South College Asheville
Physician Assistant Studies
Welcome to the South College Asheville Physician Assistant Program!
Welcome to the South College Asheville Physician Assistant Program! We are so glad that you have come to our website seeking information. We are a new physician assistant program that is located in the Biltmore Village area in the city of Asheville, NC. Our beautiful Western NC region is home to a multitude of outdoor activities, art, music, and is a haven for ‘foodies’. Please explore our website to learn more about the program.

Here are some fast facts about our program:
- We are a 27 month program with a 15 month didactic curriculum and a 12 month clinical curriculum.
- Our student cohorts start in January and graduate in March.
- Our maximum class size is 85 students per year.
- Our program requires successful completion of a total of 163 credits with 88 credits in the didactic curriculum and 75 credits in the clinical curriculum earning students a Master of Health Science in Physician Assistant Studies degree.
- Our prospective student application is managed through CASPA.
- We schedule PA Program classes based on a 4 day week with 1 additional day per week for student catch-up, information assimilation, studying for exams, project completion or special seminars.
- We are a welcoming community working to increase diversity in our profession and to create a program environment that is accepting and inclusive.
Link to our Supplemental Application: https://dynamicforms.ngwebsolutions.com/Submit/Start/487b07b4-05c0-4829-9e78-8f3548b188a3
Upcoming Information Sessions
March 29, 2023
5 to 6:00 PM EST
April 26, 2023
5 to 6:00 PM EST
May 24, 2023
5 to 6:00 PM EST
June 21, 2023
5 to 6:00 PM EST
Info Session Registration
Program Competencies of the South College Asheville Physician Assistant Program
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Medical Knowledge
- Analyze indications for screening examinations, vaccinations, and other preventive care.
- Utilize evidence-based medicine in patient care.
- Select the most appropriate pharmacologic treatment based on clinical diagnosis, accurately write a prescription, and provide the appropriate patient education to include the contraindications, adverse effects, and potential interactions.
- Formulate a health maintenance and preventive care plan that considers the impact that lifestyle and behavioral factors have on the health and well-being of patients.
- Utilize medical knowledge of acute and chronic conditions including etiology, anatomy, pathophysiology, incidence, risk factors, clinical presentation, differential diagnosis, and treatment strategies to effectively manage a patient across the life span.
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Interpersonal Skills
- Provide culturally competent, patient-centered education allowing for shared decision-making.
- Utilize empathetic communication skills to strengthen patient trust and improve outcomes.
- Communicate effectively with patients, families, caregivers, and the interdisciplinary team.
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Professional Behavior
- Collaborate as an effective member of the interprofessional healthcare team respecting professional roles and maintaining communication.
- Apply strategies for optimizing patient safety and reducing medical errors.
- Synthesize appropriate methods for the preservation of patient autonomy and patient confidentiality with consideration of the laws and policies that govern medical practice.
- Create individualized care plans to meet the needs of patients, recognizing socioeconomic and cultural factors that influence access to care.
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Clinical and Technical Skills
- Utilize patient centered interviewing skills to elicit a comprehensive and a problem-oriented history.
- Perform an accurate and patient centered physical examination relevant to the chief-complaint and recognize normal and abnormal findings.
- Formulate and deliver concise and accurate oral patient presentation to facilitate patient care.
- Provide accurate, thorough, and complete documentation of patient encounters, incorporating all necessary components, with attention to medicolegal implications.
- Perform procedural skills commonly used in clinical practice and provide the appropriate patient education.
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Clinical Reasoning and Problem-Solving Abilities
- Formulate an accurate and comprehensive differential diagnosis utilizing relevant clinical information elicited from patient history and physical examination findings.
- Order and interpret laboratory and other diagnostic studies for acute and chronic patient care.
- Establish a diagnosis based on patient history, physical examination, and interpretation of clinical and diagnostic data.
- Formulate individualized, comprehensive management plans relevant to the patient presentation for a variety of acute, chronic, and emergent health conditions.
- Recognize conditions that require referral to or consultation with specialists.
- Effectively triage patients based on their clinical presentation, recognizing emergent versus non-emergent medical conditions.
ARC-PA Accreditation Status
The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the South College Asheville Physician Assistant Program sponsored by South College.
Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding Accreditation-Provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation on the first class (cohort) of students.
Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class.
The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-south-college-asheville.
South College Regional Accreditation
South College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award degrees at the doctorate, educational specialist, master’s, baccalaureate, and associate levels. Questions about the accreditation of South College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (sacscoc.org).