Three-Year Distance Education - MPAS Degree

Program Snapshot

The UW-Madison Physician Assistant (PA) Program's distance learning option allows students to stay in their home communities while completing PA education. This unique opportunity makes PA education more accessible, especially for students from rural, urban, and underserved communities. It also gives students deep clinical experience in their communities, so they may better serve them after graduation. Please review our Distance Education "Frequently Asked Questions" for more information about our Distance Education Option.

• Three-year program: two years of didactic study plus one year of community-based clinical instruction.
• 90% of education completed in home community.
• 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 up to nine students each year for the community-based learning program. Qualifications include:

• A desire and stated request to be part of this innovative opportunity;
• Strength in all areas of the traditional admissions criteria;
• Demonstrated interest in serving home community; and
• Evidence of potential for success in this new method of delivering instruction.

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

Flexible Curriculum Structure

• 3-year program held during summer, fall, and spring semesters.
• First summer spent on the UW-Madison campus.
• Next two years of didactic study completed in home community through innovative distance education
  modalities.
• Two 2-3 day periods of campus residency required during each didactic semester.
• Final 12 months consists of five full-time clinical preceptorships in or near home community (includes experience in a medically underserved or culturally diverse area).
• Sample Distance Education Curriculum.

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, evidence based medicine, genetics, family medicine, cultural
  competency, rural health, and clinical research methods and design.
• Community mentors help students stay connected, serve as professional role models, and act as supplementary educational resources.
• All community-based learning graduates have passed the NCCPA national board exam on the first attempt.
• Six of the first seven community-based learning graduates are working in or near their home communities.

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