Graduate

Physician Assistant Studies

A developing 28-month PA program culminating in a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies degree.

Physician Assistant Studies

Program Tracks Available

On campus

Admission Deadline

November 1, 2024

All applications will be submitted through CASPA, the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants. The application cycle for the Class of 2027 will open on April 25, 2024.

Degrees Offered

M.S.

School

School of Health Professions

Department

Program Overview
Assumption University is currently in the process of developing a master’s level PA Program in our School of Health Professions. We anticipate enrolling the first cohort in January of 2025.

The 28-month Physician Assistant program will prepare its graduates, throughout the 12-month didactic and 16-month clinical phases of the program, to enter the health care field with the education and skills required to provide compassionate and highly competent care to every patient they serve. Your Assumption PA education will highlight the empathetic component of health care. The understanding that each patient is an individual to be cared for, and not just a disease, is fundamental to our mission.

The Important Role of a PA

PAs are medical professionals who collaborate with physicians as part of the health care team. They conduct physical examinations, diagnose, and treat illness and injury, order and interpret lab and diagnostic tests, perform medical procedures, assist in surgery, provide education and counseling, and make rounds on patients in hospitals and nursing homes. All 50 states and the District of Columbia allow PAs to practice medicine and prescribe medications. PAs work collaboratively with physician team members in all medical specialties.

Why become a PA student at Assumption University?
1. State-of-Art Facilities: brand new, dedicated Health Services Building including dedicated PA classrooms, study spaces, physical examination lab, and medical simulation center. Apple Classroom technology in lecture halls and study spaces work with student issued iPads. Human Gross Anatomy will be taught by our experienced faculty at a local medical school and will include full cadaver dissection as a major part of the course.
2. Highly dedicated, renowned faculty: subject matter experts from the local community with extensive experience in their field of practice. Core faculty are dedicated to the University Mission.
3. Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences: includes 16 months of required clinical rotations, expanding time learning to care for patient at the bedside.
4. Planned overseas rotations: opportunity to participate in a Global Health Experience at an overseas location caring for an underserved population in a United States Territory.
5. Holistic Patient Care: foster an approach to medicine that incorporates the care of the body, mind, and soul.
6. Clinical Decision Making: a course dedicated classes facilitated by currently practicing providers.
7. Principles of Practice Management & Leadership: coursework that prepares graduates to appreciate the complexities of medical practice and supports understanding of leadership traits and roles.
8. Pre-Clinical Patient Care Experiences: hands-on patient care during the didactic phase to better prepare them to start clinical rotations.

Program Contact

Kayla M. Cetrone

Director of PA Admissions, Assessment, & Academic Success, PA Studies, Assistant Professor of Practice, School of Health Professions

508-767-8035 km.cetrone@assumption.edu

ABOUT THE PA PROGRAM

The mission of the PA Program at Assumption University emphasizes the value and dignity of human life, compassion, and empathy, embodying the principles of Catholic social teaching, preparing our graduates to provide exceptional, ethical, patient-centered care with a focus on life-long learning, leadership, and service to individuals, families, and diverse communities. Our educational environment fosters the development of confident, competent graduates who practice medical care in a collaborative environment.
The Assumption University PA Program strives to imbue our graduates with the clinical knowledge and reasoning needed to practice high-quality medicine while serving a diverse population through its emphasis on compassion, empathy, and treating the whole person. Assumption University PA students will honor the value and dignity of human life through community service, compassion, and ethical principles as they enter meaningful careers in healthcare.

We envision our students to be leaders, significantly impacting their communities in their roles as healthcare professionals. We aim to be distinguished as a premier PA Program in the region, recognized for exceptional PAs in the community. Through the recruitment of a highly qualified pool of applicants that reflect the diversity of the community, we anticipate matriculating and graduating exceptional PA student cohorts.
1. Admit students who have demonstrated concern for the value and dignity of human life as well as ethical, compassionate, and empathetic patient care.

2. Graduate students who provide exceptional patient care by applying a high level of medical knowledge, clinical reasoning, and professionalism during patient encounters.

3. Through a comprehensive and supportive educational experience, prepare students to pass the PANCE and enter clinical practice.

4. Provide an educational environment that fosters life-long learning.

5. Increase access to healthcare in underserved communities by providing patient care opportunities for students throughout their educational experience.

6. Encourage leadership, scholarship, and professional development.

The effectiveness of the Program in meeting its Goals will be published promptly after the graduation of the inaugural class in 2027.

