Two-Year Full Time - MPAS Degree

Program Snapshot

The UW-Madison Physician Assistant (PA) Program is a nationally respected professional program at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH).

We are committed to recruiting students from rural, urban, and underserved communities, and training them for future primary care practice in those communities.

• Two-year, full-time program: 12 months of didactic study plus 12 months of community-based clinical instruction.
• Located in a state-of-the-art facility that offers advanced educational technology.
• Integral part of a thriving family medicine department, school of medicine and public health, and university campus.
• Graduates earn a Master of Physician Assistant Studies(MPAS) degree.

Prerequisites

Courses must be equivalent to those offered at UW-Madison. All prerequisite courses must be completed successfully with a grade of C or better by the end of the fall semester prior to planned matriculation.

• Anatomy and Physiology: 1 sem of human anatomy AND 1 sem of human physiology; OR a 2 sem sequence of combined human anatomy & physiology which must be at the 200 (sophomore) level or above. Human Physiology must be taken within 5 years of matriculation. See our policy if the 5 year limit is exceeded.
• Biomolecular Chemistry or Human Biochemistry or equivalent mammalian biochemistry at an intermediate level
• Zoology or Mammalian Biology w/ lab
• Microbiology: General Microbiology lecture w/ a lab
• Psychology: A minimum of one semester of general, introductory, developmental or abnormal psychology.
• Statistics: 1 semester basic level statistics
• No GRE or standardized testing required
• 3.00 GPA from an accredited baccalaureate program required.

Eligibility

We accept 30 students each year for the PA Program. Successful candidates are strong in the following admissions criteria:

• Academic performance. Show ability to complete rigorous academic work.
• Health care experience. Understand the PA profession, the health care environment, and one's own aptitude for the PA profession.
• Service. Demonstrate a commitment to community service, volunteerism, and extracurricular activities.
• References. Show evidence of potential success in the PA program and profession.
• Interviews. Demonstrate strong interpersonal and oral communication skills.

Consideration is given to students representing or interested in serving a medically underserved population.

Curriculum Structure

• Two-year, full-time program held during summer, fall, and spring semesters.
• First 12 months consists of didactic classroom instruction, plus some clinical experiences.
• Final 12 months consists of five full-time, community-based clinical preceptorships (includes experience in a medically underserved or culturally diverse area).

Proven Strengths and Successes

• Our well-organized program is supported by state-of-the-art technology, committed faculty and staff, and engaged students.
• Our dynamic primary care-oriented curriculum emphasizes population/public health, evidencebased medicine, genetics, family medicine, cultural competency, rural health, and clinical research methods and design.
• Relationships with the SMPH’s numerous community health initiatives further prepare our students for primary care practice in rural, urban, and underserved communities.

We invite you to apply or contact us to schedule a student advising session.