PCOM Physician Assistant Studies  
Program Description

The physician assistant program is 27 months in duration, leading to a master of science (MS) degree.

Our physician assistant program curriculum provides comprehensive academic and clinical medical education to prepare students for their professional roles as physician assistants. The physician assistant program consists of four consecutive terms (15 months) of classroom instruction and three consecutive terms (12 continuous months) of clinical preceptorships in multiple medical disciplines.

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The didactic component of the curriculum provides a solid foundation for the clinical component. Core didactic courses such as clinical medicine, pharmacology, pathophysiology, history taking and physical examination provide a thorough theoretical and practical background in basic medical education and clinical diagnostic skills.

As students move through the physician assistant program curriculum they 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.

All didactic phase requirements must be successfully completed to be eligible to progress to the clinical phase of the curriculum. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 is required for progression from the didactic phase to the clinical preceptorship phase.

During their clinical preceptorships, students 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.

Following completion of preceptorships, students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better to graduate. All requirements for graduation must be completed within five calendar years from the first date of matriculation.

Learn more about how to become a physician assistant.

In such a professional role, the physician assistant can provide medical services with the supervision of a doctor of medicine or osteopathic medicine in accordance with applicable laws of medical practice. The services must, for the safety and welfare of the patient, be of the same professional quality that would be rendered by the supervising physician. The physician assistant must have the knowledge and skills to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of patient care.

Competitive applicants will have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution which includes satisfactory scores in prerequisite coursework. Additionally, applicants will be assessed based on letters of recommendation, healthcare experience and other factors.

Candidates for the physician assistant profession must have somatic sensation and the functional use of the senses of vision and hearing. Candidates' diagnostic skills will also be lessened without the functional use of the senses of equilibrium, smell and taste. Additionally, they must have sufficient exteroceptive sense (touch, pain and temperature), sufficient motor function to permit them to carry out the activities as described in PCOM's Physician Assistant Studies Program Technical Standards for Admission and Matriculation. They must be able to integrate all information received by whatever sense(s) employed, consistently, quickly and accurately, and they must have the intellectual ability to learn, integrate, analyze and synthesize data.

For additional details regarding applying to the physician assistant program and the requirements for admission, visit the physician assistant studies application requirements page.

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