Who We Are

The Physician Assistant program at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), our parent institution, is a collaboration of educational excellence. PCOM was chartered in 1899, and is committed to educating community responsive, primary care oriented physicians prepared to practice medicine in the 21st century.  PCOM is a premier school of osteopathic medical education. Supported by the latest in medical and educational technology, PCOM emphasizes treating the whole person, not merely the symptoms, and the unique importance of the musculoskeletal system for the health and well-being of the individual.

The Physician Assistant Program will provide hands-on education early in the professional phase of students' training. During their professional phase at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, students will find a wealth of physician assistants, osteopathic physicians, and other health care professionals to act as mentors for their didactic and clinical training, offering ongoing support and evaluation of them as future health care professionals. Our Physician Assistant Program provides a thorough foundation in health care focusing on comprehensive, humanistic health care. This comprehensive medical education foundation will provide extensive opportunities for our students to further explore the entire continuum of medicine.

Program Overview 

The Physician Assistant program is designed to prepare the student for comprehensive practice in a variety of clinical settings following completion of the second year of the program. The goals and objectives of our program are guided by the criteria set forth in the Standards and Guidelines for an Accredited Educational Program for the Physician Assistant as established by the Accreditation Review Commission on education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). The PCOM program is fully accredited by the ARC-PA and our graduates are eligible to sit for the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) Examination. Board certification is required by all states in order to practice as a Physician Assistant. Students receive a Master of Science from PCOM after successful completion of their second year.

PCOM has a collaboration agreement with an undergraduate program at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USP) for pre-professional preparation for the Physician Assistant profession. Students without baccalaureate degrees may enter the pre-professional phase of the program at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. The pre-professional phase consists of three years of a solid grounding in natural and social science courses.  This prepares the student for progression into the professional phase, if all requirements for progression are met.   More information can be found at www.usip.edu regarding this program.

Students who attained their Bachelor of Science degrees at other colleges and universities will be considered by PCOM for admission into the Professional Phase of the program. Multiple learning strategies are utilized during the professional phase to prepare students for their careers in clinical practice: formal lectures, practical laboratory classes, clinical education, and clinical research. During the professional phase of the program, students will develop patient communication skills and advanced clinical problem solving skills, in addition to acquiring technical proficiency in areas related to professional practice. Graduates of our program will develop and implement clinical treatment plans in concert with their supervising physician. This program is highly intensive.   The majority of instruction is provided by physicians and physician assistants in order to assure that patient care functions provided by our Physician Assistant graduates are of the highest quality.

Program Details

The professional phase of the program at PCOM, leading to a Master of Science degree at PCOM, is 26 months in duration. It provides comprehensive academic and clinical medical education to prepare students for their professional roles as Physician Assistants. The program consists of five consecutive terms (14 continuous months) of classroom instruction and four consecutive terms (12 continuous months) of clinical preceptorships in multiple medical disciplines. The didactic component provides a solid foundation for the clinical component. Core didactic courses such as clinical medicine, pharmacology, pathology, and history taking and physical examination provide a thorough theoretical and practical background in basic medical education and clinical diagnostic skills.

Students will develop a solid grounding as a generalist with a focus on patient communication skills and advanced clinical problem-solving skills. They will acquire technical proficiency in areas related to professional practice and will learn to use the latest in educational and medical technology. Following successful completion of the didactic component, students will then proceed into the clinical component. During their clinical preceptorships student refine their medical knowledge and clinical skills by participating in supervised patient care, teaching rounds and clinical procedures as they rotate through various preceptorships at out-patient and in-patient clinical facilities. In keeping with the mission of the program, students are exposed to a variety of practice settings and patient populations.

What is a physician assistant?

Physician Assistants (PAs) are licensed health professionals who practice medicine with physician supervision. PAs deliver a broad range of medical and surgical services to diverse populations in both rural and urban settings throughout the world. PAs work in a variety of settings, including private practice, hospitals, HMOs, nursing homes, student health services, and rural and urban clinics. Although their main focus is patient care, PAs may also perform educational, research and administrative activities.

In most states, PAs can treat patients when the physician is away from the practice, and can write prescriptions. PAs are trained to recognize when patients need the attention of a supervising physician, and they refer as needed. PAs have demonstrated a commitment to their patients and a continued competence in delivering quality, humanistic health care. In some rural areas where physicians are in short supply, PAs serve as the only providers of health care, conferring with their supervising physician and other medical professionals as needed and as required by law.

There are more than 46,000 practicing PAs in the US today. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects PA job growth to be 24 percent by the year 2010. For more information on the Physician Assistant profession, contact the American Academy of Physician Assistants:

AAPA
950 North Washington St.
Alexandria, VA 22314-1552
Web Site: http://www.aapa.org