Physician Assistant Studies
M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies
Earn an M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies at Etown
The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies at Elizabethtown College is a standalone master’s degree program, spread over 26 months for students with a bachelor’s degree from Etown or another institution. The PA program has been approved for a total of 30 students for each graduate cohort. At the culmination of the program, students will sit for the Physician Assistant National Certification Exam (PANCE). After successful completion of the exam, graduates will be able to work as a physician assistant in medical facilities across the nation in specialized areas of clinical practice, as well as in research occupations or academia.
The admission deadline for the 2025 Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies program has passed. Please reach out to SGPS Admissions if you have any questions.
Contact AdmissionsVision & Mission
Vision Statement:
The vision of the Elizabethtown College Physician Assistant Program is to provide an innovative and supportive environment that elevates the standard of PA education through the utilization of an evidence-based curriculum that is continuously assessed and adapted to address emerging challenges in healthcare while fostering a collegial environment amongst students and faculty.
Mission Statement
College Mission Statement: Elizabethtown College provides a transformative educational experience that cultivates personal strengths and develops a passion for lifelong learning and purposeful work.
PA Program Mission: The mission of the Elizabethtown College Physician Assistant Program is to educate and matriculate motivated students who will provide high-quality healthcare as skilled Physician Assistants. Through a transformative educational experience and evidence-based curriculum that emphasizes purposeful work, cultivates personal strengths, and develops a passion for lifelong learning, students will be prepared to Educate for Service. Upon graduation, our students will provide individualized healthcare to diverse patient populations while simultaneously working as a member of an interdisciplinary care team.
Goals:
- Provide an environment for all students with multicultural educational opportunities inclusive of underrepresented groups and diversity in healthcare.
- Achieve a first-time PANCE pass rate at or above the national average.
- Obtain a job placement rate of over 80% in a variety of clinical specialties in the six months following graduation.
- Provide all students with an opportunity to perform community service while in the didactic and clinical years of the program.
- All faculty will maintain a professional development plan that addresses teaching, scholarship, and service as well as diversity, equity, accessibility, and justice.
The PA program will post outcomes related to the achievement of our goals by February 2025.
Application Information
| Details | Date |
|---|---|
| Application Opens: | March 1, 2025 |
| Admissions Deadline: | September 1, 2025 |
| Interviews: | Fall 2025 (dates TBA) |
| Classes Begin: | July 2026 |
Graduate Program Admission Criteria
Graduate Program Prerequisite Courses
- A minimum of 6 credits in General Biology with labs
- A minimum of 6 credits in Anatomy and Physiology with labs
- A minimum of 3 credits in Microbiology with a lab
- A minimum of 3 credits in General Chemistry with a lab
- A minimum of 3 credits in Organic Chemistry with a lab
- A minimum of 3 credits in Statistics
- A minimum of 3 credits in General/Introductory Psychology
Dual enrollment and AP credits for the graduate program prerequisite courses are not accepted.
A bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. College or University is required. Pre-Requisite GPA must be at least 3.0 with an overall GPA of 3.0 and no course grade below a C. Students applying to the Physician Assistant program as Graduate Students are required to submit GRE. Ideally, a student should have a composite score of 300. The MCAT can be submitted in place of the GRE, with an ideal score of 500. GREs are not required for any applicant that has a completed Master's or Doctorate Degree. Students must also complete a minimum of 200 healthcare exposure hours (including PA-C shadowing) by the end of spring semester of 3rd year to be submit and approved by the PA program. Due to the competitive nature of the Physician Assistant Program, not all candidates will be offered an interview or admission into the Elizabethtown College program.
Graduate Program Interviews
Graduate program interviews take place every year in the October/November timeframe.
Health Care Exposure Information
Healthcare exposure can be paid or a volunteer experience. A variety of healthcare exposures are accepted and considered. A minimum of 200 hours of patient care exposure is required, with a minimum of 20 hours of shadowing a certified Physician Assistant. The healthcare experience hours must be satisfied for the application to be considered complete. Download the full Health Care Exposure Information document.
Admission & Enrollment Practices Favoring Specified Individuals or Groups
Students who have graduated from Elizabethtown and meet all of the application requirements will be offered an interview. An interview does not guarantee admission. The Elizabethtown Physician Assistant Program is also dedicated to recruiting and accepting veterans into the program. Qualified veterans, who served in a medical capacity in the military, meet the minimum admission criteria, and have applied to the program will be guaranteed an interview. All applicants, regardless of their military affiliation, must meet the admissions requirements outlined on our website.
B.S./M.S. Physician Assistant Program
For more information on applying to our B.S./M.S. Physician Assistant program, visit the undergraduate program details page.
Technical Standards
The faculty and staff of the Elizabethtown College Physician Assistant Program recognize their responsibilities to present candidates for graduation with a PA degree who have met the program’s graduate competencies and the recommended competencies of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) for new graduates to provide a broad spectrum of patient care in a variety of clinical situations.
Successful candidates for the completion of the Elizabethtown College Physician Assistant Program must have the abilities and attributes necessary to be able to perform the following skills required for integration into clinical practice, either with or without accommodation.