ARC-PA Standard A3.12b
ADMISSIONS OVERVIEW AND DEADLINES

Our PA Program mission, vision, and goals reflect our commitment to caring for the whole patient. We aim to help decrease healthcare disparities and increase healthcare access to currently underserved populations. We intend to admit and enroll future PAs who have demonstrated commitment to this philosophy.

Assumption University strives to form graduate students who are known for critical intelligence, thoughtful citizenship, ethical principles, and compassionate service. Assumption University favors diversity and welcomes all.

The process for admission to the Assumption University PA Program is highly competitive. Candidates are holistically evaluated on many factors, including overall GPA, prerequisite GPA,direct patient care experiences, alignment with our mission, vision, and goals (employment history, community enrichment, leadership, philanthropy, professionalism, volunteerism, awards, honors), quality and content of essays on CASPA and Supplemental Applications, and letters of recommendation.

Admission Practices Favoring Individuals or Groups

The Assumption University PA Program will extend a guaranteed interview to any applicant who has earned a degree from Assumption University and meets all admissions requirements. An interview does not guarantee admission to the PA Program. All applicants must meet the same admissions requirements, including academic standards, education requirements, and clinical experience.

The Assumption University PA Program will extend a guaranteed interview to any applicant who is currently serving on active duty in, or is an honorably discharged veteran of, the Uniformed Services of the United States and meets all admissions requirements. An interview does not guarantee admission to the PA Program. All applicants must meet the same admissions requirements, including academic standards, education requirements, and clinical experience.

During the initial development of the Assumption University PA Program, Assumption University undergraduates were offered the opportunity to apply to a “dual degree” program and, if specific requirements were met, were guaranteed admission to the Assumption University PA Program. Students currently enrolled in the “dual degree” program may matriculate, provided they meet all PA Program admission requirements; this will reduce the number of available seats in the first cohort. Admission to the “dual degree” program was discontinued in 2020.

ARC-PA Standard A3.13a

Application Process

All applications to the Assumption University PA Program will be submitted through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA).

All students must have a completed bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution. The degree must be conferred on or before the November 1 deadline of the current year’s application cycle.

A supplemental application will be completed as part of the CASPA application. The program places great significance on the fit of a student with our mission, vision, and goals. The supplemental application specifically addresses this fit and will be weighed heavily in determining acceptance to the program. Applicants must submit a supplemental application fee; details are available within the CASPA application.

The Assumption PA Program utilizes a rolling admissions process. There may be a competitive advantage to submitting an early application.

The Program CASPA Application deadline for completed and verified applications is November 1, 2024.

Applications must be verified by 11:59 PM ET on the deadline date. Applications can only be verified once all payments, transcripts, and letters of evaluation have been received. To ensure your application is verified on time, try to complete your application at least four weeks before the deadline.

All admission requirements must be met by the Application Deadline for a candidate to be considered for matriculation in January 2025 (Class of 2027).

ARC-PA Standards A3.13b and A3.13d

Admission Requirements

Application Review, Interviews, and Selection Process
Term One

• PAS 510: Psychiatry (2 Credits)

• PAS 511: Applied Lab Medicine (1 Credit)

• PAS 512: Pharmacology (4 Credits)

• PAS 513: Human Physiology & Pathophysiology (4 Credits)

• PAS 514: Research Methods in Medicine (1 Credit)

• PAS 515: Medical Genetics (1 Credit)

• PAS 516: Principles of Practice Management & Leadership One (1 Credit)

• PAS 517: Physical Diagnosis (2 Credits)

Term Two

• PAS 520: Medicine One (5 Credits)

• PAS 521: Medicine Two (5 Credits)

• PAS 522: Clinical Decision Making I (2 Credits)

• PAS 523: Orthopedic Surgery (5 Credits)

• PAS 524: Human Gross Anatomy (5 Credits)

Term Three

• PAS 530: Medicine Three (6 Credits)

• PAS 531: Medicine Four (5 Credits)

• PAS 532: Diagnostic Studies (1 Credit)

• PAS 533: Electrocardiography (4 Credits)

• PAS 534: Clinical Procedures & Clinical Decision Making II (4 Credits)

• PAS 535: Legal, Ethical, and Religious Aspects of Healthcare (1 Credit)

• PAS 536: Public Health and Preventative Medicine (2 Credits)

