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Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies

PA Program Cohort 2023

PA Program Cohort 2023

Misericordia PA Program Seal

Physician Assistant Program

Welcome to the Misericordia University Physician Assistant Program website.

Physician Assistants (PAs) are medical professionals who diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and often serve as a patient’s principal healthcare provider. PAs have thousands of hours of medical training, and are versatile, and collaborative.   The role of the PA demands intelligence, sound judgement, intellectual honesty, appropriate interpersonal skills, and the capacity to respond to emergencies in a calm and reasoned manner.

PAs are eligible to practice medicine with legal supervision of a physician after graduating from an accredited program, passing the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE), becoming nationally certified, and obtaining current state licensure. PAs practice in every state and in every medical setting and specialty, improving healthcare access and quality.

The Misericordia University Physician Assistant Program prepares students for an inter-professional workplace with a strong foundation in medical knowledge, clinical reasoning and problem-solving, professional behavior, and clinical and technical skills. The curriculum and program defined competencies have been designed to meet our mission statement to educationally transform and mentor our students to become competent and compassionate Physician Assistants. The curriculum is composed of 22 didactic year courses and 9 clinical year courses, totaling 105 graduate credits.

Students who successfully complete the program are awarded a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies degree. After successful completion of the program, graduates are eligible to take the PANCE. The PANCE is a multiple-choice exam that assesses basic medical and surgical knowledge.

I would like to extend our best wishes for success in your endeavor to become a Physician Assistant.

PAs are playing an essential role in health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. At MU, our hearts go out to all of the individuals affected by the pandemic, and we are grateful for the efforts being made to slow the spread of the virus.

Respectfully,

Erin Kilduff

Erin Burns Kilduff MSPAS, PA-C
Program Director / Chair, Department of Physician Assistant Studies

Physician Assistant Program Virtual Tour

See what being on campus looks like for a student in the Physician Assistant Program at Misericordia University!

 

Physician Assistant Program Description

The Misericordia University Physician Assistant Program is a 25-month, year-round program that starts in July. The didactic year (first year), is composed of 22 medical and clinical science courses that prepare students to enter the clinical year. During the clinical year, students must successfully complete 8 supervised clinical experiences and a summative evaluation. Each experience has been designed with rotation-specific course topics, including Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Surgery, Women’s Health, Emergency Medicine, and an Elective. Instructional objectives were created to complement and guide the PA student to achieve each course’s learning outcomes.

The Program curriculum has been designed to support students' achievement of the mission and goals of the program and program competencies. Program competencies have been developed to align with professional standards put forth by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and the American Academy of Physician Assistants. Competencies are the medical knowledge, interpersonal, clinical, and technical skills, professional behaviors, clinical reasoning and problem-solving abilities required for PA practice. Each student who successfully completes the Misericordia University Physician Assistant Program is required to possess the skills, characteristics and attributes listed in the program competencies.

Our Program team consists of experienced PAs, physicians, a pharmacologist, a professor of anatomy, a pathophysiologist, and inter-professional collaborators. We have devoted much time and attention to the development of a PA program that is rooted in sound biomedical concepts and clinical practice. The program fosters and promotes diversity to prepare our students to provide service to others that is not exclusionary of any group, race, or culture. 

Together, the didactic and clinical curriculum totals 105 graduate credits. Students who successfully complete the program are awarded a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies degree. Misericordia University Physician Assistant Studies Graduates are eligible to take the PANCE for certification.

Physician Assistant Program Photo Gallery

Misericordia PA Program students with President Myers
Misericordia PA Program student with President Myers
Misericordia PA Program students casting Dr. Myers
Misericordia PA Program students in clinic
Misericordia PA Program students observing procedure
Misericordia PA Program students in clinic being observed
Misericordia PA Program students holding Your PA Can Handle It sign
Misericordia PA Program students posing with skeleton and latex gloves
Misericordia PA Program students group picture
Misericordia PA Program students group picture
Misericordia PA Program students group picture
Misericordia PA Program students group picture
Misericordia PA Program students group picture
Misericordia PA Program students with Save Lives Organ Donor signs
Misericordia PA Program students holding Save Lives Organ Donor signs
Misericordia PA Program students holding Donate Life shirts
Misericordia PA Program students wearing Donate Life shirts
Misericordia PA Program students posing behind gift bags on table
Misericordia PA Program students standing on stairs of Insalaco Hall
Misericordia PA Program students standing on stairs of Walsh Hall
Misericordia PA Program white coat ceremony on stage in Lemmond Theater
Misericordia PA Program students on stairs in front of Insalaco Hall
Misericordia PA Program students standing by Misericordia University sign
Misericordia PA Program award winning students
PA Program Cohort 2021

Watch a video tour highlighting the facilities of the Physician Assistant Program.

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has issued the following Accreditation statement to the MU PA Program on October 18, 2022:  

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Misericordia University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Misericordia University. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.

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. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be September 2032. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-misericordia-university/

PA Students on Laptops

Apply Now

To apply to the PA program, review the admissions requirements & process before accessing the application link below.

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PA Program Cohort 2022 with PA Program Faculty and CHSE Dean

PA Program Cohort 2022 with PA Program Faculty and CHSE Dean

PA Program Cohort 2024

PA Program Cohort 2024

PA Program Cohort 2021 with PA Program Faculty

PA Program Cohort 2021 with PA Program Faculty