Program Overview

Introduction to the Physician Assistant Program

The Physician Assistant (PA) program at Lawrence Technological University (LTU) is designed to train exceptional, compassionate healthcare professionals in a supportive academic and clinical environment. The program aims to prepare future PAs to provide outstanding holistic patient-centered care throughout the healthcare continuum.

Program Overview

The LTU PA program is a two-year program that results in the award of a Master's of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS) degree upon successful completion. The program focuses on patient-centered care, with a strong emphasis on compassion, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Curriculum

The curriculum is divided into two years: the didactic year and the clinical year. The didactic year consists of 60 credit hours, while the clinical year consists of 45 credit hours.

Didactic Year

The didactic year is further divided into three semesters: fall, spring, and summer. The courses offered in each semester include:

• Clinical Medicine I, II, and III
• Patient Assessment Exploration (PAE) I, II, and III
• Health Care Issues I, II, and III
• Pharmacology I, II, and III
• Anatomy and Pathophysiology
• Behavioral Medicine and Special Populations

Clinical Year

The clinical year consists of five-week supervised clinical practice experiences in various specialties, including:

• Family Medicine
• Internal Medicine
• Surgery
• Pediatrics
• Women's Health
• Behavioral Medicine
• Emergency Medicine
• Elective Medicine I and II

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for admission to the LTU PA program, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Minimum prerequisite course GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Minimum science GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Completion of prerequisite coursework, including anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, statistics, and developmental psychology
• Minimum of 20 hours of shadowing a Physician Assistant
• Minimum of 750 hours of direct patient care experience
• Three letters of recommendation
• PA-CAT or GRE scores
• CASPer scores

Technical Standards

The LTU PA program has established technical standards that applicants must meet to be eligible for admission. These standards include:

• Ability to communicate effectively in English
• Ability to perform physical examinations and procedures
• Ability to lift and move patients
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to use electronic medical records and other technology

Background Checks

Accepted students must complete a criminal background check, which may include a drug screen, through the LTU preferred vendor.

Immunization Requirements

The LTU PA program requires all incoming students to demonstrate a history of all required vaccinations and immunizations being up to date.

Tuition and Fees

The total tuition cost for the 24-month PA program is $107,098, which includes fees such as lab fees, rotation fees, and SIM lab fees.

Accreditation

The LTU PA program has been granted Accreditation-Provisional status by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).

Faculty and Staff

The LTU PA program has a diverse faculty and staff, including:

• Janelle Elias, Program Director and Assistant Professor
• Bindiya Nandwana, Associate Professor and Associate Program Director
• Christian Cook, Clinical Coordinator
• Blake Geschke, Assistant Professor and Director of PA Admissions
• Elizabeth Lester-Medado, Director of Data and Assessments and Assistant Professor
• Ediola Lleshi, Graduate Program Coordinator
• Amber Murphy, Assistant Professor and Director of Didactic PA Education
• Maggie Zeng-Wang, Assistant Professor

Awards and Recognition

The LTU PA program has received recognition for its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and has been awarded Accreditation-Provisional status by the ARC-PA.