Monmouth University announces the launch of its Master of Science in Physician Assistant program (MSPA). The program was recently granted Accreditation-Provisional status by Accreditation Review Commission on the Education of the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). Monmouth University’s PA program is the first PA program available in New Jersey’s Monmouth, Ocean, and coastal counties.
“Demographics on aging indicate that we need to do as much as possible to meet our nation’s future healthcare needs,” said President Paul R. Brown. “The PA program is a great addition to our allied health offerings and will help meet the growing demand for primary care providers in the region.”
Applications are currently being accepted for the inaugural class starting Fall 2014. Forbes magazine recently ranked the physician assistant profession as “#1 best master’s degree for 2013.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 30% growth of the PA profession in the next decade.
A physician assistant (PA) is a medical professional who works as part of a healthcare delivery team with a doctor. A PA is a graduate of an accredited PA educational program and is eligible to take the national certifying exam and become state-licensed to practice medicine with the supervision of a physician.
Monmouth University’s PA program is a three-year, full-time, graduate-level program whose mission is to educate physician assistants to provide compassionate, patient-centered, quality healthcare in a variety of settings. Program graduates will possess clinical skills to serve a diverse patient population and have the ability to advance the profession through leadership and research.
All PA classes will be held in MU’s Health Sciences Center, located in Monmouth Park Corporate Center on Route 36 in West Long Branch, NJ—less than two miles from the main Monmouth campus. Monmouth University is located on the central New Jersey coast, allowing PA students opportunities to train at various clinical sites in Monmouth, Ocean, and Atlantic counties. This is an area rich with many renowned hospitals and medical facilities, including Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, CentraState Medical Center in Freehold, and AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City and Galloway.
The MSPA’s Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status given to new programs. The status indicates that the plans and resource allocation for the proposed program appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards, if fully implemented as planned. Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class.
For more information, visit www.monmouth.edu/school-of-nursing-health/ms-in-physician-assistant.aspx