Physician Assistant FAQs
How long has Arcadia University had a Physician Assistant Program?
Arcadia University admitted its first PA Class in May of 1996.
Where is Arcadia University located?
Arcadia University is located on a beautiful 71-acre campus in Glenside, PA—just 25 minutes from Center City Philadelphia.
What is the history of the University?
Arcadia University (formerly known as Beaver College), founded in 1853, was originally located in Beaver, Pennsylvania. The College began offering health science programs in 1970 when the Physical Therapy Program at the University of Pennsylvania moved to the current Glenside campus. The State of Pennsylvania formally granted university status to Arcadia to reflect the large percentage of graduate studies.
How are the clinical courses taught in the PA program?
The Arcadia University PA Program utilizes the specialist model in teaching the clinical medicine courses. This means that over 40-physician specialists teach the clinical medicine components of the Program, including medicine, surgery, orthopedics, pediatrics, gynecology, obstetrics, psychiatry, dermatology, ophthalmology and emergency medicine. These courses are taught using lectures, Problem-Based Learning and case studies. Clinical experiences begin in the very first semester of the Program and by the second semester, students spend one day per week on a clinical site. In the third semester of the first year, students take a course called Clinical Decision Making, where they present cases in which they integrate their training in the basic and clinical sciences.
How do students handle the large volume of material covered in the first year?
The Program provides note service for all of the clinical medicine courses. We record the lectures and provide typed notes (electronically) to all PA students within a few days of the lecture.
What labs and hands-on experience are available in the Arcadia University PA Program?
In addition to the clinical experiences, which start in the first semester, there are numerous laboratory experiences in the first year. The two courses in Physical Diagnosis have weekly history and physical examination labs that include live models for pelvis and breast exams. The Emergency Medicine course includes suture lab, casting and splinting lab, CPR, phlebotomy lab, airway management and vascular access labs and the American Heart Association Advanced Cardiac Life Support Course. Additionally, we utilize the Simm-Man Patient Simulator to simulate real medical conditions and diseases to further prepare our students.
How do students attend the National PA conference?
Students make the transition into the clinical phase of the program by attending the National PA Conference. The conference is hosted each year in a diversity of places such as Anaheim, Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Antonio, and San Diego to name a few. Arcadia students attend the conference at no additional expense. The transitional phase also includes an intensive course in Medical Spanish.
How does the PA Program incorporate computers and technology into the curriculum?
The University recently completed construction of a new state-of-the-art Health Science Center which houses the PA Program. The new facility has multimedia classrooms, labs, and a PA Resource Center equipped with the latest technology.
Starting with the class that entered in May 2003, all students entering the PA Program are provided with a laptop computer. The laptops connect to the University network and the Internet through a high-speed wireless system. PA students will use laptops to view clinical scenarios in small group problem-based learning sessions, for real-time interactive testing, to access the online medical library and to review clinical case studies with the medical director. Students receive a Dell laptop that includes a CD burner, a wireless network card, Microsoft Office and other special software including a 1.0 GB flash drive. The Office of Information Technology provides any necessary support and service. Students who are lacking in computer skills have the opportunity for training when they enter the PA Program. When a student completes the Program, the laptop computer is theirs to keep.
Students on their clinical rotations are provided with MD Consult, which is an online medical library providing access to medical textbooks and full text medical journals. Students can access MD Consult from their rotation sites anywhere in the world. As mentioned, students can utilize Simm-Man, a computerized patient simulator along to manage realistic patient cases. Furthermore, students have access to Blackboard, which is the web-based platform used by the University. This site includes such tools as online access to syllabi, handouts, course announcements and grades.
Where do students do their clinical rotations?
The second year of the PA Program consists of 48 weeks of clinical rotations. The Program currently has over 150 affiliations with hospitals, clinics and physician office practices to provide clinical training for all of the required and elective rotations. Almost all of these sites are within commuting distance from Arcadia University. With the approval of the Clinical Coordinator, students may do a portion of their clinical training at non-affiliated sites either locally or outside of the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area. Click here for more information.
Can students do part of their clinical training at an international site?
Yes, students in prior classes trained in Bolivia, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Germany, Guatemala, India, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Senegal, Sweden, The Gambia, Togo, Uganda, the United Kingdom and Zambia. Arcadia University has a long tradition of international study. The Arcadia University College of Global Studies is one of the largest in the country. Fifteen scholarships are awarded each year to help defray the cost of international travel. Click here for more information.
How well do Arcadia University PA graduates perform?
Our total attrition rate of 2.9% compares very well to the national rate of 6.2%. Our graduates continue their fine work as students with even finer performances on the national board examinations. Our total pass rate for all of our graduates of 99.8% attests to the high-caliber of our students and graduates. Click here for more information.
What can I do if I am missing prerequisites or if my coursework is too old?
Admission into the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program at Arcadia University is highly selective. We realize there are many qualified applicants that may be missing some prerequisites, or need to re-take coursework completed sometime in the past. To address the needs of these applicants, Arcadia University recently initiated a Post-Baccalaureate Pre-PA Certificate Program. This Program offers qualified applicants who already posses a bachelors' degree, but do not have all of the prerequisites for entry into the PA Program, an avenue to do so. Applicants interested in exploring this option should contact the Office of Enrollment Management at 215-572-2910, or toll-free at 1-877-ARCADIA (1-877-272-2342).
Do you participate in the Central Application Service for PAs (CASPA)?
Yes. Potential students may link to CASPA here: CASPA
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