Information Session

Physician Assistants/Associates

• Definition and background

  Definition

  A Physician Assistant (PA) is a medical provider who is nationally certified, and state licensed to practice medicine in every specialty and setting.

  Background

  PAs are in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as in U.S. territories.

  PAs have been part of the American healthcare system for almost 60 years.

  Today there are more than 100,000 certified PAs in the United States.

• Roles of the PA

  Roles

  Take medical histories

  Perform physical examinations

  Order and interpret diagnostic studies

  Prescribe medication

  Develop and implement treatment plans

  Confer with physicians and other clinicians

  Provide patient education

  Assist in intra-operative surgical procedures

Mission Statement

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 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.

National & State Demographics

• United States

  • Approximately 178,708 Certified PAs across the US

  • 71.2% Female

  • In 2023, there were 53 certified PAs per 100,000 population in the U.S. compared to 42 in ​2019.

  • ARC-PA estimates that the number of PA educational programs will grow from 306 in January of 2024 to 348 by 2027, thus increasing the number of individuals who may join the certified workforce.

• State of Texas

  • ≈12,000+ PAs In Texas

  • ≈11,687 Certified PAs in Texas

  • ≈9,610 Licensed PAs in Texas

  • 38.3 PAs/100K Population in TX (Ranks 42)

  • 6.6% of Total PAs in the U.S

Employment Outlook

2024 U.S. News Rankings:

• #2 in Best Health Care Jobs
• #3 in the 100 Best Jobs
• #3 in Best Stem Jobs
• Forbes rated the Master of Physician Assistant Studies the Top 10 Best Master’s Degree in the U.S.
• Highest Paying Jobs National Median Base Salary - $130,000

Program Requirements

• Application Deadline: September 1st
• Admitting Semester: Summer (May)
• Program Length: 30 continuous months
• Required Minimum Overall GPA: 3.0
• Required Minimum Science GPA: 3.0

Admission Requirements

• Required Courses must be completed by the date the application is submitted
  • A U.S. or Canadian-acquired bachelor's degree must be obtained by May in the year of enrollment.
• Professional or volunteer hands-on patient care experience is strongly recommended
• Grade of “C” or higher in all required courses
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
  • The GRE is not required of applicants with both a U.S.-acquired bachelor’s and master’s degree or higher.
• All prerequisite courses must have been completed in the past 10 years.
• Prospective applicants who have interviewed for our program for two cycles and have not been offered acceptance, will not be reviewed for a third application cycle.

Required Courses

*Indicates courses that need to be for science majors and must have a lab component.

Course Deadlines

• Required courses and those in progress must be completed by the time of application submission.
• All transcripts must be received by September 1.
• All other requirements (Application, Official GRE Scores, Letters of reference) remain September 1.

Considerations

• Quality and quantity of academic preparations
• Health care experience
• Awards, honors, service, and leadership
• Letters of Reference
• Personal Statement/Essay
• Interview for most competitive candidates

Competitive Applicants

• Bachelor's degree with greater than 50 semester hours in science courses
• Greater than 3.25 overall and science GPA
• Hands-on patient care experience >200 hours
• Evidence of leadership
• Superior references
• Mature, insightful essay
• Evidence of community services
• Superior people skills

Admissions Process

• Early admissions confirmation is offered to the most competitive candidates following interview dates.
• Early application is strongly encouraged; DO NOT WAIT until the deadline if application is otherwise complete

Applicant Profile

Applicant profile provides details about the number of applications reviewed, interviews conducted, enrollments, and the gender and resident status of accepted students for the given year.

Student Profile

Student profiles include information on the age range, average science GPA, overall GPA, and GRE scores of all students for the given year.

Tuition & Fees for 2025-2026 Academic Year

• Tuition Texas Residents

  $366.00 per semester hour x for 112 hours = $40,992

• Tuition non-Texas Residents

  $771.00 per semester hour x 112 hours = $86,352

• Fees

  Estimated fees over the 30-month program = $5,893

  Student Service Fee
  Medical Service Fee
  Computer Usage Fee
  Malpractice Fee
  Lab Fee
  Anatomy Lab
  BCLS/ACLS Course Fee
  Graduation Fee
  Simulation Center Fee
  Suture Kits

Attendance Costs for 2025-2026 Academic Year

• Incidental Costs

  Estimated fees over the 30-month program = $780

  Medical Equipment = $700
  Lab Coats= $80
• Other Attendance Costs

  Other attendance costs over the 30-month program = $112,910

  Loan Fees
  Books & Supplies
  Housing & Meals
  Transportation
  Personal
  Health Insurance
  Laptop/Technology

Tuition Plus Fees

• Texas Resident
  $46,885.00 over 30 months or $1,562.83/Month ($18,754.00 Year)
  Final cost is subject to change without prior notice.
• Non-Texas Resident
  $92,245.00 Over 30 Months or $3,075.00/Month ($36,898.00/Year)
  Final cost is subject to change withouth prior notice.

