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Information
	This Physician Assistant Programs Directory will be helpful to anyone seeking information on physician assistant educational programs across the country. These programs are the member programs of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA). All member programs are asked to submit information annually for publication in the directory, making it the most up-to-date resource of its kind. There is no other single, comprehensive source for this information. As you look through the directory, it will become evident that PA programs have developed in a wide range of institutional settings — medical schools, four-year colleges and universities, hospitals, and community colleges. However, all accredited programs, regardless of setting, must meet and comply with the same set of Standards developed and administered by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). All programs included in the PA Programs Directory are accredited by the ARC-PA and maintain compliance with the Standards. Programs are arranged in the directory by state. Each program’s entry provides information on a consistent set of categories to assist prospective students in locating features of interest and comparing them across programs. PA programs are distinct from each other and specifically organized to fulfill their unique missions. This allows for many entry points into the profession. For example, some programs focus on training individuals with extensive medical backgrounds, while others will accept students with no medical experience. Each program has designed its curriculum to prepare students to become effective members of the health care delivery team. A program’s location may also have some influence on its curriculum and training sites. Some programs, particularly those located in rural areas, focus on underserved populations; others in more urban areas host rotations in emergency care settings. The PA programs emphasize primary care in the curriculum, and some offer tracks in specialty practices. A few programs allow students to complete the PA curriculum either on a part-time basis or over a longer time frame. Each program’s directory entry includes the credentials offered by that program. The programs can award a certificate of completion, the associate, baccalaureate, and master’s degrees, or a combination of these. All graduates from accredited programs are eligible to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certification Examination (PANCE), administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Most states require successful completion of this examination as a requirement for licensure. For information not included in the online Physician Assistant Programs Directory, applicants are encouraged to contact the individual programs. Best wishes in your endeavors, Anita Duhl Glicken, MSW, President Physician Assistant Education Association
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