Best Online Physician Assistant Programs
America is facing a burgeoning elderly population which has caused a significant shortage of doctors.
Besides, the advanced trends in healthcare in the US have started making physician assistants an extremely important aspect of the country’s primary healthcare industry.
Physician Assistants (PAs) are trained professionals in the current US healthcare system.
Although PAs are not considered full-fledged doctors because they only need a master’s degree, they are also trained and certified to perform many of the tasks which doctors perform, such as:
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- Diagnosing injuries and illnesses
- Prescribing medication
- Developing and implementing treatment plans
- Counseling patients regarding care and treatment options
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- Pre- and post-surgical care
Online physician assistant programs offer physician assistants to become more valuable in the healthcare system without having to invest a significant amount of time and money to acquire a medical degree and the corresponding residency program.
Why should you choose an Online Physician Assistant Program?
Earning a graduate degree is quite remarkable.
However, before embarking on such a journey, you will need to consider the time involved, cost of term, job prospects and the return on investment as well as whether the career choice suits your lifestyle.
Why should you choose an Online Physician Assistant Program?
Here are the top reasons for physician assistants to choose online programs:
High demand
Physician Assistants are in great demand. According to a 2018 NCCPA study, the number of PAs grew by an astonishing 54% between 2010 and 2017.
The study highlighted that the number of PAs per 100,000 people grew by as much as 25%. The Bureau of Labor Statistics terms this intense growth in the number of PAs as “much faster than average”.
High Salary
The 2019 median pay for PAs was US$ 112,260 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Salaries differ based on the workplace, yet the lowest recorded salary was around US$ 72,720 per year while the highest earners took home around US$ 110,670 per year.
Flexibility
Online physician assistant programs offer students significant flexibility to complete their degrees.
When you can complete almost the entire program with online classes, you are free to do your coursework and attend training at your comfortable pace.
Best Online Physician Assistant Programs
Now that you know the importance and benefits of these courses, let’s take a look at the top online physician assistant programs available in 2021:
1 – Doctor of Science in Physician-Assistant Studies (Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences)
The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences offers the Doctor of Science in Physician-Assistant Studies (DScPAS) program.
This is a doctoral-level degree that trains you to be efficient at advanced healthcare trends and techniques.
This degree will help you gain the knowledge and experience which is required in a growing, competitive field.
This course trains PAs to collaborate effectively with other healthcare practitioners and healthcare providers.
For additional information on eligibility criteria and the admission process to the online physician assistant program, please visit the official website at: https://www.mcphs.edu/academics/school-of-physician-assistant-studies/.
2 – MPAS for already-certified PAs (Pace University)
Pace University offers the Physician Assistant Master’s Degree Completion Program. This completion program lets aspiring Physician Assistants complete their Master of Science degree (MSPA).
This Master’s Physician Assistant Completion Program is to provide additional professional skills to prepare clinically practicing PAs for handling responsibilities in research, administration and academia.
This program is certified by the New York State Education Board.
All of the courses are taught online and the program lets you enhance your professional experience and achieve the degree in a convenient schedule.
Students will benefit greatly from diverse courses, such as health promotion, epidemiology, research methods, evidence-based medicine and leadership.
For more information on eligibility criteria and the admission process, feel free to visit the official website at: https://chp.pace.edu//physician-assistant-masters-degree-completion-program.
3 – Physician Assistant Program (Stony Brook School of Health Technology and Management)
The Physician Assistant Program provided by the Stony Brook School of Health Technology and Management is an excellent first step to learning more about the school’s advanced graduate-level entry and post-professional programs.
Stony Brook University’s Physician Assistant Post-Professional Master’s Program is designed so that PAs get the best opportunity to enhance their academic credentials and meet new challenges in their practice.
This post-professional program is excellent to improve the depth of a student’s medical knowledge and skills even better than the entry-level PA programs.
This course is designed to help prepare graduates for career advancement and to become leaders in management, administration, research and education.
The advanced post-professional course help promote professional and personal development and helps improve the services they provide to their communities and patients.
Remember, this program is meant for certified PAs only. For more information on eligibility criteria and the admission process, please visit the official website at: https://healthtechnology.stonybrookmedicine.edu/programs/pa/papp/description.
4 – Physician Assistant Master’s Completion Program (Touro College School of Health Sciences)
Touro College’s School of Health Sciences offers the Physician Assistant Master’s Completion Program for graduates with a bachelor of science in physician assistant programs.
This program is aimed at graduates who wish to further their academic credentials.
The course consists of a 30-credit curriculum and can be completed in a year. The program schedule is flexible and cost-effective, which means that you can acquire your master’s degree at your convenience. Besides, the course offers extremely high-quality education through expert faculty.
The program follows a guided independent format and the curriculum is delivered through Canvas. You can study at your own pace, according to your work schedule and can contact instructors any time during business hours.
To learn more details of eligibility criteria and the admission process, feel free to visit the official website at: https://shs.touro.edu/programs/physician-assistant/pa-masters-completion/.
5 – Master in Physician Assistant Studies Bridge Program (University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley)
The University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley offers the Master in Physician Assistant Studies Bridge Program (MPAS). This course is aimed at bachelor-degree level physician assistants to acquire a Master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies.
This is a great way for physician assistants to be a part of their community while completing their academic pursuits.
This is a completely online MPAS course that offers incredible assistance in the form of online learning, telephone conferencing and emailing with faculty and a vast online library resource.
This is an excellent way for physician assistants to earn an MPAS which helps to maximize their abilities and make them an integral part of their community health infrastructure.
To learn more about this master’s degree, feel free to visit the college’s official website at: https://www.utrgv.edu/pa/graduate-programs/master-physician-assistant-studies-bridge/index.htm.
Conclusion
These are just the top five online physician assistant programs offered by the best medical schools in the US.
We highly advise you to contact the concerned department to learn the details for admission and curriculum.
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