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, post-baccalaureate 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.
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:
- To exceed the U.S. national average first time pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE).
- To provide student clinical education opportunities in diverse and medically underserved areas/populations.
- To demonstrate excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service by faculty.
- Provide longitudinal educational experiences in evidence-based medicine (EBM) and quality improvement and patient safety (QI/PS).
- Success in Goal Accomplishment
PANCE Goal
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For the past five years, the program has met or exceeded the U.S. national average each year. Read the official NCCPA report.
Clinical Education Opportunities
- 100% of students completed clinical education opportunities in diverse and medically underserved areas/populations.
Scholarship, Leadership, Service
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During FY2021-2023, the academic and research efforts of UT Southwestern PA Program faculty resulted in submission to and publication of 28 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, 11 intramural/extramural grant submissions and awards, and 83 scholarly presentations at local, regional, and national meetings.
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During FY2021 - 2023, UT Southwestern PA Program faculty served on > 125 committees across the department, school, and institution, which met the departmental benchmark of service and/or leadership on ≥ 2 committees per fiscal year. This is inclusive of service and/or leadership in professional organizations and committees external to UT Southwestern.
EBM & QI/PS Curricula
- 100% of students complete our EBM curriculum, which includes longitudinal experiences focused on critical appraisal of research articles and application to clinical care. This includes the completion of a one-credit didactic course followed by an EBM module as part of the eight-week Family Medicine rotation. Additionally, students have the option of selecting EBM as the focus of their graduate project.
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100% of students complete didactic phase lectures addressing the basic concepts of QI/PS and how to conduct QI/PS projects. In the clinical phase, all students participate in a workshop designed to enhance the implementation of QI/PS projects upon graduation.
Additional details about the success in meeting program goals can be found in this goals graphic. 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).
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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.
