Mission
Physician Assistant Program
Definition of a Physician Assistant
Program Description
Master's Degree
Accreditation
PANCE Results
Estimated Cost of Attendance

Greetings from the Program Director
The Midwestern University Physician Assistant Program is comprised of faculty and staff who believe our primary purpose is to educate and mentor students to become compassionate and competent health care professionals. We are fully committed to providing an atmosphere that is conducive to the education of clinicians who care for patients as part of a comprehensive health care team

We believe there is no greater honor than serving others and it is through that lens that we look at all of our applicants and we strive to assemble a class that shares our vision. Our faculty consists of leaders who are involved in directing the future of our profession and providing an educational environment that guides our students in their journey to become life-long learners.

On behalf of the faculty and staff of the Physician Assistant Program, I thank you for your interest in our program. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions after reviewing our materials.

Kevin Lohenry, MPAS, PA-C
Director, Physician Assistant Program
Glendale Campus

Mission
The Midwestern University Physician Assistant Program of Glendale is committed to the following mission:

To train and mentor Physician Assistant students in an educational environment that cultivates excellence in professionalism, compassion, competence, service, and teamwork in the practice of medicine.

Physician Assistant Program
The Physician Assistant Program offers professional education at the master’s level for students who aspire to become physician assistants. Four educational tracks have been developed for the Master of Medical Science (M.M.S.) degree: a research track, a clinical specialty track, a bioethics track, and a health professions education track. The master’s track provides students with the academic and clinical training necessary to gain certification and to practice as competent, reliable physician assistants

Definition of a Physician Assistant
(Approved by the American Academy of Physician Assistants' House of Delegates, 1995).
“Physician Assistants (PAs) are health professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. Physician Assistants are qualified upon graduation from an accredited physician assistant educational program and/or certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. Within the physician/PA relationship, Physician Assistants exercise autonomy in medical decision-making and provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services. The clinical role of Physician Assistants includes primary and specialty care in medical and surgical practice settings in rural and urban areas. Physician Assistant practice is centered on patient care and may include educational, research, and administrative activities.”

Program Description
The professional curriculum leading to the master’s degree is a full-time professional program that offers students the opportunity to earn a graduate degree and satisfy the eligibility requirements for the PA national certifying examination. The roles and specific clinical duties and responsibilities that graduates can expect to experience will vary depending on their chosen career path. MWU PA graduates are expected to have the ability to competently perform patient histories and physicals, gather pertinent patient data, order and interpret diagnostic studies, recognize common diseases and disorders, choose appropriate therapeutic modalities, perform minor surgical procedures, manage emergency life-threatening conditions, promote health through counseling, education, and disease prevention, and demonstrate interpersonal skills consistent with the physician assistant role.

The didactic phase of the curriculum is offered at the Glendale (Arizona) Campus associated with the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine and the College of Pharmacy–Glendale.

The second-year clinical program is delivered at affiliated clinical sites and facilities. These sites are geographically and demographically diverse, reflecting the broad scope of practice opportunities that exist for PAs in the health care delivery system of this country. Sites include ambulatory practice settings, small and large office-based group practices, community and migrant health centers, in-patient settings involving large and small hospitals as well as federal and state facilities. These sites are in urban, suburban, and rural communities located throughout Arizona. In addition, the program has established formal affiliations with clinical facilities and practitioners in a number of other states. As part of the clinical education phase of the program, students enrolled in the MWU/CHS Physician Assistant Program will likely be assigned to clinical rotations that reflect this geographic and demographic diversity.

The Physician Assistant program recommends that students do not work while attending Midwestern University.

Master's Degree
Master of Medical Science (M.M.S.) in Physician Assistant Studies
The master’s curriculum augments the PA professional education by providing the student with additional academic coursework. Within the M.M.S. track, students may choose between a Research Emphasis, a Clinical Specialty Emphasis, a Bioethics Emphasis, or a Health Professions Education Emphasis.

MMS Clinical Specialty Track integrates academic work within a professional degree program. Students are provided the opportunity to design and complete a portfolio of activities in a chosen specialty field over the course of the clinical year, including medical presentations, continuing education, case reports, and workshops. Following successful completion of the portfolio, the clinical master's student enters a three-month clinical master's practicum in his or her chosen specialty field, allowing the clinical master's student the opportunity to apply their expertise in an advanced clinical
setting.

MMS Research Track is designed to broaden the Master’s student’s scientific knowledge and academic skills while creating a foundation for life-long scholarly inquiry and professional contributions to the medical literature. The Master’s Research Practicum and the Research Project are central components of the MMS Research Track and require the student to complete an original research project in clinical medicine, health policy, health education, and/or basic science.

MMS Bioethics Track is designed to provide the Master’s student with a deeper understanding of the ethical issues related to patient care and healthcare practice, as well as methods for addressing these issues. The Bioethics Track will also help the student to practice medicine in a more humanistic way. Graduates will receive interdisciplinary training that will expose them to a wide range of issues and perspectives.

MMS Health Professions Education Track is designed to prepare the Master’s student with the background necessary to become an effective educator in the classroom, clinic, and community. The track is taught in a blended fashion using online components to reduce the amount of face-to-face classes. There are also several online elective courses offered during years 2 and 3 to allow greater flexibility in completing the track requirements.

Accreditation
The Midwestern University Physician Assistant Program was previously accredited by the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation, by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, and currently is by its successor agency, the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant. This accreditation status enables graduating students to take the national certifying examination administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). The Midwestern University PA Program is a member of the Association of Physician Assistant Programs, the national organization representing PA educational programs.

Midwestern University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, A Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC/NCA), 30 North LaSalle St., Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602.

Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) Results

Estimated Cost of Attendance