Recognized as primary care providers, PAs are vital to team-based healthcare. As a PA, you’ll practice in a collaborative relationship with other members of a patient’s healthcare team. Diagnose, treat and prescribe medicine. Participate in rigorous didactic and clinical preparation that follows the medical model of training. And make a valuable impact in the lives of patients. In fact, studies have shown that when PAs are utilized to the full extent of their abilities and training, hospital readmission rates and lengths of stay decrease, and infection rates go down.
Through enriching hands-on experience in clinical rotations and expertise from world-class educators, you’ll gain the knowledge and skills needed to provide quality and compassionate medical care, function as a highly valued member of a health care team, and serve as a patient advocate. With experience in general medicine and specialty areas like surgery, women's health, psychiatry, pediatrics and emergency medicine, you’ll be ready to meet the personal and changing needs of your patients, employers and communities.
Experience in PA Education
MCPHS has been training PAs since 1997 and offers two PA programs. The Boston PA program is a full-time 30-month program over 3 years starting in September. The Worcester/Manchester PA program is a full-time 24-month program starting in January.
Resources
The programs capitalize on the extensive educational resources on all three MCPHS campuses, exposing students to MCPHS’s unique opportunities for inter-professional education. Graduates earn a Masters of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree and take the PA National Certifying Examination (PANCE, required for licensure/registration in all states).
Well-Rounded Opportunities
Clinical Rotations are offered in a variety of urban, suburban and rural settings, including large academic health care centers, community hospitals, group practices and private practices in the United States. MCPHS also offers international rotation opportunities.
Faculty
PA program faculty are a diverse mix of PAs, MDs, PhDs, PharmDs and other healthcare professionals, providing a well-rounded education that takes into consideration various perspectives in healthcare. PA faculty are dedicated to teaching students to become competent PAs.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for physician assistants is projected to grow 30% through 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is driven by an overall demand for healthcare services.
With innovative training and immersive experiential learning, our graduates are extremely well prepared to enter and advance in the field of physician assistant studies. Clinical education experiences are varied so that students are prepared for professional practice in an ever-changing healthcare environment.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for physician assistants was $98,180 in May 2015, with the highest 10 percent earning more than $139,540.
Physician assistants rank #4 in U.S. News’ list of the 100 Best Jobs of 2016 and #5 in the U.S. News’ list of the Best Health Care Jobs of 2016. Jobs are ranked according to their ability to offer an elusive mix of factors, including salary, the number of expected openings, advancement opportunities and career fulfillment.
Tour our Physician Assistant Lab, an immersive learning experience that helps students hone their diagnostic and treatment skills.
