The Physician Assistant Department offers a 2-year MS degree in Physician Assistant Studies to qualified applicants who hold a previously conferred bachelor's degree. All students admitted to the program are expected to complete the curriculum through full-time studies at D’Youville. Students who successfully complete all curriculum requirements will be awarded a M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies, and will be eligible to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE), developed and administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

The physician assistant program has been approved and registered by the New York State Education Department, and is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA).

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the D'Youville University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by D'Youville University. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards. 

Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be September 2029. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at https://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-dyouville-college/. 

The curriculum is comprised of didactic coursework as well as clinical education through clinical rotations.  The didactic phase consists of coursework in advanced anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, clinical medicine, pharmacology, physical diagnosis, clinical laboratory medicine, behavioral medicine, and preventive medicine. The curriculum also allows students to develop interpersonal, communication, and critical-thinking skills, which are essential to facilitate effective and empathetic relationships with patients, and effective collaboration with other health care professionals. While on clinical rotations,  the curriculum allows the student to apply and refine their critical thinking and clinical skills while working under the guidance and supervision of clinical preceptors. During the clinical phase, students will complete seven mandatory clinical rotations in the specialties of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, Women's Health, Psychiatry, and Emergency Medicine. Students will also complete two elective clinical rotations in the specialty of their choosing. Students also complete a research project during this phase.

Year 1: Didactic Phase Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
BIO-607	Pathophysiology	3
BIO-639	Human Gross Anatomy	6
BIO-639L	Human Gross Anatomy Lab	0
PA-506	Clinical Laboratory Medicine I	1
PA-507	Clinical Laboratory Medicine II	2
PA-508	Clinical Laboratory Medicine III	2
PA-510	Behavioral Medicine	2
PA-516	Clinical Medicine I	4
PA-517	Clinical Medicine II	4
PA-518	Physical Diagnosis I	3
PA-518L	Physical Diagnosis I Lab	2
PA-519	Physical Diagnosis II	3
PA-519L	Physical Diagnosis II Lab	2
PA-520	Pre-Pharmacology for PA	1
PA-521	Pharmacology I	3
PA-522	Pharmacology II	3
PA-523	Clinical Skills I	2
PA-524	Clinical Skills II	2
PA-525	Genetics for Physician Assistants	1
PA-526	Clinical Assessment and Planning I	1
PA-527	Clinical Assessment and Planning II	1
Total Credits		48

Year 2: Clinical Phase Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
PA-500	Professional Issues	1
PA-504	Graduate Seminar	1
PA-513	Senior Seminar Clinical Enrichment One credit course, taken every semester in clinical phase, for a total of 3 credits	3
PA-528	Clinical Assessment and Planning III	2
PA-529	Clinical Assessment and Planning IV	2
PA-603	Applied Research Methods	3
PA-604	Applied Project Seminar I	3
PA-605	Applied Project Seminar II	3
PA-606	Medical Epidemiology	3
PA-610	Summative Review	2
PA-611	Internal Medicine	3
PA-612	Family Medicine	3
PA-613	General Surgery	3
PA-614	General Pediatrics	3
PA-615	Obstetrics and Gynecology	3
PA-616	Psychiatry	3
PA-617	Emergency Medicine	3
PA-618	Elective Clinical Rotation I	3
PA-619	Elective Clinical Rotation II	3
Total Credits		50

Student Responsibilities

The physician assistant program is demanding in coursework, time commitment, and financial obligations. Students enrolled in the MS PA Program must complete two summer sessions in addition to four regular full-time semesters, for a total of 98 credit hours.  The program is composed of two phases--didactic and clinical--which extend across two years. Each phase of the program is considered a prerequisite to the next phase and must be satisfactorily completed prior to advancement. Advanced placement is not offered.  

