Master of Physician Assistant Studies

About the Program

Established in 1972, the Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program at UT Southwestern is a full-time, graduate program that begins once a year in May and is completed in 30 months with graduation in December.

The curriculum is a robust blend of academic learning and hands-on clinical training. Students begin with four semesters of lecture and bedside demonstration in medical and behavioral sciences. This foundational coursework is followed by four semesters of clinical rotations in a wide range of disciplines and settings.

Curriculum Details

Mission

The mission of the Physician Assistant Studies Program is to:

• Excel in the art and science of PA education.
• Promote inter-professional primary health care delivery to a diverse and dynamic population to improve health outcomes.
• Foster a continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Foster a dedication to evidence-based medicine, quality improvement, and patient safety.
• Cultivate a commitment to faculty, staff, and student wellness.
• Encourage leadership, service, and excellence among our faculty, staff, students, and graduates.

Vision

The vision of the Physician Assistant Studies Program is to become a destination PA program for economically and environmentally disadvantaged faculty, staff and students while achieving and maintaining excellent outcome measures.

UT Southwestern Advantage

UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program prepares exceptional students for one of health care’s fastest growing and deeply rewarding careers.

Ranked eleventh in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in “America’s Best Graduate Schools 2023,” our physician assistant (PA) program’s unique advantages include:

• A noted faculty recognized for student interaction and teaching excellence
• A 30-month curriculum that blends comprehensive academic training with 15 months of clinical rotations
• The unmatched resources of UT Southwestern, including Parkland Memorial Hospital, ranked one of the nation’s best for more than a decade
• Tuition and fee rates that are among the most reasonable in the country
• A premier location near the heart of Dallas, a thriving center for health care, business, education, and the arts

Selecting UT Southwestern for your physician assistant education can be the first step toward a career rich in personal and professional rewards.

Clinical Facilities

The new William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital is a dynamic learning environment that includes areas for collaborative, team-based education. The facility has more than 35,000 square feet of space dedicated to research and learning.

Parkland Memorial Hospital is a high-energy, 862-bed county facility that admits nearly 41,000 patients a year. Parkland has earned a place on U.S. News and World Report’s list of America’s Best Hospitals for more than a decade.

In addition to Clements University Hospital and Parkland, your clinical training will take you to other teaching hospitals and community clinics with formal affiliations with UT Southwestern Medical Center.

Program Goals and Outcomes

• Goals

  The program goals of the Physician Assistant Studies Program are:

  1. To exceed the U.S. national average first time pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE).
  2. To provide student clinical education opportunities in diverse and medically underserved areas/populations.
  3. To demonstrate excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service by faculty.
  4. Provide longitudinal educational experiences in evidence-based medicine (EBM) and quality improvement and patient safety (QI/PS).

   
• Success in Goal Accomplishment

  Details about the Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program success in meeting program goals are included in the Success in Goal Accomplishment.

  Graduates of our program are eligible to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination given by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Review the 2024 Exam Performance Summary Report to learn more.

Accreditation

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the UT Southwestern School of Health Professions Physician Assistant Program sponsored by The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Southwestern School of Health Professions. 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 2033M. 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.

Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant
3325 Paddocks Parkway, Suite 345
Suwanee, Georgia 30024
Phone: 770-476-1224

In accordance with ARC-PA Standard A3.12, please find the program’s most recent UTSW Student Attrition Table.

Meet the Program Director