Program Overview
The Physician Assistant program is designed to prepare the student for comprehensive practice in a variety of clinical settings following completion of the second year of the program. The goals and objectives of our program are guided by the criteria set forth in the Accreditation Standards for Physician Assistant Education as established by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA). The PCOM program has received accreditation from the ARC-PA and our graduates are eligible to sit for the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) Examination. This certification is required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and most states to practice as a Physician Assistant. Students receive a Master of Science from PCOM after successful completion of their second year.
Program Details
The graduate phase of the program at PCOM, leading to a Master of Science degree at PCOM, is approximately 26 months in duration. It provides comprehensive academic and clinical medical education to prepare students for their professional roles as Physician Assistants.
The program consists of five consecutive terms (14 continuous months) of classroom instruction and four consecutive terms (12 continuous months) of clinical preceptorships in multiple medical disciplines. The didactic component provides a solid foundation for the clinical component.
