Message from the Program Director

We are pleased to know of your interest in our Masters of Health Science Physician Assistant Studies Program within the School of Physician Assistant Studies at South College. We strive for educational excellence, to engage a dedicated, experienced faculty, offer excellent academic facilities, and provide a challenging didactic and clinical educational experience.

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the South College Masters of Health Science Physician Assistant Program sponsored by South College. 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remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards.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 2027. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.

While accreditation is considered a voluntary process, it is essential for practice in the United States, to be eligible to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) and for obtaining a state license.

The Mission of the Masters of Health Science Physician Assistant Studies Program is to educate highly qualified physician assistants, preparing them to become competent, compassionate, and comprehensive health care providers for clinical practice in rural and urban areas, focusing on underserved communities. Our Physician Assistant program emphasizes early “hands on” medical education during the didactic professional year. Core faculty offer a personalized approach and have many years of experience in providing health care as Physician Assistants. Adjunct faculty (local Physicians, Physician Assistants, and other mid-level providers) are committed, professional leaders in the local health care community and have a “people care” approach to health care delivery. You will benefit daily from these health care professionals who will continuously act as mentors during your didactic and clinical medical education.

The program provides a thorough foundation in health care delivery focusing on the values of compassionate, humanistic health care and includes a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to medical education at the professional graduate level. This unique program provides you with the ability to positively affect the lives of your patients, their families, your employers, and the global health care community. We expect you to become lifelong learners, preparing you for the many new challenges of caring for the entire patient, young or old, from the emergency room to the operating room, from rural areas of our country to urban regions of our rapidly growing cities, and even to remote areas of the world. You will be prepared to take an active role in caring for your patients.

We hope that you will carefully consider your future as a Physician Assistant and the medical education needed to put you on that future path. The profession is an exciting, rapidly growing one that offers the flexibility of working in any and all areas of medicine. We provide you with a broad based medical education and clinical skills that will define you as a generalist providing you with the confidence and continued ability to be a life long learner.

Don Yager DHSc, PA-C, MT(ASCP)
Program Director/Associate Dean