Physician Assistant Studies, MPAS

I. Contact Information

Physician Assistant Studies Program
18600 Wedge Parkway
Nell J. Redfield Bldg. A, Ste. 104
Reno, Nevada 89511
775-784-4843
paprogram@med.unr.edu
med.unr.edu/pa
 

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 25 months, which will include 13 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.
• Non-US citizens must have permanent resident visas.
• Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning in the United States. (Currently, foreign degrees, including equivalency evaluations, do not satisfy the academic prerequisites).
• Overall qualifying GPA- 2.75 or better.

Required Courses: completed from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning in the United States. Must receive a minimum of a B- in each course. Advanced Placement courses will not be accepted.

Human Anatomy and Physiology:

Minimum 6 semester credit hours or 9 quarter credit hours

• Human Anatomy & Physiology I & II or 1 Semester of Anatomy and 1 Semester of Physiology
• Lab strongly recommended

Biology:
Minimum 3 semester credit hours or 4.5 quarter credit hours

• Microbiology with lab strongly recommended

Chemistry:
Minimum 3 semester credit hours or 4.5 quarter credit hours

• Biochemistry recommended

Statistics:
3 semester credit hours or 4.5 quarter credit hours

Paid Direct Hands-On Clinical Patient Care:
Minimum 2,000 hours (see program website for examples)

V. Program Requirements

A Master of Physician Assistant Studies program will prepare students for a career as a physician assistant. The curriculum length will be 25 months, which will include 13 months of didactic instruction followed by 12 months of preceptor-supervised clinical training.

The UNR Med PA Studies Program curriculum has been modeled after several successful programs, and will consist of seven total semesters, three of which are strictly clinical rotations. The program will require full-time enrollment and participation. Students must enroll in every course in the specific progression as they are presented here.

VI. Total Units (123 units)

The program is 123 credits, full-time, and completely prescribed units with no option for variation. 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.

Note(s):

Accreditation Information
The Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Program - University of Nevada 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 School of Medicine anticipates matriculating its first class in July of 2018, pending receipt of Accreditation - Provisional by the ARC-PA commission meeting scheduled for March of 2018. 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.