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Introduction to the Physician Assistant Program

The University of the Pacific's Physician Assistant Program is a 27-month graduate-level program that offers an integrated curriculum with both didactic and clinical educational experiences. The program is designed to produce highly qualified, compassionate healthcare professionals committed to life-long learning and leadership in their careers and communities.

Program Overview

• The program is taught year-round over seven semesters.
• The maximum cohort size is 90 students.
• The program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA).
• The program requires students to complete health clearances prior to matriculation and periodically throughout enrollment.

Admission Requirements

Prerequisites

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Completion of prerequisite courses, including Human Anatomy, Physiology, Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Psychology, and Statistics.
• A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and a minimum science GPA of 3.0.
• Patient care experience, with a minimum of 1,000 hours.

Application Process

• Applications are submitted through the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistant Programs (CASPA).
• The application deadline is August 1.
• Interviews are conducted from June to September, and class selection is made no later than October 1.

Curriculum

• The program consists of 114 units.
• The curriculum includes didactic courses, clinical skills courses, and supervised clinical practice experiences.
• Students must complete a capstone project, which consists of a critical review of medical literature for a given clinical topic.

Clinical Rotations

• The clinical phase of the program consists of 10 supervised clinical practical experiences.
• Students have the opportunity to choose a specialty pathway for electives, with options including Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, General Surgery, and Medicine Subspecialties.

Technical Standards

• Students must be able to achieve certain technical standards of knowledge and skill in order to successfully complete the program.
• The technical standards apply to satisfactory performance in all academic and clinical course work, as well as fulfillment of non-academic essential functions of the curriculum.

Health Requirements

• Students must complete health clearances prior to matriculation and periodically throughout enrollment.
• The program requires students to provide proof of vaccination and/or immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases and undergo Tuberculosis Skin Testing (TST) for tuberculosis.

Background Clearance

• Students must undergo background screenings prior to matriculation and periodically throughout enrollment.
• Students have a fiduciary responsibility for the costs associated with the background screening.

Tuition and Fees

• The estimated tuition cost for the program is $145,915.
• Additional costs include fees for health insurance, wellness, and other expenses.

Financial Aid

• Financial aid is available to students, including federal loans and private scholarships.
• Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be considered for financial aid.

Program Goals and Outcomes

• The program has four goals, including applying medical knowledge and clinical skills in patient-centered practice, applying system-based practice principles to patient care, modeling professionalism and leadership, and modeling commitment to lifelong learning.
• The program tracks student outcomes, including PANCE pass rates, graduation rates, and employment rates.

Accreditation

• The program is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA).
• The program's accreditation status is Accreditation-Continued, which is granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.

FAQ

• The program has a FAQ page that answers common questions about the program, including admission requirements, curriculum, and financial aid.
• The program also offers information sessions and campus tours for prospective students.