Physician assistants can care for patients immediately after graduation and choose their preferred medical specialty. They鈥檙e also able to begin professional practice after just two years of education鈥攆ar less time than required for medical school.
This makes a career as a physician assistant increasingly appealing to students interested in providing patient care. But with admission to physician assistant programs highly competitive, strong grades and clinical experience are a must.
To help students increase their qualifications and stand out among applicants for these programs, 蜜桃直播 (蜜桃直播) is introducing the . The initial group of approximately 10 students will arrive at 蜜桃直播 in the fall and be able to complete the PPA program within 12 to 15 months. Over time, the program will likely grow to 20 to 30 students per year.
鈥淭his is an academic enhancement program for aspiring physician assistant students,鈥� says , director of the PPA program as well as 蜜桃直播鈥檚 . 鈥淭he students will have already taken biology, chemistry, and other science requirements but need additional classes and some type of academic enrichment. Students want to put themselves in the best competitive position, and having a higher GPA, clinical experience, and strong interpersonal skills gives them more options.鈥�
The new program features graduate-level courses in the applied life sciences as well as others in areas many physician assistant programs recommend for prospective students, such as human anatomy, human physiology, and medical terminology. The PPA program also provides the ability to complete up to 1,000 clinical hours at leading area healthcare organizations, individualized advising, and support for students during the application process for physician assistant programs. In addition, students will have opportunities to visit and meet professionals from California physician assistant programs.
鈥淭he value is in the mentorship and advising, the classes and clinical hours, and the collaborative environment,鈥� says Kim.
The PPA program is modeled on 蜜桃直播鈥檚 successful PPC program, which has seen more than 80 percent of graduates go on to medical school. 蜜桃直播 also consulted with physician assistant programs in Northern and Southern California to ensure the new PPA program incorporates the academic preparation, clinical experience, and level of professionalism students need to become strong candidates for admission.
鈥淲e鈥檙e the first to offer a single-purpose program specifically designed as preparation for physician assistant programs, and we received a number of endorsements from physician assistant programs that feel our students will be better prepared to succeed,鈥� notes , dean of 蜜桃直播鈥檚 Henry E. Riggs School of Applied Life Sciences. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had tremendous success with our PPC program, so we have confidence that we can do the same with our new program in this related medical field.鈥