Physician Assistant Studies (MS)

The on-campus Pitt PA Studies (MS) program prides itself on being committed to a multi-pronged approach to enhance student success throughout the program’s two-year curriculum—in both the didactic and clinical years—with resources to support all learner styles. Our faculty focuses on fostering a positive environment that supports active learning and professional competency.   

From day one, our faculty are invested in each of our students becoming certified physician assistants. Throughout the two-year program, faculty continually assess areas of improvement for passing the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) and implement curriculum changes as needed. Student support includes peer and/or adjunct faculty tutoring for both didactic and clinical students and adaptations to different learning styles. Additionally, opportunities for regular points of feedback between students and faculty to ensure support is available.    

We continuously work to prepare our students for success by:  

• Striving to understand the diverse learning styles of our students and tailoring education to meet individual needs of knowledge and skill  
• Improving student support systems, for example:  
  • Incoming didactic year students are paired with current clinical year students in a mentorship role to help the didactic year students better acclimate and ensure support in the program.  
• We have two student-led organizations for our Pitt PAS students to join to feel connected and supported:    
  • PA Students Promoting Diversity & Inclusion (PASPDI) 
  • PA Student Society (PASS)  
• Developing a comprehensive Student Success Program in collaboration with Ryan Davies (DMSc ’25 and MS ’21) as its inaugural Student Success Coordinator. Students who benefit from additional support in either the didactic or clinical years are referred to Davies and work with him to develop an individualized plan with community tutors who are all practicing PAs and most of whom are alumni of the Pitt PAS On-Campus program.
• Offering all didactic year students group tutoring on our most challenging courses run by the clinical year students to improve academic performance and strengthen community across cohorts.
• Assigning individual faculty advisors to both didactic and clinical year students  
• Didactic and clinical year students routinely meet with their assigned faculty advisor throughout both years of the program.   
• Providing ongoing support to all students through our dedicated student advisors – all of whom are principal faculty in the program.
• Availability of support community through the University of Pittsburgh Counseling Center.