Earnings

• Physician Assistant Income National Average in 2023:
  • $130,000 per year
• Texas Average in 2024:
  • $125,000 per year

Didactic Phase

The didactic curriculum is 15-months (May - July), and in-person attendance is mandatory.

Didactic Highlights:

• Evidence Based Medicine
• Full Cadaver Dissection
• Integrated Block of Instructions
• Packrat Exam
• Professional Practice Issues
• Simulated Patient Lab
• Small Group Tutorials
• School Organized Tutoring

Clinical Phase

The clinical phase is 15-months (August - November).

*UTSW’s affiliate institutions do require students who train at their locations to comply with all applicable site policies, including vaccinations. Those policies vary by location, and some site policies do not contain exemptions.

Clinical Highlights:

• Vetted Preceptors & Stellar Sites Across the State of Texas
• Balanced Mix of Private, Public, Inpatient, and Outpatient Settings
• Internationally Renowned Preceptors
• Labor and Delivery Exposure
• Research Opportunities (Directed Studies Month)
• In-House PANCE Review Course
• Resume Workshop
• Private Graduate and Alumni Job Fair Hosted by UT Southwestern Department of PA Studies
• Multiple On-campus Post-graduate Fellowship and Residency Opportunities

Clinical Rotations

• Family Medicine: 8 Weeks

  Ambulatory based clinical experiences:

  Private practice office settings

• Internal Medicine/Hospitalist: 8 Weeks

  Hospital based clinical experiences:

  Parkland Health & Hospital System
  Clements University Hospital
  Baylor Scott & White Medical Center (Temple, TX) - student housing provided by program

• Primary Care Preceptorship: 8 Weeks

  Ambulatory care clinical experiences in one of the following primary care settings:

  Family Medicine
  Geriatrics
  Internal Medicine
  Pediatrics
  Women’s Health

• Emergency Medicine: 4 Weeks

  Clinical experiences in an emergency room setting

  Students complete 10 or 12 hour shifts depending on the clinical site location:

  Clements University Hospital
  Parkland Health & Hospital System
  Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital
  Methodist Medical Center
  VA Medical Center – multiple locations

• Infectious Diseases: 4 Weeks

  Hospital and ambulatory based clinical experiences:

  Parkland Health & Hospital System
  Dallas Veterans Medical Center
  Clements University Hospital

• Pediatrics: 4 Weeks

  Ambulatory based clinical experiences:

  Private practice office settings

• Psychiatry: 8 Weeks

  Hospital and ambulatory based clinical experiences:

  Dallas Correctional Health
  Clements University Hospital
  Parkland Health & Hospital System

• Surgery: 4 Weeks

  Intraoperative, hospital and ambulatory based clinical experiences, which will include 24-hour on-call shifts, weekends, and early morning hours:

  Parkland Health & Hospital System
  Clements University Hospital
  Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital

• Women's Health: 4 Weeks

  Intraoperative, hospital and ambulatory based clinical experiences, split evenly between Obstetrics and Gynecology:

  2-week hospital-based Obstetrics: Clements University Hospital
  2-week ambulatory-based Gynecology: Multiple community private practice settings

• Elective: 4 Weeks

  Intraoperative, hospital and ambulatory based clinical experiences:

  Wide variety of clinical specialties to choose from, e.g. Dermatology, Pediatric Subspecialties, Surgical Subspecialties, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care, Cardiology, Interventional Radiology, Pallative Care, Behavorial Health and so many more.

  International elective rotations are possible

Ranking

PANCE

UT Southwestern Master of Physician Studies Program first-time pass rates for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE):

Program Accreditation

• Accreditation Required for PA Licensure and Certification
• UT Southwestern has Maintained Continuing Accreditation Since 1973, ​with NO Adverse Accreditation Actions
• UT Southwestern is currently fully accredited until 2033

Application Service

• Web-Based Application System sponsored by the Association of PA Programs
• Allows applicants to apply to multiple of participating PA schools
• Beat the deadline; early application recommended
• Apply to several programs if PA is your ultimate goal
  • Applying to one program is not advised
• CASPA
  • Application Outcomes:
    • 25% chance of acceptance if only applying to one school
    • 49% chance of acceptance if applying to 12 programs
      • No additional advantage was noted for applying to more than 12 programs
• CASPA Facebook
• CASPA Video Instructions for entering coursework

Application Cost

• Number of designated CASPA Programs:
  1. $184
  2. $245
  3. $306
  4. $367
  5. $428

Disclosure

PA education is intense, fast paced, and difficult for the duration of enrollment.

• The expectation of having a life balance as a PA student is often unrealistic.
• True life balance comes with the end point; graduation and employment.
• It is very important to have all support systems in place and all personal health conditions well-managed prior to starting the curriculum​
• Reminder: The UT Southwestern PA Program curriculum is lock-in-step
• Preparation, dedication, commitment, and flexibility are keys to a successful PA education journey

Department Faculty

The Department of Physician Assistant Studies is led by an expert faculty recognized for excellence in academics, research, and clinical care. For a complete list of faculty for the Department of Physician Assistant Studies, please visit our faculty page.