What is a Physician Assistant?

Physician assistants are healthcare professionals licensed to practice medicine under physician supervision. Physician assistants evaluate patients, perform physical examinations, order and interpret tests, diagnose and treat illnesses, assist in surgery and write prescriptions. As a graduate of Seton Hill’s Physician Assistant Program, you’ll be prepared to serve as an effective team member in a wide variety of healthcare settings.

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Why Choose Seton Hill's Physician Assistant Program?

• Collectively, Seton Hill's Physician Assistant Program faculty members have more than 120 years of clinical practice experience.
• 93% of Seton Hill's Physician Assistant Program graduates who have taken the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) in the past five years have passed it on their first attempt. Pass Rate Summary Report (PDF).
• 99% of Seton Hill Physician Assistant Graduates have passed the Physician Assistant National Certification Exam (PANCE).
• Students entering the program as freshmen can earn their B.S. and their M.S. in only five years.
• Top-notch classroom, lab and clinical learning facilities and resources in the Boyle Health Sciences Center.
• Small classes allow students to work directly with faculty members in a supportive environment.
• Seton Hill’s Physician Assistant Student Society provides both undergraduate and graduate students in the Physician Assistant Program with opportunities for community service and attendance at statewide conferences.
• Seton Hill's program is fully-accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) through March 2024.

Seton Hill's Combined Bachelor of Science/Master of Science in Physician Assistant

As an incoming Seton Hill freshman, this five-year combined program gives you the opportunity to earn both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in only five years. You would complete math, science and behavioral science course prerequisites, along with the core liberal arts degree requirements, in your first two and a half years of study. You would then enter the graduate phase of the program, consisting of 15 months of intensive course work followed by 12 months of full-time supervised clinical experiences (rotations). The degree of Bachelor in Medical Studies will be conferred after completion of the Spring II semester of the graduate portion of the program. The Master of Science in Physician Assistant will be conferred after successful completion of the graduate portion of the program.

Your Career as a Physician Assistant

The job outlook for physician assistants is strong, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects it to grow much faster than the average. In 2020, physician assistants earned an average of $115,390 per year. The job growth outlook for the Physician Assistant profession is projected to be 31% higher than other careers for the period of 2022-2032.

Career Services for Life

Seton Hill’s award-winning Career and Professional Development Center will work with your faculty advisors to provide you with the career preparation skills and placement services you need. Should you ever need them after you graduate, the Center’s services will remain available to you as a Seton Hill alumni.

Accreditation Status of Seton Hill's Physician Assistant Program

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Seton Hill 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 for the program by the ARC-PA will be March 2024. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.

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