• PAS 537: Professional Practice One (1 Credit)

Term Four

• PAS 540: Medicine Five (5 Credits)

• PAS 541: Medicine Six (3 Credits)

• PAS 542: Pediatrics (4 Credits)

• PAS 543: Emergency Medicine (4 Credits)

• PAS 544: Surgery (5 Credits)

• PAS 545: Clinical Decision Making III (4 Credits)

• PAS 546: Principles of Practice Management & Leadership Two (1 Credit)

• PAS 547: Professional Practice Two (1 Credit)

Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences (SCPEs)

• PAS 600: Readiness for Practice & Diagnostic Imaging (Five Weeks) (4 Credits)

• PAS 610: Family Medicine SCPE (Five Weeks) (4 Credits)

• PAS 611: Inpatient Medicine SCPE (Five Weeks) (4 Credits)

• PAS 612: General Surgery SCPE (Five Weeks) (4 Credits)

• PAS 613: Pediatrics SCPE (Five Weeks) (4 Credits)

• PAS 614: Obstetrics and Gynecology SCPE (Five Weeks) (4 Credits)

• PAS 615: Psychiatry SCPE (Five Weeks) (4 Credits)

• PAS 616: Emergency Medicine SCPE (Five Weeks) (4 Credits)

• PAS 617: Orthopedic Surgery SCPE (Five Weeks) (4 Credits)

• PAS 618: Dermatology SCPE (Five Weeks) (4 Credits)

• PAS 619: Ophthalmology & Otolaryngology (EENT) SCPE (Five Weeks) (4 Credits)

• PAS 620: Elective One SCPE (Five Weeks) (4 Credits)

• PAS 621/622: Elective Two SCPE (Five Weeks) (4 Credits)

Program Credit Hours by Term

• Didactic Term One: 16 Credits

• Didactic Term Two: 22 Credits

• Didactic Term Three: 24 Credits

• Didactic Term Four: 27 Credits

• Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences (SCPEs): 52 Credits

Total PA Program Credit Hours: 141 Credits

ARC-PA Standard A3.12d & A3.12e
1. Medical Knowledge

a. Acquire a comprehensive understanding of basic sciences and clinical medicine.

b. Recognize normal and abnormal health states.

c. Discern among acute, chronic, and emerging disease states.

2. Clinical & Technical Skills

a. Gather a history and perform a physical examination.

b. Order and interpret common diagnostic and screening tests.

c. Enter and discuss orders and prescriptions.

d. Document a clinical encounter in the patient record.

e. Provide an oral presentation of a clinical encounter.

f. Form clinical questions and retrieve evidence to advance patient care.

g. Give or receive a patient handover to transition care responsibility.

h. Obtain informed consent for tests and procedures.

i. Perform clinical and technical skills including procedures needed to enter clinical practice based on then-current standards.

3. Clinical Reasoning & Problem-Solving Abilities

a. Recognize a patient requiring urgent or emergent care and initiate evaluation and management.

b. Analyze complex medical situations.

c. Make evidence-based clinical judgments to provide the most up-to-date patient care.

d. Prioritize a differential diagnosis following a clinical encounter.

e. Develop appropriate treatment plans.

4. Health Literacy, Communication, and Interpersonal Skills

a. Organize and communicate health information in a clear and accessible manner to ensure patient understanding and engagement.

b. Communicate effectively with patients, families, and other members of the healthcare team.

c. Provide effective, equitable, understandable, and respectful quality care and services that are responsive to diverse cultural health beliefs and practices, preferred languages, health literacy, and other communication needs.

5. Interprofessional Collaborative Practice & Leadership

a. Collaborate as a member of an interprofessional team.

b. Contribute to a culture of safety and improvement.

c. Recognize when referrals are needed and make them to the appropriate health care provider.

d. Anticipate and adapt to changes in the external environment, identify opportunities for growth and improvement, and guide teams towards achieving long-term success.

e. Gain an understanding of advocacy and leadership within the PA profession.

6. Professional Behaviors

a. Demonstrate professionalism in all interactions.

b. Articulate one’s role and responsibilities to patients, families, communities, and other professionals.

c. Demonstrate respect for the dignity and privacy of patients while maintaining confidentiality in the delivery of team-based care.

d. Exercise continuous life-long learning and professional development.

