Physician Assistant Science

This state-of-the-art 30,0000-square foot education and research center is actively fulfilling its mission as a clinical training area for students as well as reaching out to undeserved rural populations.

Take a look inside DiSepio

Welcome to the Department of PA Science

Physician Assistant: Learning to provide competent, compassionate and comprehensive health care

 Striving for excellence in all academic and professional endeavors is the key of our Department.  In addition, our vision for you is to:

• Be a leader of the physician assistant profession
• Provide for the health care needs of all
• Have a love of lifelong learning
• Provide service to others, especially to the poor and needy
• Have reverence for all life
• Have respect for the uniqueness of individual persons

To succeed in becoming a physician assistant, be ready to work hard (develop a strong work ethic) and be willing to devote the majority of your time to your academic studies, especially in the “PA coursework-only” (last two) years for five-year students. 

For the five-year student, you will have plenty of time in the first three years to take advantage of all the opportunities that SFU has to offer, such as sports, study abroad, community service.  Your schedule will be flexible enough for you to enjoy the entire college experience.

During the “PA coursework-only” years of the Program, you will be immersed in medicine.  In the first year of this phase you will participate in a variety of half-day clinical experiences, such as the operating room, emergency room, a rehab or an ophthalmology office.  Some students have actually been able to first-assist in a surgery at the half-day experiences.  During the second year students may have the opportunity to complete rotations throughout the United States, as well as internationally.

Physician Assistant Program Highlights

• The Master of Physician Assistant Science Program has a 95% first-time taker pass-rate on the Physician Assistant National Certification Exam (PANCE).  Take a look at our last five years’ of performance on the PANCE.
• The MPAS Program maintains continuing accreditation for the “PA coursework-only” years by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc.  Our next review will be in 2015.
• Numerous community service activities through on and off-campus events, such as Relay for Life, free clinics, health fairs and medical mission trips
• Onsite human cadaver lab
• National and international clinical rotation opportunities
• Plans for a new Health Science building which will include state-of-the-art facilities, including a simulation lab