Physician Assistant Studies, M.S

This 26-month, full-time program includes classroom and laboratory studies as well as 40 weeks of rotating clinicals. Physician Assistant is consistently ranked among the top five careers in the U.S.The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies at West Chester University will educate physician assistants who can think critically and collaborate with others to address the needs of individual patients and the healthcare community with the highest levels of academic, clinical, and cultural competence. This graduate program is a full-time, 26-month program. It is a day program in a face-to-face format, however, the clinical phase will require nights and weekend hours as well. Physician Assistants practice in all fields of medicine . They work in offices, urgent care centers, emergency departments, and hospitals to obtain histories, perform physical examinations order and interpret diagnostic tests, prescribe medications, educate and counsel patients, and perform surgical procedures. PAs provide excellent care to their patients. They practice in all 50 states of the USA and have an increasing presence in the healthcare systems of other countries. The Physician Assistant Program follows a medical model and is divided into a didactic phase and a clinical phase. The didactic phase of the program is 5 semesters of foundational sciences, clinically-oriented courses, small-group active learning sessions, hands-on labs, and healthcare observations. The clinical phase includes 40 weeks of clinical rotations in various clinical settings including family medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, hospital medicine, behavioral health, reproductive health, pediatrics, and an elective. Clinical rotations are offered in the Philadelphia region as well as across the US. Courses are taught by full-time faculty, adjunct faculty, clinical preceptors, and guest lectures who are experts in their field.