Location:

Lock Haven, United States

Program Type:

Full Degree

Degree Level:

Master

Specialty:

Medical Specialties

Program Overview

Program Description:

The Physician Assistant program is a 24-month graduate curriculum, awarding the Master of Health Science (MHS) degree, as well as a certificate as a Physician Assistant. A core curriculum is provided, preparing students for service in all healthcare settings with particular emphasis on the needs of medically underserved populations. Our Mission is to Educate & train highly-skilled Physician Assistants capable of providing quality health care • Provide expertise in the health care needs of the medically underserved • Prepare Physician Assistants to critically evaluate and become leaders with a goal to improve medical & social systems that affect the health of medically underserved populations • Encourage graduates to become primary care Physician Assistants in medically underserved areas of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania History The program was developed in 1996 to increase the number of primary care providers in medically underserved areas of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The program has graduated over 500 licensed health care providers. Program Delivery Using state of the art technology, full-time resident faculty, and high quality educational facilities, the program is offered at our locations in central Pennsylvania (Lock Haven, Clearfield, Harrisburg, and Coudersport). Students accepted to the program will, on a space available basis have their choice of campus locations. Students at all four campus locations complete the same curriculum as one group with lectures delivered to and from all campus locations. Accreditation The program is fully accredited by the Accreditation on the Education of Physician Assistants. National Board Certification In 2011, the first time pass rate was 100%. The program enjoys an average first time pass rate of over 92%. The overall pass rate is 98%. Program Excellence A modular designed curriculum, extensive use of technology, and a faculty with over 125 years of health care experience has won the program national recognition as one the premier Physician Assistant programs in the country. Curriculum The first year of the program is primarily classroom and the second year primarily clinical. Courses are arranged so that foundation information is learned early and provides students with confidence and a strong basis for subsequent material. The medical content is designed around the most common problems encountered in primary care. Clinical experiences in the second year also emphasize primary care. Students gain depth and breadth of knowledge during their clinical rotations and preceptorships. Rotations are typically six weeks in duration and are concentrated in the areas of pediatrics, obstetrics, gynecology, emergency medicine, general internal medicine, and general surgery. The preceptorship is an 18 week clinical experience focused in primary care. Modular Format The curriculum is presented in a modular format. Each module corresponds to a body system or medical specialty and contains information regarding: epidemiology, pathophysiology, physical diagnosis, clinical medicine, diagnostic procedures, anatomy, medical reasoning, rural and underserved health issues, medical issues, medical records/communications, pharmacology, medical nutrition, and medical research. Each module contains lecture, laboratory, service learning, and case-based learning components. Non-Competitive Learning The program encourages cooperation between students. The only competition we encourage is competition with oneself. The program places a heavy emphasis on teamwork in and out of the classroom setting. You will be encouraged to establish study groups and learn in a collaborative fashion. This non-competitive learning environment will aid you in understanding the Physician Assistant team concept.

Additional Program Information

Accreditation:

Accreditation Review Committee on the Education of Physician Assistants

Financial Aid:

Yes

Requirements:

Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or Higher Grade of B or Better on All Required Courses, 2 General Chemistry, 2 Biology or Zoology, Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, Genetics, Statistics Combined GRE Score of 1000 on Old GRE, Combined score of 294 on New GRE GRE Writing Score of 3.5 or Better

International Requirements:

TOEFL - A minimum score of 213 (computer-based), 79-80 (internet-based) or 550 (paper-based) is required for admission All students who apply for admission to Lock Haven University with transcripts from a foreign secondary or post-secondary educational institution will now be required to submit an official educational credential evaluation. We recommend the company World Education Services, Inc. (WES) for this service. www.wes.org.