Academic Standing and Student Progress

In addition to general university policies and regulations, which apply to all students, additional academic regulations of the Physician Assistant Department include the following:

1. Physician assistant students must complete all required coursework and meet minimum academic standards.
2. Students must demonstrate the ability to meet all required technical standards.
3. Clinical rotations may require additional expenses for travel-related costs and room and board, which are the sole responsibility of the student. Extended daily travel distances may be required. Student housing is not provided and is the responsibility of the student.
4. It is required that each student have a valid driver’s license and their own vehicle. 
5. Due to the time commitment of the program, particularly in the professional phase of the curriculum, outside employment is strongly discouraged.
6. Each phase of the program is considered a prerequisite to the next phase and must be satisfactorily completed prior to advancement. Each semester is considered a prerequisite to the next and must be satisfactorily completed prior to advancement.
7. Students enrolled in the PA department are expected to demonstrate high standards of personal behavior and professional conduct in all academic and clinical environments.
   1. Dishonesty in any form, whether academic or professional, will not be tolerated. Instances of academic dishonesty will result in immediate dismissal from the program.
   2. Professional misconduct may result in probation and/or dismissal from the program depending on the student's academic history and individual circumstances of the offense.
   3. Unprofessional behavior in the clinical setting will result in failure of the clinical rotation regardless of course mastery and may result in dismissal from the department.
8. PA students are not permitted to work for the program. Students may not substitute for or function as instructional faculty, regardless of prior training or qualifications.
9. Students must possess current certification in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), child abuse recognition certification, HIPAA training, and New York State in-servicing on bloodborne pathogens prior to matriculation into the clinical phase of the program.
10. All students in the program will be required to have professional liability insurance as specified by the program.
11. Students must have current evidence of all required vaccinations/immunizations and annual history and physical examinations in compliance with CDC recommendations for health care professionals.
12. Students are required to pass the Clinical Rotation Readiness Assessment prior to registering for clinical rotations.

Academic Standing 

Failure to meet minimum academic and professional standards may result in negative consequences, including assignment of remediation activities and/or additional assessments, placement on probationary status, deceleration to the next graduating class, repeating failed course(s) and/or coursework, and/or dismissal from the program. Despite meeting minimum academic standards, permission to progress into the clinical phase may be denied on the basis of demonstrated weakness or inability to meet the program's academic, technical, and/or professional standards. Students may be required to appear before the PA Programs Student Progress Committee to discuss their academic status and identify contributing, mitigating, or extenuating circumstances that led to the academic performance issue.

Good Standing

To remain in good academic standing, all PA students must meet the following minimum academic requirements:

1. Minimum B- (80%) or better in all coursework.
2. Minimum 3.0 semester, science, and cumulative GPA.
3. Successful completion of all competency exams (technical assessments, OSCE exams, comprehensive exams, summative assessments, etc.).
4. Successful completion of student research project during the clinical phase of the curriculum.

Remediation

Students who fail to meet minimum academic standards, or are otherwise unable to demonstrate proficiency in program assessments, competencies, or technical standards may be assigned additional educational enrichment activities. Successful completion of these activities is required for continued progression in the program. Students must pass any assigned remediation activities on the first attempt. Failure to successfully complete remediation may result in negative consequences, outlined below.

Academic Probation

The following conditions may result in placement on probationary status,as determined by the PA Departments Student Progress Committee, regardless of prior academic standing:

1. Failure to maintain minimum grade of B- (80%) in all coursework, 3.00 overall semester GPA, 3.00 cumulative science GPA, and 3.00 cumulative overall GPA.
2. Course failure.
3. Professionalism standard violations.
4. Academic misconduct.
5. The following additional criteria apply to all PA courses in the curriculum:
   1. Failure of more than 3 exams in any single semester.
   2. Failure of more than 4 exams cumulatively over the course of the program.
   3. Failure of a clinical rotation.
   4. Failure of a clinical phase OSCE examination.
   5. Failure of a course final examination.
   6. Failure of an assigned remediation activity.

Placement on probationary status is permanent for the remainder of the program. 

