Investing in a good education means investing in your future. This is true for any graduate area of study, including physician assistant graduate programs.
The better your education is, the better the physician assistant job opportunities will be, and in turn, the better the physician assistant's salary will be. If you’re hoping to become a physician assistant, then make sure you get the best possible education you can. If you’re looking for the top-ranked national physician assistant programs, look no further. Read on to learn about the top five physician assistant programs.
1. Duke University
Duke University boasts being “the birthplace” of the physician assistant profession. As the first program to educate physician assistants, Duke is consistently ranked as the top program if you want to be a physician assistant certified in the field. Their students have some of the highest test scores on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE), and they also maintain a 95% employment rate for their physician assistant graduates.
2. University of Iowa
The physician assistant program at the University of Iowa is unique because it allows physician assistant students to be integrated with medical students throughout their coursework. This type of program is unique to Iowa. Because of the integration, University of Iowa students learn to work well with physicians as supervisors throughout their career.
3. University of Utah
If you want to focus on service to the community within your physician assistant career, you may want to consider the University of Utah. Utah’s physician assistant program makes its mission to educate students within a service-learning setting. Diversity, evidence-based caring, and cultural sensitivity are at the root of Utah’s physician assistant program, which ultimately encourages students to have a patient-focused mindset.
4. Emory University
Emory University, like other programs, focuses on working within a team and stresses the need for evidence-based practices in the medical field. One unique opportunity for Emory prospective students is the dual MMSc-PA and MPH degree for physician assistants interested in public health. This program allows students to earn two degrees and work as a physician assistant with a focus on global health issues.
5. George Washington University
Located in Washington D.C., the physician assistant program at GW allows students to complete coursework with medical students as well as other health sciences students in the center of the nation’s capital. GW focuses on building leaders, so their physician assistants are encouraged to participate in professional development and service activities throughout the program.
