2010-2011 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Physician Assistant Studies - Program Description
For additional information about opportunities your college offers, please refer to the College of Health Professions section in this catalog.
Program Director: Boeve; Professor: Bacon-Baguley; Associate Professors: Boeve; Assistant Professors: Booth, Libra, Piersma; Visiting Faculty: Bolenz-Geesin.
Web site: www.gvsu.edu/pas
Degree Offered: M.P.A.S. (Master's in Physician Assistant Studies)
Physician assistants (PAs) are valued members of the health care team. PAs are currently licensed in all 50 of the United States by delegation or regulatory authority. Working under the supervision of doctors of allopathic medicine and/or doctors of osteopathic medicine, PAs obtain medical histories, perform physical examinations, establish diagnoses, treat illnesses, provide patient education, counsel patients, assist in surgery, dictate proper treatment orders, and interpret laboratory/diagnostic studies. In all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and Guam, laws are in place that authorize PAs to prescribe medication or transmit orders for dispensing medication including controlled substances. Close working relationships between PAs and their supervising physicians allow PAs to be educated in the medical model and expands the capabilities of physicians. As such, PAs see many of the same types of patients and perform many of the same tasks as physicians. The responsibilities of PAs depend upon a number of factors, including state laws and regulations, years of experience and training, and the setting in which the PAs practice. These factors all comprise a physician assistant's scope of practice.
Career Opportunities
The growth of the physician assistant profession has been exponential over the past several years. The job market remains strong in most areas of the United States. Physician assistant was listed as number five for "Best Job in America" profiled in a release by CNN & Money Magazine in 2006. In 2005, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ranked PAS as the 4th fastest-growing occupation from 2004-2014. Physician assistants are employed in a wide variety of health care facilities from academic to administrative, or hospitals, clinics, and private practice settings. They work in HMOs, clinics, nursing homes, hospitals, emergency departments, practice offices, industrial and occupational medicine, research, correctional medicine, military, education, and Veteran's Administration and Public Health Services Centers.
Grand Valley Physician Assistant Studies
Grand Valley State University established its Physician Assistant Studies (PAS) program in the 1990s, accepting its first class for entry in 1995 and graduating the inaugural class into the profession in 1998. The program awards the degree Master of Physician Assistant Studies (M.P.A.S.) following completion of a 28-month (seven semesters) curriculum of professional studies.
An equal number of applicants to the program are derived from those who possess a baccalaureate degree from either Grand Valley or another institution of higher learning and/or those who have pursued careers other than being a physician assistant. All applicants must meet the prerequisites and criteria for application to the program, realizing that some bring with them a wealth of life and career experience that enriches the diversity of the program.
Students begin the professional curriculum after they have been admitted into the program (see "Application Procedures"). During the PAS professional curriculum, students take coursework including human anatomy, medical physiology, clinical applications, clinical medicine, pathophysiology, practical therapeutics, PA professional issues, and research methods. The curriculum combines traditional classroom sessions with Web-based instruction, case studies, and problem-based learning (PBL) to provide students with the knowledge and clinical acumen to sit for their certification examination and practice medicine competently upon graduation. Students spend the final three semesters completing rotations in various clinical specialties, by working in clinics, emergency departments, and hospitals throughout West Michigan, other Michigan communities, and even some out of state or international communities. As part of the master's curriculum, students must complete a research project, thesis, or in-depth case studies.
Accreditation Statement
The Grand Valley State University Physician Assistant Program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (www.ARC-PA.org). This accreditation allows program graduates to take the required certification examination after graduation through the National Commission on Certification for Physician Assistants (www.NCCPA.net).
The Grand Valley State University Physician Assistant Studies Program is a member of the Physician Assistant Education Association (www.PAEAonline.org), the national organization representing educational programs for physician assistant faculty members.
The American Academy of Physician Assistants (www.AAPA.org) and the Michigan Academy of Physician Assistants (MAPA, www.michiganpa.org) recognize the Grand Valley State University Physician Assistant Studies Program, its students, and its graduates as an official PA program.
Application Procedures
Admission to the PAS program is competitive. Please contact the Program at (616) 331-3356 to obtain an application or visit the Web site at www.gvsu.edu/pas for additional information. Students must be in the process of completing all of their preprofessional and undergraduate degree requirements by the month of May before starting the professional program.
High school seniors interested in physician assistant studies must complete an undergraduate application to Grand Valley State University. During their freshman year they will begin their preprofessional studies and declare a major. The most common majors for students admitted to the program from Grand Valley are health professions and biomedical sciences.
Transfer students (from community or four-year colleges) must complete an undergraduate application to Grand Valley State University. We strongly encourage students to transfer to Grand Valley by the beginning of their junior year to ensure completion of their undergraduate degree and preprofessional requirements. Transfer students should consult with an advisor from the Grand Valley College of Health Professions before entering Grand Valley or very soon thereafter, in addition to their assigned undergraduate advisor based upon the major declared.
Students who have completed or are near completion of a baccalaureate degree fall into one of two categories: (1) those who have not completed all the preprofessional courses but intend to complete them at Grand Valley before applying to the physician assistant program must submit an undergraduate application; and (2) those who have completed the preprofessional coursework and an undergraduate degree must complete a graduate application. Students should meet with a faculty member of the PAS program or the College of Health Professions Student Services Director regarding the preprofessional courses.
