The nationally ranked Physician Assistant Program at Commonwealth University is designed based on the medical model that emphasizes basic sciences, clinical sciences, and the critical thinking skills required to complement physician practice.
Position Overview
Chair, Department of Physician Associate Studies / Associate Professor
Program Director / Associate Professor, School of Graduate Studies
Program Delivery
- Location – Offered in Lock Haven, Clearfield, and Harrisburg. Each location includes a dedicated classroom with state-of-the-art academic technology to link the campus locations as well as anatomy labs, physical exam labs, and study space.
- Faculty – Core PA Program faculty are available onsite at all campus locations and consist of physicians, physician assistants, pharmacologists, and professors of basic human and social sciences from Lock Haven.
- Service Opportunities – Available both locally and internationally. Recent international travel has included Jamaica, Costa Rica, and Honduras.
- Program Length – 24 months in duration. The first year (didactic phase) of the PA Program is primarily based in the classroom and lab settings while the second year (clinical phase) is primarily based in a variety of clinical settings. The total number of credits required for the PA Program (Didactic + Clinical Years) is 94.5.
Admissions Information
The Admissions Committee of Commonwealth University's Physician Assistant Program welcomes applications beginning in late April with each application cycle for the class to be seated the following May. Potential students should apply to the program through the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA).
- Applications must be completed and verified by CASPA by November 1st. It is recommended that applicants submit their applications via CASPA by mid-October to allow adequate time for the application to be verified by CASPA.
- Candidates are eligible to apply if they will complete all prerequisite courses prior to the start of the program in May.
- Enrollment in the Physician Assistant Program is limited. Review the criteria students are evaluated on for admission into the program.
Curriculum Overview
The medical content in the didactic phase is designed around the most common problems encountered in primary care. 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, unique needs of medically underserved populations, medical records/communications, pharmacology, non-pharmacological treatments, and medical research.
Clinical Phase
During the clinical phase of the program, students complete rotations in a variety of settings (inpatient, outpatient, emergency department, operating room) and with various patient populations/conditions (infants, children, adults, elderly, women's health, behavioral/mental health, preventative care, emergent/acute care, chronic conditions, and perioperative management).
Accreditation
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Commonwealth University Physician Assistant Program. Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards.
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