Department of Physician Assistant Studies

Overview

Award-winning and internationally recognized faculty and staff prepare you to become a highly qualified physician assistant ready to serve as a future leader in the delivery of health care, patient education and professional service. Pitt’s Department of Physician Assistant Studies is deeply committed to graduating a workforce of diverse and inclusive certified PAs to serve our communities here in our city, across the nation and around the world.

By instilling a lifelong desire for continued learning and scholarly productivity, our alumni contribute to advances and advocacy in the profession long after graduation. Together, our faculty, staff, students and alumni help shape PA professional research that informs the science, delivery and administration of health care reaching patients everywhere.

Programs

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Physician Assistant Studies (MS)

On-campus

Duration:

2 years
(6 terms, including 2 summer terms)

Program Start:

Spring term (January)

Application Closes: July 31, 2025

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Physician Assistant Studies Hybrid (MS)

Hybrid

Duration:

2 years
(6 terms, including 2 summer terms)

Program Start:

Spring term (January)

Application Closes: July 31, 2025

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Physician Assistant Studies, Post-Professional (DMSc)

Online

Duration:

1 year
(3 terms, including 1 summer term)

Flexible plans of study are available.

Program Start:

Spring start (January)
Summer start (May)
Fall start (August)

Application Closes: Spring 2026: December 15, 2025 Summer 2026: April 15, 2026 Fall 2026: August 1, 2026

Research

Our students, faculty and staff carry out our mission by contributing and coordinating research about the PA profession and the science, delivery and administration of health care.

Some examples of our recent and ongoing research and scholarly activity efforts include (click to view):

People

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Katelyn Adler

Assistant Professor

 kaa385@pitt.edu
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Mary Allias

Director of the Doctor of Medical Science Program, Associate Professor

 mary.allias@pitt.edu
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Alexandrea Bartow

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 alb618@pitt.edu
Erika Basset

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 stoutea@upmc.edu
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Chelsea Batko

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 clb242@pitt.edu
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Allyson Batley

Clinical Placement Specialist

 alb982@pitt.edu
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David C. Beck

Interim Dean, Professor

 dbeck@pitt.edu
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Isaac Beckler

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 isb121@pitt.edu
Erin Bilecki

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 erk82@pitt.edu
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Linda Bizzak

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 lbizzak@pitt.edu
Carolyn Bland

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 cab367@pitt.edu
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Melinda Blazar

Director of Clinical Year for the Physician Assistant Studies Hybrid Program, Professor

 meb584@pitt.edu
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Charlie Borowicz

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 ceb253@pitt.edu
Natalie Brahm

Assistant Professor

 nab307@pitt.edu
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Aileen Brasacchio

Department Administrator for the Department of Physician Assistant Studies

 amb001@pitt.edu
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Jeffrey Bright

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 jmb437@pitt.edu
Amy Brown

Director of Admissions for the Physician Assistant Studies Hybrid Program, Assistant Professor

 amb520@pitt.edu
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Joshua Butler

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 jnb92@pitt.edu
Raymond Carlson

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 rjc136@pitt.edu
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Wei-Neng Chuang

Assistant Professor, Director of the SHRS Anatomy Laboratory

 wec12@pitt.edu
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Matthew Cole

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 mcc121@pitt.edu
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Jeffrey Cooper

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 jcc193@pitt.edu
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Danielle Corson

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 dmw96@pitt.edu
Allyson Danley

Program Administrator for the Doctor of Medical Science Program

 ald363@pitt.edu
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Christina Davis

Chair for the Department, Assistant Professor

 cmd180@pitt.edu
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Angela Dively

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 amd265@pitt.edu
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Julia Dubis

Director of Simulation, Assistant Professor

 jmd239@pitt.edu
Adam Dulak

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 aed56@pitt.edu
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Amanda Efinger

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 aae40@pitt.edu
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Karman Ellerhorst

Program Administrator for the Physician Assistant Studies Program

 kre25@pitt.edu
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Rosa Fannie

Director of Clinical Education, Associate Director for the Physician Assistant Studies (MS) Program and Assistant Professor

 raf80@pitt.edu
Deborah Farkas

Program Administrator for the Physician Assistant Studies Hybrid Program

 farkasdr@pitt.edu
Anthony Firetto

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 amf210@pitt.edu
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Ashley Firm

Director of Student and Alumni Engagement, Director of Student Affairs for the Physician Assistant Studies Hybrid Program and Associate Professor

 alf158@pitt.edu
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Andrew Foster

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 aef53@pitt.edu
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Lauren Fusaro

