCPHS under the Pre-PA track.

Program Requirements, Policies and Procedures

For further information about MPAS academic requirements and program policies & procedures, please see the MCPHS Master of Physician Assistant Studies Student Manual.

MCPHS does not allow students to transfer into the professional years of our program.

Tuition and Fees

For information about tuition and fees for this program, please visit the Student Financial Services section of this website.

Application Process

Applications to this program are accepted through CASPA, the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants. Please see the Admission Requirements page on this site for details.

Curriculum

Year I-Fall

Competencies during the fall semester: Library Modules and Medical Terminology.

No student will be permitted to enter spring semester without having successfully completed all prior courses, including Library Modules and Medical Terminology.

Year I-Spring

Year II-Fall

Year II-Spring

Beginning in the first summer session following the second year, each student begins a series of required clinical clerkships for a duration of 45 weeks.

Year III-Clinical Clerkships

from the following clerkship offerings:

Total credits to complete degree requirements: 111 s.h.

Clinical Clerkships

Clinical clerkships are integral to the MPAS program at MCPHS-Boston. During these experiences, students apply and reinforce their clinical and patient management skills. The breadth of clinical settings offers the future physician assistant the ability to acquire  skills and competencies in a variety of settings.

Beginning in the first summer session following the second professional year, each student completes a series of required clinical clerkships which capitalize on the extensive educational resources at the College, the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, and in health care institutions in Boston and throughout New England.

Learning experiences occur in ambulatory and hospital-based settings. PA students are not responsible for identifying or arranging their own clinical sites. The PA Program has established affiliations throughout the state to provide clinical educational experiences to students. Clerkships in the required curriculum may be scheduled at some distance from the campus. This is necessary to provide a range of diverse learning experiences and ensure availability and quality of clinical rotation sites. Students are responsible for providing their own transportation to and from the sites.

Students are allowed to set up a maximum of two out-of-network rotations:
The School of Physician Assistant Studies reserves the right to make changes to all policies and procedures at any time.

• Before starting out-of-network rotations, students must satisfactorily complete Blocks 1 and 2 at an MCPHS site.
• Surgery and Medicine 1 rotation have to be completed at MCPHS sites.
• Students have to be in good academic standing before they are allowed  to start an  out-of- network rotations.
• Preceptor needs to understand his/her roles and responsibilities.  

Notice On Clinical Rotations And Backgroun Screenings:
For some of MCPHS's programs placements in clinical rotations at health care providers are a required part of the MCPHS curriculum. Some of those health care providers require background screenings and a conviction for a criminal offense might present an issue. It is possible that certain types of criminal convictions, whether prior to being a student at MCPHS or while attending MCPHS, could preclude a student from being able to complete a required clinical rotation. If you have any questions, please contact the MCPHS Chief Compliance Officer.

Facilities

The School of Physician Assistant Studies program on the MCPHS-Boston campus has state-of-the-art facilities, equipment and technology that enhance student learning.

Patient assessment laboratory, expanded and updated in 2011, is designed to provide an optimal environment for student learning experiences. The laboratory features state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, including

Medical bays with:

• Wall-mounted Welch Allyn integrated diagnostic systems which include: macroview otoscopes, panoptic ophthalmoscopes, aneroid blood pressure cuffs and oral digital thermometers
• Venipuncture and injection area models  

Technical Standards

A candidate for the MCPHS-Boston Physician Assistant Studies program must have, at a minimum, skills in five categories: observation, communication, motor, intellectual, and behavior/social. Reasonable accommodation for persons with documented disabilities will be considered on an individual basis, but a candidate must be able to perform in an independent manner. The following skills are required with or without accommodation.

Observation:

Candidates must have sufficient capacity to observe in the lecture hall, the laboratory, the outpatient setting, and the patient’s bedside. Sensory skills to perform a physical examination are required. Functional vision, hearing and tactile sensation are required to properly observe a patient’s condition and to perform procedures regularly required during a physical examination such as inspection, auscultation and palpation. 

Communication:

Candidates and students must be able to communicate effectively in both academic and healthcare settings. Candidates and students must show evidence of effective written and oral communication skills. Candidates and students must be able to communicate with patients in order to elicit and impart information, describe changes in mood, activity and posture, and perceive nonverbal communications. Candidates must be capable of completing, in a thorough and timely manner, appropriate medical records and documents and plans according to protocol.

Motor:

The ability to participate in the basic diagnostic and therapeutic maneuvers and procedures (e.g., palpation, auscultation) is required. Candidates and students must have sufficient motor function to execute movements reasonably required to properly care for all patients. Candidates must be able to move freely about patient care environments and must be able to move between settings such as clinics, classroom buildings and hospitals. In addition, physical stamina sufficient to complete the rigorous course of didactic and clinical study is required.

Intellectual:

Candidates and students must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, and synthesize. Problem solving, one of the critical skills demanded of health care professionals, requires all of these intellectual abilities. Candidates and students must be able to read and understand medical literature. In order to complete the specific Health Science Program, students must be able to demonstrate mastery of these skills and the abilities to use them together in a timely fashion in health care problem-solving and patient care.

Behavioral and Social Attributes:

Candidates and students must possess the emotional health and stability required for full utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, and the prompt completion of all academic and patient care responsibilities. The development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients and other members of the health care team are essential. The ability to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in clinical practice, flexibility, compassion, integrity, motivation, interpersonal skills, and concern for others are all required. Candidates must be able to function effectively under stress and have the ability to accept constructive criticism.

Mission and Goals

Program Mission Statement
The mission of the MCPHS PA Program is to provide each student with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to provide quality medical care, function as an effective member of a health care team, and serve as an advocate for persons seeking health care.

Program Goals and Core Values

The specific goals of the faculty teaching in the MPAS program are to:

• Develop within each student a strong foundation in the basic and clinical sciences so that they deliver high quality illness prevention and disease management services in a wide variety of practice settings.
• Facilitate active learning and independent judgment about disease prognosis, diagnostic testing, and disease management by developing skills of critical assessment.
• Foster within each student the professional and ethical standards essential to the delivery of health care.  

Outcomes

Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) Performance

The first time PANCE pass rates for the five most recent graduating classes are available for viewing here»

Accreditation

The Master of Physician Assistant Studies program

The MCPHS PA-Boston program is fully accredited through the ARC-PA and has been awarded continuing accreditation for 7 years until 2019.

Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA), 12000 Findley Road, Suite 150, Johns Creek, GA 30097, phone: 770.476.1224, fax: 770.476.1738, website: www.arc-pa.org.

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is chartered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is authorized to grant undergraduate and graduate degrees in the health sciences and related fields. MCPHS is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), Inc. through its Commission on Institutions of Higher Education.

Admission Requirements

Many of our programs have different admission requirements and deadlines. To see the specific admission requirements for this program, please click on the link below.

Admission Requirements for Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) (Boston)

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