Students must be in the process of completing all of their preprofessional and undergraduate degree requirements to be considered for admission. All preprofessional requirements and undergraduate degree must be completed by the month of May prior to fall semester before the start of the professional phase of the curriculum unless a rare extension has been granted by appeal to the PA Studies program director. Students who have not completed all prerequisites are encouraged to apply, provided they have a definite plan to complete the preprofessional courses by the month of May prior to fall semester before the start of the professional phase of the curriculum. Application information may be obtained by calling the College of Health Professions office at (616) 331-3356. The application deadline is October 1 for the admission cycle of the calendar year preceding the year the student wishes to begin the professional curriculum. All application forms and supplementary materials must be received and dated on or before October 1 for the application to be considered for the class to enter the following August. The admissions committee for the program will begin to review completed applications and grant interviews beginning in November preceding the applicants anticipated matriculation into the program in August. Beginning in December, positions in the program will be offered to applicants the committee deems exceptional candidates. The new PAS class should be filled before February 1 of each year.
Professional Level Curriculum Admission Criteria
Admission to the physician assistant program is competitive. The criteria for consideration for admission, acceptance, and matriculation are as follows:
1. Academic achievement. A minimum grade of "C" must be attained in all prerequisite coursework. Applicants must demonstrate a minimum 3.0 GPA in the prerequisite coursework, their last 60 hours of coursework, and overall college coursework to be considered for admission. A 3.0 is the minimum to apply, but does not mean it is competitive enough for interview or matriculation into the program. All prerequisite coursework and a bachelor's degree are required by the month of May prior to fall semester before beginning the professional curriculum.
2. Two recommendations from health professionals, submitted on university forms are required. We recommend, but do not require, that at least one letter be from a practicing physician assistant or physician.
3. Satisfactory individual and group interviews are required of all final pool applicants.
4. Writing samples, required as a portion of the interview process for all final pool applicants.
5. Experience. Applicants should show evidence of 500-plus hours of significant volunteer, work, or observational experience in a health care environment. This experience must be hands on patient care activities.
6. Due to the highly complex medical terminology within the U.S. health care system, international student applicants should be able to communicate well in English. The following minimal scores are expected: TOEFL 600. International Students must have the last 30 hours of higher education coursework taken at an established & accredited U.S. institution. For students from English speaking countries, the 30 hours of higher education coursework will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis at the request of the applicant.
The rare student who feels they have unusual circumstances that impact their ability to meet the above criteria must appeal in writing to the PAS admissions committee as a whole asking for a decisions in their case.
Students are accepted for fall entrance only. Students will be informed of admission decisions no later than February 1. Applicants may be placed on an alternate list to be offered positions in the entering class should a vacancy occur. Every year is a new cycle of applicants, there is no waiting list that carries over from year to year.
Selection Factors
Grand Valley State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution. It encourages diversity and provides equal opportunity in education, employment, all of its programs, and the use of its facilities. Applicants are considered without regard to age, color, disability, familial status, height, marital status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex/gender, sexual orientation, veteran status, or weight. Motivational factors, life experiences, patient care experience, maturity, and personal characteristics as assessed in personal interviews and recommendations are important factors in the selection process. An applicant's academic record is important as an indicator of ability to succeed in an intensive and rigorous medical curriculum. Applicants must meet certain health and technical standards that demonstrate their capacity to function as a physician assistant. Copies of these standards may be obtained from the PAS program office or from the PAS Web site: www.gvsu.edu/pas.
Degree Requirements
Demonstration of completion of the 103 credits in the professional curriculum is required for the student to be granted the M.P.A.S. degree. General graduate academic policies and regulations can be found elsewhere in this catalog or in the Grand Valley State University graduate bulletin.
In addition, for each PAS course or a discrete unit of instruction in the professional curriculum, a minimum proficiency level of 80 percent on all evaluation as described in course syllabus is required. A minimum of a grade "C" is required for passing all "non-PAS" courses, however, the GPA must never drop below the 3.0 or "B" minimum in any semester or the student may be placed on academic probation or dismissed from the PAS program.
Professional Conduct
The program also subscribes to a belief in continual advancement during the course of professional study in a compilation of abilities. Interpersonal skills, communication skills, responsibility, and professionalism, among others, are identified as being crucial for success in the profession. Advancement in skill and behavior applicable to such abilities is expected during the professional curriculum. A complete copy of these abilities is available from the program and may also be viewed on the program Web site under core competencies www.gvsu.edu/pas.
All students in the program are expected to comply with the ethical principles that embody the practice of medicine and the physician assistant profession. A complete copy of the PA profession's code of ethics is available from the program and may also be viewed on the program Web site under PA profession, www.gvsu.edu/pas.
Criminal background checks and/or Drug Screens are required prior to admission into the PA Studies program. After enrollment, certain clinical placements during the second phase of the program, or state licensing requirements after graduation now require Criminal Background Checks and Drug Screens. Positive findings for either the Criminal Background Check and/or Drug Screen may negatively impact the educational process at GVSU or future licensure as a Physician Assistant. The costs of these evaluations or any other required clinical placement evaluations are the responsibility of the applicant or student.