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 lnf21@pitt.edu
Melissa Galvin

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 mag373@pitt.edu
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Tonya C. George

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 tcg26@pitt.edu
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Curvin Gordon

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 clg152@pitt.edu
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Susan Graff

Director of the Physician Assistant Studies Program, Director of Medical Technology Education and Assistant Professor

 sgg16@pitt.edu
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L. Carlos Gutiérrez

Vice Chair for Student Success in the Department, Associate Professor

 lcg32@pitt.edu
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Amy L. Haller

Vice Chair for Professional Development and Continuing Education, Associate Professor

 alh272@pitt.edu
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Jamie Hammond

Assistant Professor

 jlh300@pitt.edu
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Karthik Hariharan

Director of Anatomy, Director of Mentoring for the Physician Assistant Studies Hybrid Program and Assistant Professor

 kvh4@pitt.edu
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Megan Heron

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 mmh200@pitt.edu
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Christopher Holland

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 cph23@pitt.edu
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Farrah Holmes-Chatman

Director of Residential Admissions, Assistant Professor

 fnh8@pitt.edu
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Alyssa Holtz

Clinical Education Administrator

 ach121@pitt.edu
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Martin Johns

Medical Director of the Physician Assistant Studies Program, Adjunct Assistant Professor

 johnsmg@upmc.edu
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Samantha Kerin

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 slk103@pitt.edu
Laurel Kerr

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 lsk34@pitt.edu
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Deborah Kortyna

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 dek101@pitt.edu
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Alexa Llewellyn

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 aml331@pitt.edu
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Hoa Luong

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 hol54@pitt.edu
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Maura Lyle

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 mcl114@pitt.edu
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Laura Lynch

Assistant Professor

 lml114@pitt.edu
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Alyssa Mathews

Assistant Professor

 akm93@pitt.edu
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Joan Mavrinac

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 jmm504@pitt.edu
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Tara McSwigan

Director of Pre-Admissions for the Physician Assistant Studies Hybrid Program, Assistant Professor

 tmm142@pitt.edu
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Danielle Meholic

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 pittpa@shrs.pitt.edu
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Nathan Miracle

Associate Program Director of the Physician Assistant Studies Hybrid Program, Director of Curriculum and Associate Professor

 nam318@pitt.edu
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Elaine Molinengo

Clinical Admin Support

 emm662@pitt.edu
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Hayden Mulligan

Assistant Professor

 fhm4@pitt.edu
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Emily Murphy

Associate Director of the Doctor of Medical Science Program, Assistant Professor

 emurphy@pitt.edu
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Dipu Patel

Vice Chair for Innovation, Professor

 dip59@pitt.edu
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Deborah Patterson

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 dbp14@pitt.edu
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Paul Phrampus

Medical Director of the Physician Assistant Studies Hybrid Program, Professor

 phrampuspe@upmc.edu
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Michael Pippi

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 map240@pitt.edu
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Eric Pippi

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 ejp59@pitt.edu
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Aimee Pirollo

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 alp267@pitt.edu
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Rachel Poerschke

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 rep88@pitt.edu
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Olivia Rangel

Admissions Administrator

 oer9@pitt.edu
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Kathryn Reed

Vice Chair for Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement, Assistant Professor

 kjr34@pitt.edu
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Benjamin Reynolds

Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery

 pittpa@shrs.pitt.edu
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Christine Rodgers

Director of the Physician Assistant Studies Hybrid Program, Assistant Professor

 cer51@pitt.edu
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Celeste Rovito

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 cer70@pitt.edu
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Karlyn Rupert

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 klr91@pitt.edu
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Emily Schaeffer

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 eeb68@pitt.edu
Shannon Schreckengost

Admissions Manager

 sas546@pitt.edu
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Daniel Tolomeo

Director of Student Assessment and Remediation for the Physician Assistant Studies Hybrid Program, Assistant Professor

 dvt11@pitt.edu
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Sarah Turek

Adjunct Assistant Professor

 smt118@pitt.edu
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Margaret Wagner

Academic Administrator

 wagnerm@pitt.edu
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Nicole Wiles

Clinical Placement Specialist

 niw112@pitt.edu
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Antoinette Wilson

Director of Curriculum for Physician Assistant Studies, Assistant Professor

 amw280@pitt.edu

Student Groups

SHRS Affinity Groups
Hybrid Physician Assistant Student Society
SHRS Student Advisory Board
Pre-Physician Assistant Association
Physician Assistant Student Society
Pitt Physician Assistant Students Promoting Diversity and Inclusion
Interprofessional Studies Student Group