ARC-PA Standard A3.12g
All supervised clinical practice experiences, to include both clinical sites and preceptors, will be coordinated by the PA Program. Students are not required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors. Students may request a specific clinical site or preceptor, however, each site or preceptor must be approved by the Director of Clinical Education and must meet all of the requirements of the PA Program. (ARC-PA Standard A3.03)
Class of 2027 (matriculates in January 2025)
- Tuition: TBD
- Fees: TBD
PA Program Withdrawal and Tuition Refunds
Students must meet the technical standards of the Assumption University PA program with or without reasonable accommodations, consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act upon admission and continue to demonstrate them throughout their participation in the program. The use of a human intermediary to meet these technical standards means that a student’s judgment is guided by another person’s powers of observation and interpretation. Students are, therefore, not permitted to use such intermediaries in meeting the technical standards of the Assumption University PA program. Any student found in violation of technical standards is subject to dismissal.

PA Program Technical Standards

ARC-PA Standard A3.13e
The Assumption University Master of Science in Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Program has applied for Accreditation - Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). The Assumption University Master of Science in Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Program anticipates matriculating its first class in January 2025, pending achieving Accreditation - Provisional status at the September 2024 ARC-PA meeting.

Accreditation - Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding accreditation-provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students. If the Assumption University Master of Science in Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Program is not granted accreditation, no students will be enrolled in the program, and any deposits paid will be refunded. CASPA application fees will not be refunded.

ARC-PA Standard A3.12a

FACULTY

Christopher A. Ferreira Program Director, Physician Assistant Studies Associate Professor of Practice, School of Health Professions

Wendy L. Buja, M.S. Director of Didactic Education, PA Studies Assistant Professor of Practice, School of Health Professions

Kayla M. Cetrone Director of PA Admissions, Assessment, & Academic Success, PA Studies Assistant Professor of Practice, School of Health Professions

Robert K. Ferguson, M.D. Medical Director PA Program Associate Professor of Practice, School of Health Professions

Jeffery J. Giarnese, PA-C, MSPA Director of Clinical Education, PA Studies Assistant Professor of Practice, School of Health Professions

The Catrambone Health Sciences Building

The new, 41,000 square foot Richard J. & Sophia Catrambone Health Sciences Building houses our developing PA Program.

Several classrooms are located on the ground floor of the Health Sciences building, including the 60-person lecture hall, featuring tiered seating and comprehensive audio-visual equipment. All PA Program didactic lectures will be delivered in this classroom.

The third floor of the building houses the other features of our PA Program. The PA Clinical Lab, which will be utilized for various program needs including our Physical Diagnosis, Clinical Procedures, and Clinical Decision Making courses, features eleven physical exam bays, complete with wall-mounted diagnostic equipment typical to a standard examination room. The Lab also contains point-of-care lab testing equipment, seating and tables for work and discussion, ECG machines, slit lamps, portable ultrasound devices, and comprehensive audio-visual equipment. Located adjacent to this Lab is a cardiovascular lab equipped for cardiac stress testing.

Adjacent to the PA Clinical Lab, the Medical Simulation Center consists of six specialized rooms for practical education components of our didactic curriculum. There are four Examination Rooms, currently designated as pediatric, inpatient medicine, OB/GYN, and EENT settings, respectively.

There are two simulation rooms are set up as an Operating Room and Emergency Department room. The OR includes an anesthesia setup and full array of surgical instruments. The ED room contains a portable ultrasound machine and code cart. Control rooms complete with one-way mirrors adjoin each of these two simulation rooms for use during active simulation cases. The debriefing room within the lab/simulation center area is available for discussion following simulation cases.

Graduate Research Symposium

Assumption University Graduate School Annual Symposium showcases research, innovative projects, successful case study, and creative work of graduate students and recent alums from every graduate program. We offer all graduate students in every program an opportunity to present their excellent work on diverse topics.

Learn more

Veterans at Assumption

Assumption University recognizes that servicemen and women have demonstrated great courage and made tremendous sacrifices in service to our nation and its people. The University has introduced a number of programs and services to assist veterans during the application process and while veterans are attending Assumption. We also have a lounge designated only for our veteran students. Assumption University is committed to maintaining recognition as a Military Friendly institution. We strive to eliminate barriers to success for our Service Members, Veterans, and their qualified dependents.

Welcoming Veterans

Additional Information

Helpful PA Links

Back to Top

Request Information

Apply

Visit Assumption

Physician Assistant Studies

A developing 28-month PA program culminating in a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies degree.