Physician Assistants (PAs) are health professionals authorized by the state to practice medicine with the supervision of a licensed physician. PAs exercise autonomy in medical decision-making and provide a broad range of services. The clinical role of PAs includes primary and specialty care in medical and surgical settings in rural and urban areas. Students learn to work successfully in the healthcare environment, to care for and treat patients, to problem solve, and to maintain the highest level of professionalism.
The role of the PA demands intelligence, sound judgment, intellectual honesty, appropriate interpersonal skills, and the capacity to react to emergencies in a calm and reasoned manner. An attitude of respect for others, adherence to the concepts of privilege and confidentiality in communicating with patients, understanding of the interprofessional nature of modern healthcare, and a commitment to the patient’s welfare are essential attributes.
Graduates will be eligible to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE). To practice medicine as a PA, students must graduate from a PA program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), pass the PANCE exam, and obtain state-specific authorization to practice through state licensure, registration and/or certification processes.
Effective Fall 2024
- School of Nursing & Health Sciences
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- More Information about Physician Assistant Studies
Career Opportunities
Physician assistants find employment in hospitals, outpatient clinics, physicians' offices, and surgical practices, and in a variety of healthcare specialties, including family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, gastroenterology, plastic surgery, neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, oncology and hematology, emergency medicine, orthopedic surgery, general surgery, cardiovascular surgery, correctional medicine, urology, and pediatrics.
Special Admissions Requirements
Anyone desiring entrance into this major must first gain admission to Penn College by applying through the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA ). Acceptance into this selective admission major is based upon additional requirements beyond College admission. Details are available on the Selective Admission Criteria and Process webpage.
Special Equipment Needs
Laptop Computer Required
- Windows 11 or higher (recommended).
- Intel Core i5 or i7 (generation 10 or higher) processor (recommended).
- 16+ GB RAM (recommended).
- 250+ GB Solid State Disk (SSD) drive (recommended).
- Webcam and microphone (required).
- Integrated speakers or headphone/speaker jack (required).
- Wireless network card (required).
- Additional plug-ins may be required (Information Technology Services Service Desk available for assistance)
- Chromebooks and other devices running ChromeOS are prohibited.
Students in this major are expected to purchase medical instruments, uniforms, malpractice insurance, clearances, certifications, and various other instructional items. Refer to the Tools & Supplies List with Estimated Costs webpage.
Transfer Procedures
The transfer of graduate-level physician assistant studies credits is not accepted into this major.
Program Goals
A graduate of this major should be able to:- demonstrate the clinical and technical skills necessary to provide accurate diagnosis and treatment.
- provide evidence-based, culturally-competent, patient-centered care.
- demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in effective information exchange with patients, families, and other members of the healthcare team.
- apply core knowledge, including established and evolving biomedical and clinical sciences, to patient-centered care.
- demonstrate professional maturity and accountability for delivering safe and quality care to patients.
Performance Standards
The grading scale in this program for all PAS courses will be as follows:
A = 90-100
B = 80-89.99
C = 75 – 79.99
F = 74.99 and below – student has not met minimal requirements to pass.
Grades are not rounded. Students must maintain a minimum graduation GPA of 2.0
Please refer to the Physician Assistant Studies program manual for additional in-program academic progression requirements.
Curriculum
| First Semester | Credits | Notes | Lecture | Lab/Clinical | M/S | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAS524 | Pathophysiology I | 2.0 | 2 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS530 | Pharmacology I | 3.0 | 3 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS541 | Patient History & Physical Assessment I | 2.0 | 1 | 3 | M | REQ | |
| PAS550 | Clinical Medicine I | 5.0 | 5 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS565 | Diagnostic & Procedural Practices I | 2.0 | 1 | 3 | M | REQ | |
| PAS572 | Concepts in Physician Assistant Practice | 2.0 | 2 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS575 | Human Cadaver Anatomy | 4.0 | 3 | 3 | M | REQ | |
| TOTAL CREDITS | 20.0 | ||||||
| Second Semester | Credits | Notes | Lecture | Lab/Clinical | M/S | Type | |
| PAS526 | Pathophysiology II | 2.0 | 2 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS529 | Cardiology | 2.0 | 2 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS531 | Pharmacology II | 3.0 | 3 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS533 | Laboratory Medicine I | 1.0 | 1 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS543 | Patient History & Physical Assessment II | 2.0 | 1 | 3 | M | REQ | |
| PAS553 | Clinical Medicine II | 5.0 | 5 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS561 | Professionalism & Ethics in Physician Assistant Practice | 2.0 | 2 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS566 | Diagnostic & Procedural Practices II | 3.0 | 2 | 3 | M | REQ | |
| TOTAL CREDITS | 20.0 | ||||||
| Summer Session | Credits | Notes | Lecture | Lab/Clinical | M/S | Type | |
| PAS527 | Pathophysiology III | 1.5 | 1.50 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS532 | Pharmacology III | 3.0 | 3 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS534 | Laboratory Medicine II | 1.0 | 1 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS544 | Patient History & Physical Assessment III | 2.0 | 1 | 3 | M | REQ | |
| PAS554 | Clinical Medicine III | 4.0 | 4 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS558 | Pediatrics | 1.5 | 1.50 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS567 | Diagnostic & Procedural Practices III | 2.0 | 1 | 3 | M | REQ | |
