What is a Physician Assistant?
Physician Assistants (PAs) are health professionals who practice medicine with supervision by licensed physicians.

• 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.

• PAs are qualified by graduation from an accredited physician assistant education program and by certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.

• 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.  Currently there are more than 46,000 practicing PAs in the US today. For more information on the Physician Assistant profession, contact the American Academy of Physician Assistants at its Web site: www.aapa.org

Who We Are
The Physician Assistant program at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) is the only osteopathic medical school PA program in Pennsylvania.

PCOM was chartered in 1899, and is committed to educating community responsive, primary care oriented physicians prepared to practice medicine in the 21st century.  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.

• Our program provides hands-on medical education early in the first two weeks of didactic professional training.

• Our medical school faculty and a wealth of other physician assistants, osteopathic physicians, and health care professionals act as mentors for our students during their didactic and clinical learning medical education.

• Our core and adjunct faculty offers ongoing support and evaluation of our students as future health care professionals.

• Our program offers immediate access to lectures and presentations by nationally known visiting professors and leaders in the health care arena.

• Our 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 Accreditation Standards for Physician Assistant Education as established by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA). The PCOM program has received accreditation from the ARC-PA and our graduates are eligible to sit for the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) Examination. This certification is required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and most states to practice as a Physician Assistant. Students receive a Master of Science from PCOM after successful completion of their second year.

How Do I Get Into PCOM's PA Program?
Our program offers two points of entry. If you do not have a Bachelor of Science degree, 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. The pre-professional phase consists of three years of a solid grounding in natural and social science courses preparing the student for progression into the professional phase, if progressive requirements are met. More information can be found at www.usip.edu, regarding this program.

Students who already have received their Bachelor of Science degree from other colleges and universities will be considered by PCOM for direct admission into the Professional Phase of the program at PCOM.

• During the professional phase, students are prepared for their careers in clinical practice using a variety of learning strategies: 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, most of it 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 approximately 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. Classes for the incoming class will start June 10, 2008.

CORE DIDACTIC COURSES
Pharmacologic Concepts & Pharmacotherapeutics
Pathology I, II and III
Pharmacology I, II and III
Clinical Medicine I, II and III
History Taking and Physical Examination
Human Physiology
Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry
Human Gross Anatomy
Professional Practice Issues & Health Policy

ADVANCED CORE DIDACTIC COURSES
Medical Nutrition
Research Methodology in Public Health
Radiology for the Physician Assistant
Medicine, Law and Health Care Ethics
Community Health Service I and II

Following successful completion of the didactic component, students will then proceed into the clinical preceptor phase. During this 12-month clinical preceptorship phase, students will 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 clinics and in-patient hospital clinical facilities. In keeping with the mission of the program, students are exposed to a variety of practice settings and patient populations in urban and rural areas of the United States.

CLINICAL PRECEPTORSHIPS INCLUDE:
Internal Medicine
Family Medicine
Emergency Medicine
Gynecology and Prenatal Care
General Surgery
Behavioral Medicine
Pediatrics
Elective
Research Practicum
Comprehensive Review

Click here for information on Admissions requirements

Tuition and Financial Aid
Our financial aid office provides comprehensive assistance to all admitted candidates, a number of scholarships and federal loans are available to students in our program. Tuition rates can be obtained by calling the bursar's office at 215-871-6190.

To Request An Information Packet/Application
To receive an information packet on PA programs, or if you have any questions, you can contact our admissions office by email at admissions@pcom.edu or by calling 215-871-6700.  We participate in the centralized application process developed by the Association of Physician Assistant Programs known as CASPA.  All applications for admission to the program must be filed through CASPA. Applications can be obtained through its Web site at www.caspaonline.org.