Leave of Absence and Deceleration

Students may request a leave of absence for one or two consecutive semesters.  Any leave of absence for one or two consecutive semesters will result in deceleration in the PA program.  Students who need an additional one or two consecutive semesters of leave must receive approval from the departmental Student Progress Committee.

At the discretion of the Student Progress Committee, a student may be permitted to decelerate and repeat certain courses on a case-by-case basis. This determination may not be requested or initiated by the student. Any department-required course may be repeated only once, per university policy, and at the discretion of the departmental Student Progress Committee. Students who must repeat a professional phase course will be required demonstrate proficiency prior to progressing.

Any student decelerated by the PA Department’s Student Progress Committee will be decelerated into the next graduating class with seat availability. Please note this could require a student to decelerate into a graduating class greater than one year from the students initially planned graduation date.

Dismissal

At the discretion of the departmental Student Progress Committee, the following events may result in immediate dismissal from the program on a first offense:

1. Failure to meet the conditions of probation.
2. Failure to meet academic standards while on probation.
3. A second failure of the same course.
4. Clinical rotation failures.
5. Academic dishonesty or misconduct in any form.
6. Violation of departmental professionalism standards.
7. Failure of two courses in the same semester.

Timeline for Program Completion

Students must complete the degree program within 2 years of starting the Clinical Phase of the curriculum.

Eligibility for Re-Entry

Students who are dismissed from the PA program for any reason will be ineligible for reapplication/re-entry.

Appeals

To appeal an adverse decision rendered by the Physician Assistant Department, students must follow the School of Health Professions appeal procedures. In addition to the procedures outlined in the School of Health Professions appeal procedures, the following policies also apply:

1. Students who plan to appeal a dismissal decision are expected to continue attending all courses and clinical rotations during all stages of the appeals process, unless expressly told otherwise by the PA Department Chair, appeal officer, or other DYU academic official. Existing course policies on attendance, participation, assignments, and/or assessments (including but not limited to OSCEs, exams, and quizzes) will remain in full effect throughout the appeal process.
2. The PA Department does not permit an informal resolution process at the Student Progress Committee level, or Department Chair level of review.

Admissions Criteria

Admission to the Physician Assistant program is offered to a select group of students who meet the criteria outlined below. Applications and all required documents must be submitted and verified by CASPA by October 1st. Please be aware that verification of applications can take up to 4 weeks. 

Master's only applicants admission requirements:

• An earned baccalaureate degree or higher from a regionally accredited college or university
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 grading scale
• A minimum science GPA of a 3.0 on a 4.0 grading scale
• Earned grade of B- or better in the following required subjects: 
  • Human Anatomy & Physiology (I & II) including laboratory – 8 semester hours
  • General or Developmental Psychology – 3 semester hours
  • General Inorganic Chemistry (I & II) including laboratory - 8 semester hours
  • Organic Chemistry including laboratory - 3 semester hours
  • Microbiology including laboratory - 3 semester hours
  • Statistics – 3 semester hours
  • English (including 3 semester hours of English Composition) – 6 semester hours
• Three letters of recommendation
• Compliance with technical standards of the profession as noted in the application

*Required science courses can only be transferred in for direct credit to the program if they are less than six years old at the time of acceptance into the program

**Introductory and survey courses are not accepted to fulfill the required science prerequisites

Application Process

Acceptance into the DYU PA Program is highly competitive. Following review of the application materials, select applicants are invited for an interview ny the PA Department faculty. Not all applicants satisfying minimum admission requirements will be offered an interview. Applications that are incomplete or do not meet the minimum requirements will not be reviewed. All students are accepted on a space-available, first come first served basis, so candidates are encouraged to apply early in the application cycle. An offer of acceptance does not guarantee seat placement without submission of a tuition deposit. Cohort assignment is determined by the students' projected graduation year. 

The maximum size limit is 55 students per cohort as per accreditation rules and regulations.