Cohort Begins Fall | Credits 125 | Program Length 27 months | Format In-person, full time
Earn your Master of Medical Science in Physician Associate (MMScPA)
Our program strives to cultivate knowledgeable, adaptable, and empathetic PAs who can deliver patient-centered and service-oriented care in diverse settings. By doing so, we aim to transform healthcare and benefit both individuals and communities with a faith-based mission.
At PBA, our commitment to growth in the health sciences means that you’ll have the opportunity to engage in rich, interdisciplinary collaboration. Our clinical education is designed to prepare you for the real world, with diverse experiences that include core rotations in our local community. With our emphasis on empathy and excellence, you’ll graduate from PBA equipped to provide compassionate care to those in need.
Program Description
PBA’s new Master of Medical Science in Physician Associate (MMScPA) is a faith-integrated 27-month graduate program that provides training for students seeking certification and licensure as a physician associate (PA). Students will complete 125 graduate credits over 7 consecutive academic terms, including 10 months of clinical rotations designed to facilitate the integration of didactic education with clinical experiences preparing students for the clinical practice, with diverse experiences that include core rotations in our local community.
Palm Beach Atlantic PA school plans to accept 56 students per cohort, allowing for meaningful collaboration among students and faculty. The PA program builds on the reputation of Palm Beach Atlantic University’s nationally recognized pre-health, nursing, pharmacy, and other health science programs. Through hands-on experiential learning, faith integration, and supportive faculty teaching, you’ll be equipped to serve all patients with exceptional, patient-centered and compassionate care.
Cohort begins each Fall
Applications close for the 2024 cohort on March 1, 2024
See more about how to apply (make how to apply link to the correct page)
START CASPA APPLICATION (Link to CASPA application)
PA Program Mission Statement
The Mission of PBA PA Medicine is to develop PAs whom patients seek because of their compassion spirituality, knowledge, and servant leadership.
Career potential
PAs are in high demand— U.S. News and World Report ranks physician assistant #2 among best health care jobs. As the population increases and ages, the demand for healthcare services also grows. Physician assistants play a vital role in independently attending to patients and providing many of the same services as doctors.
- Employment outlook: 30% increase from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations
- Median salary (2021): $121,530
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration
NCCPA Certification
After successful completion of all curricular requirements, graduates are eligible to take the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE). Information regarding the PANCE and eligibility can be found at nccpa.net.
Once PBA PA Medicine has graduated the first cohort, NCCPA exam pass rates will be available here with information on the graduate’s PANCE performance.
Accreditation (A3.12a, D1.02c)
Anticipating ARC-PA approval, PBA will begin interviewing for the inaugural class in the fall of 2023 and matriculate the first class on October 1, 2024.
Tuition is a flat rate, which means the tuition will not increase annually for that specific cohort. If a student decelerates, they will pay the tuition of the class they are moving into.
Palm Beach Atlantic University PA program has applied for Accreditation–Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). PBA PA program anticipates matriculating its first class in October 2024, pending achieving Accreditation–Provisional status at the June 2024 ARC-PA meeting. Accreditation–Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding accreditation-provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in
complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students.
Note: In the event accreditation is not obtained, all deposits will be refunded to cohort members.