Physician Assistant Studies (MS)

At Pitt, the Physician Assistant Studies program prepares the next generation of providers willing to push the envelope and adapt to industry changes.

From day one, faculty are invested in each of the students becoming certified physician assistants or associates. Throughout the two-year program, faculty continually assess areas of improvement for passing the exam and implement curriculum changes as needed. Student support includes tutoring for both didactic and clinical students and adaptations to different learning styles. Additionally, one-on-one dialogues and anonymous surveys offer regular points of feedback between students and faculty to ensure support is available and learn how improvements can be made.

Graduate Performance on the Physician Assistant National Certification Exam® (PANCE)

This program prepares students to sit for the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) PANCE exam.

5-YEAR PANCE Exam PERFORMANCE SUMMARY REPORT – View PDF

Student Attrition and Graduation Rates

*Attrition rate calculation: Number of students who attritted from cohort divided by the entering class.
**Graduation Rate: Number of cohort graduates divided by the entering class size.

NOTE: Entering class size is the number of students newly enrolled for the admission cycle PLUS number of students who are reentering from a different cohort. Attrition includes students who voluntarily withdraw from the program; are dismissed for academic or professionalism reasons; take a personal or medical leave of absence; or who require additional time to complete the program of study. Regarding the students who attritted from the Class of 2022 cohort, four of the five rejoined a future cohort and graduated within the University of Pittsburgh’s statute of limitations for professional programs awarding the Master of Science degree.

Program Competencies

The PAS curriculum is consistent with the following competencies/program learning outcomes, which were adapted from the Core Competencies for New Physician Assistant Graduates established by the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA). At the completion of the program, graduates have demonstrated:

• Competency 1: Diagnose, manage and prevent disease by integrating medical knowledge in the clinical care of the patient.
• Competency 2: Exhibit clinical reasoning and problem-solving to make evidence-based and patient-centered care decisions.
• Competency 3: Display adaptive interpersonal and communication skills necessary to the care of the patient and the interaction with health care professionals.
• Competency 4: Integrate clinical and technical skills into the care of the patient.
• Competency 5: Demonstrate behaviors of professionalism including integrity, accountability, collaboration and ethics as it pertains to PA practice.

A Career Path That Moves Health Care Forward

Certified physician assistants and associates are in demand, and the need for qualified care team members is expected to grow.

Job openings for physician assistants/associates are projected to grow over 30% by 2029, much faster than the average industry (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021).

Alumni

At Pitt, graduates are prepared to push the edge of what is possible in health care and drive innovation in patient care. PAS alumni have both the experience to act as qualified providers, and the confidence to lead positive change in health care. Some graduates have gone on to work in the following organizations:

• Akron General Hospital
• Allegheny Health Network
• Cleveland Clinic
• Johns Hopkins University Hospital
• Mayo Clinic
• MedExpress
• NY Presbyterian
• University of Texas Health Science Center
• UPMC
• VA Medical Center
• Vanderbilt Medical Center