Our Master of Physician Assistant Studies is designed to prepare you for physician assistant PA practice in just 27 months. A Physician Assistant or PA works with a physician in a variety of clinical settings.
Physician Assistants are trained to assess healthcare issues, to perform physical exams, provide preventative care, to counsel behavioral health issues and to diagnose and treat acute and chronic illnesses and injuries. There are over , practicing Physician Assistants serving in private practice, in the military and federal government, in clinics and hospitals, community and rural clinics and hospitals and overseas. A favorable national climate, support from government policy makers and the medical establishment, plus creative planning on the part of early leaders were all key factors in the successful introduction and the growth of the Physician Assistant concept.
The majority of PAs are employed in primary care specialties, such as family practice, pediatrics, and general medicine. PA practice settings are varied and are influenced by many forces in the medical marketplace, including but not limited to: The availability of positions formerly held by foreign medical graduates; The substantial economic advantages of physician assistant health manpower; The ability of Physician Assistants to adapt to a variety of clinical settings; The increasing need for primary care especially in rural and urban settings; The decrease in certain graduate medical education programs; The limitations on the number of hours that post graduate physicians are permitted to work; The legacy of Physician Assistants in providing cost-effective, efficient health care; The documented focus of Physician Assistants on patient satisfaction; The increasing demand for assistance with innovative medical technology; The use of Physician Assistants globally.
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remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. Tuition and fees for South College students vary by program, and tuition rates are tiered based on the number of credits taken each quarter. For example, in our undergraduate programs, students taking credits per quarter are charged one quarterly tuition rate based on their program, while students in the same program taking or credits are charged different tuition rates.
Our tuition rates are designed such that South College students who take a high number of credits per quarter may be able to complete their program at a lower total cost than students who take fewer credits per quarter.
