Physician Assistant Studies, MPAS

I. Contact Information

Brian S. Lauf, MPAS, PA-C, Founding Program Director 
(775) 784-4843
paprogram@med.unr.edu
med.unr.edu/pa

Mailing Address:
University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
Physician Assistant Studies Program 
18600 Wedge Pkwy/104
Reno, NV 89511

II. Brief Introduction

A Master of Physician Assistant Studies program is a terminal professional practice degree. This program will prepare students for a career as a physician assistant in order to increase access to health care in Nevada. The curriculum length will be 27 months, which will include 15 months of didactic instruction followed by 12 months of preceptor-supervised clinical training. The purpose of this program is to increase the number of providers in the Nevada primary care workforce who are trained specifically to satisfy health care shortages and to function effectively in health care teams.

III. Program Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes

•  Prepare clinically skilled physician assistants by providing an educational environment that fosters learning and prepares students for a career in primary care.
• Assist in meeting the health care needs of Nevadans by training physician assistants to serve as essential components of care teams and augment the primary care workforce.
• Develop and promote an interdisciplinary and collaborative orientation to health care delivery.
• Provide educational and training opportunities for non-traditional students, particularly those from rural and underserved Nevada communities, and those who have served in military medical settings.
• Prepare physician assistants to be critical thinkers and lifelong learners.
• Train diverse and culturally competent health care providers.  

IV. Admission Requirements

All applications are submitted through the Central Application System for Physician Assistants (CASPA).

Admission requirements for PA program of study include:

• All prerequisites must be completed by the application deadline to be considered a complete application. All prerequisites must be completed from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning in the United States
• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
• A minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 2.75 AND a “B-” or better in each prerequisite course

V. Program Requirements

The UNR Med PA Program curriculum has been modeled after several successful programs, and will consist of six total semesters, two of which are strictly clinical rotations.  The program will be completed in 27 months and will require full-time enrollment and participation. Students must enroll in every course and maintain satisfactory academic advancement in the specific progression as they are presented here.

VI. Total Units (123 units)

The program is a completely prescribed unit with no substitutions. Students must enroll in every course and maintain satisfactory academic advancement in the specific progression outlined in the curriculum to satisfy the requirements for graduation.

VII. Undergraduate Prerequisites

• 2000-hour minimum paid, direct hands-on clinical patient care. All forms of clinical patient care experience are considered. Student practicum or shadowing experience is not accepted for the 2000-hour minimum paid requirement but it is considered as additional experience
• Anatomy and Physiology, 2 semesters; Lab preferred
• General Biology, 1 semester; Microbiology with lab strongly recommended
• General Chemistry, 1 semester; Biochemistry recommended
• General Statistics, 1 semester

Students must earn a B- or better in each prerequisite course, and the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine Physician Assistant Studies Program strongly recommends that prerequisite courses be taken within the last 5-7 years. Courses must be taken at a regionally accredited community college or university for a letter grade or grade on a 4.0 scale. 

Recommended additional coursework for academic preparation: Pharmacology, Genetics, Medical Terminology, Spanish, Abnormal Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Aging and Disabilities, Public Health, Technical Writing, Communications.

Note(s):

Accreditation Information
The Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Program - University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine has applied for Accreditation - Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA). The Physician Assistant Program - University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine anticipates matriculating its first class in May of 2017, pending receipt of Accreditation - Provisional by the ARC-PA commission meeting scheduled for March of 2017. Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status for a new PA program that has not yet enrolled students, but at the time of its initial accreditation review, has demonstrated its preparedness to initiate a program in accordance with the accreditation standards. The program will not commence in the event that this provisional accreditation is not received.