| PAS571 | Medical Decision Making | 1.0 | 3 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS574 | Principles of Emergency Medicine & General Surgery | 2.0 | 1.50 | 1.50 | M | REQ | |
| PAS576 | Principles of Women's Health | 1.0 | 1 | M | REQ | ||
| TOTAL CREDITS | 19.0 | ||||||
| Third Semester | Credits | Notes | Lecture | Lab/Clinical | M/S | Type | |
| PAS610 | PA Clinical Seminar I | 1.0 | 1 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS641 | Internal Medicine Clinical Experience | 4.0 | 1 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS645 | Elective Clinical Experience | 4.0 | 1 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS647 | Pediatrics Clinical Experience | 4.0 | 1 | M | REQ | ||
| TOTAL CREDITS | 13.0 | ||||||
| Fourth Semester | Credits | Notes | Lecture | Lab/Clinical | M/S | Type | |
| PAS620 | PA Clinical Seminar II | 1.0 | 1 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS642 | Emergency Medicine Clinical Experience | 4.0 | 1 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS643 | Behavioral & Mental Health Care Clinical Experience | 4.0 | 1 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS646 | Women's Health Clinical Experience | 4.0 | 1 | M | REQ | ||
| TOTAL CREDITS | 13.0 | ||||||
| Summer Session | Credits | Notes | Lecture | Lab/Clinical | M/S | Type | |
| PAS640 | Family Medicine Clinical Experience | 4.0 | 1 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS644 | Surgery Clinical Experience | 4.0 | 1 | M | REQ | ||
| PAS696 | Capstone | 3.0 | Writing Enriched Requirement | 3 | M | REQ | |
| TOTAL CREDITS | 11.0 | ||||||
Accreditation
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Pennsylvania College of Technology Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Pennsylvania College of Technology. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.
Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be September 2027. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy. The program's accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at http://www.arcpa.org/accreditation-history-penn-college-of-tech/
Technical Standards/Essential Functions
Technical Standards for Physician Assistant Studies
In order to complete the Physical Assistant Studies curriculum and be prepared for work as a
Physician Assistant upon graduation, students must be able to meet the program's academic
and technical standards, with or without reasonable accommodations. The program wishes to
ensure that access to its facilities, programs, and services is available to all students, including
students with disabilities. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Disability and
Access Resources office (dar@pct.edu or 570-320-5225) immediately to begin confidential
conversation about possible accommodations necessary to meet these standards.
Observation
Candidates must be able to acquire, interpret, and assimilate information in the lecture hall, the
laboratory, the outpatient setting, and the patient's bedside. Candidates must have the ability to
observe and monitor a patient's condition, elicit information through procedures regularly
required in a physical examination (e.g., inspection, auscultation, percussion, and palpation),
assess the initial and ongoing health status of a patient, evaluate diagnostic imaging and test
results, effectively administer patient care, and respond to environmental cues such as signals
from equipment.
Motor
Candidates must have the ability to execute movements required to perform complete and
focused physical examinations as well as provide routine and emergent care to patients.
Execution of motor functions may include lifting patients and responding promptly to patients’
needs in emergency situations. Candidates must be able to negotiate patient care environments
and navigate between settings, such as the clinic, the classroom, and the hospital. Physical
stamina sufficient to complete the rigorous course of didactic and clinical study is required. Long
periods of sitting, standing, or moving are required in the classroom, laboratory, and clinical
settings.
Communication
Candidates must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively in both academic and
healthcare settings. Candidates must possess effective communication skills (in-person and
written) to appropriately and professionally interact with patients, caregivers, and other
healthcare providers. Such interactions may include interviewing patients and eliciting medical
histories, entering medical information into a patient’s chart, consulting with other members of
the healthcare team, providing education to patients and their caregivers, and making
appropriate referrals to other healthcare providers or services.
Intellectual
Candidates must be able to measure, calculate, analyze, evaluate, and interpret physical exam
findings and diagnostic imagining and test results to establish a diagnosis, develop acute and
chronic care plans and initiate a treatment regimen. Candidates must be able to comprehend
three dimensional relationships and understand the spatial relationships of structures.
Candidates must be able to read, appraise, analyze, critique, and understand medical literature.
Candidates must be able to collect, organize, prioritize, evaluate, and assimilate large amounts
of technically detailed and complex information within a limited amount of time. Candidates must
be able to reason, synthesize new ideas, and implement appropriate healthcare solutions to
meet patients’ needs.
Behavioral and Social
Candidates must exercise good judgment and the prompt completion of all academic and
patient care responsibilities. The development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships
with patients, supervisors, and other members of the healthcare team is essential. A candidate
must possess the qualities of adaptability and flexibility, and they must be able to function in the
face of uncertainty. Candidates must have a high level of compassion for others, motivation to
serve, integrity, and a consciousness of social values. A candidate must possess the necessary
interpersonal skills to interact positively with people from all age groups, all levels of society, all
ethnic backgrounds, and all belief systems. Moreover, students must be able to accept
feedback and criticism and respond professionally to faculty and supervisors, including an
appropriate modification of behavior