· The 28-month graduate program leads to the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies.
· The program was granted continuing accreditation status in September of 2007 by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).
· The first class of 16 students graduated July 28, 2007 with 11 of the graduates currently practicing in the state of Arkansas. All 16 have passed their national certifying exam.
· The second class of 22 students graduated July 2008 with 12 remaining in Arkansas to practice. All 22 have passed their national certifying exam.
· Currently there are 32 students in our 3rd class who are doing their clinical rotations and another 32 students in our 4th class who have just begun their year of classroom instruction.
· Before beginning the PA Program, a regional needs assessment study revealed 132 such programs in the United States, but none in Arkansas or Mississippi.
· Government studies indicate that Arkansas ranks 47th in availability of primary care physicians per capita. The same documents indicate that Arkansas ranked 49th for number of PAs per capita.
· According to media surveys, the PA profession is one of the 10 fastest growing employment areas in the United States. They work directly with and under a supervising/sponsoring physician currently established in clinical practice. They are qualified to provide medical care to patients, working as a team with their supervising physician.
The health care services PAs provide include, but are not limited to:
* Performing medical interviews and physical examinations
* Identifying health care problems in need of evaluation and management
* Screening results of laboratory diagnostic studies
* Selecting and implementing treatment plans
* Counseling patients regarding health, illness and at-risk behaviors
* Initiating and maintaining patient-centered therapeutic regimens
* Monitoring patient responses to programs of therapy
* Facilitating access to appropriate health care resources
Students in the program will have the opportunity to gain clinical education at a medical mission points in Guatemala, Nigeria and Namwianga, Zambia, the University’s latest addition to International Programs