Behavior Attributes
- Tolerate the emotional, mental, and physical stress associated with PA training and providing patient care
- Adaptable, flexible, and able to function within a team setting despite uncertainty or adversity
- Recognize, understand, and demonstrate professional behaviors
Communication Skills
- Obtain information from patients using speech, active listening, and observation of non-verbal communication
- Utilize oral, written, and electronic forms of communication with patients, caregivers, and members of the healthcare team
- Follow HIPAA guidelines convey sensitivity and respect to all communication with patients, caregivers, and members of the healthcare team
Intellectual-Conceptual Abilities
- Apply knowledge learned and critical reasoning to solve problems as required by the program curriculum
- In a variety of educational settings, students must be able to collect, prioritize, organize, analyze, integrate, and apply complex and detailed information in a time-sensitive manner
- Synthesize information appropriately for problem-solving and decision-making
Motor Skills
- Coordinate gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium, and sensation to provide acute, chronic, preventive, and emergent care to patients
- Apply skills learned to correctly utilize instruments and equipment to perform and interpret basic laboratory and medical procedures required to attain goals set forth by the program curriculum
Sensory Skills
- Utilize vision, hearing, and somatic sensation to observe patients and their families closely and at a distance
- Utilize audiovisual and palpable sensation in a lecture and laboratory setting
- Apply skills learned to correctly perform a physical examination by palpation, auscultation, percussion, and other components as needed
Social Attributes
- Accept constructive criticism and respond appropriately with behavior modification
- Display integrity, compassion for others, and motivation to serve
- Possess the ability to participate in self-assessment processes and recognize implicit bias
- Develop an appropriate interpersonal and interprofessional relationship with patients and colleagues
The Physician Assistant Faculty Committee is responsible for adhering to all technical standards listed above during the selection of Physician Assistant students for admission and matriculation into the program.
PANCE Results
92% of Elizabethtown College’s PA Program Class of July 2022, who graduated in 2024, passed the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) on the first attempt. View the full PANCE results.
Curriculum Design
The PA program curriculum is offered in two phases, didactic and clinical compartments, which is centered upon the concepts of adult-centered learning and professional education. The program curriculum will focus on enriching the students learning to develop a mastery of knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to meet the competencies for integration into clinical practice as defined by the NCCPA, ARC-PA, PAEA, and AAPA. Please note that the PA program curriculum is subject to change.
| Term | Course ID | Course Name | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | MPA 500 | Medical Terminology | 1 credit |
| MPA 504 | Introduction to Clinical Studies | 4 credits | |
| MPA 505 | Introduction to Anatomy | 3 credits | |
| Fall | MPA 501 | Foundation of Health Sciences I | 4 credits |
| MPA 511 | Clinical Medicine I | 6 credits | |
| MPA 521 | Pharmacology I | 3 credits | |
| MPA 531 | Physical Assessment and Procedures I | 3 credits | |
| MPA 541 | Clinical Reasoning I | 2 credits | |
| MPA 551 | Patient Communication and Education I | 2 credits | |
| Spring | MPA 502 | Foundations of Health Sciences II | 3 credits |
| MPA 512 | Clinical Medicine II | 6 credits | |
| MPA 522 | Pharmacology II | 3 credits | |
| MPA 532 | Physical Assessment and Procedures II | 3 credits | |
| MPA 542 | Clinical Reasoning II | 2 credits | |
| MPA 552 | Patient Communication and Education II | 2 credits | |
| Summer II | MPA 503 | Clinical Health Sciences | 3 credits |
| MPA 513 | Clinical Medicine III | 6 credits | |
| MPA 523 | Pharmacology III | 3 credits | |
| MPA 533 | Physical Assessment and Procedures III | 3 credits | |
| MPA 543 | Clinical Reasoning III | 3 credits | |
| MPA 600 | Transitions to Clinical Practice | 1 credit |
Preceptorship Opportunities (Four Credits Each):
- MPA 611 - Internal Medicine Preceptorship
- MPA 612 - Women's Health Preceptorship
- MPA 613 - Pediatrics Preceptorship
- MPA 614 - Family Practice Preceptorship
- MPA 615 - Emergency Medicine Preceptorship
- MPA 616 - Surgery Preceptorship
- MPA 617 - Behavioral Medicine Preceptorship
- MPA 618 - Clinical Specialty Preceptorship
Other Clinical Year Courses:
| Term | Course ID | Course Name | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall II | MPA 601 | Education and Research I | 2 credits |
| MPA 603 | PANCE Prep I | .5 credits | |
| Spring II | MPA 602 | Education and Research II | 2 credits |
| MPA 604 | PANCE Prep II | .5 credits | |
| Summer III | MPA 605 | PANCE Prep III | 1 credit |
| MPA 699 | Culminating Experience | 3 credits |
Student Employment
PA students are not required to work for the program. Students must not substitute or function as instructional faculty. Students must not substitute for clinical or administrative staff during supervised clinical practical experiences.
Due to the extensive training and time commitments within the program, it is recommended that students not be employed during the PA program. If a student does choose to work during either the didactic or clinical year of the program, the following must be taken into consideration:
- Students may not identify themselves as a physician assistant student associated with Elizabethtown College during their employment hours, including not wearing their name badge or program patch.
- No special concessions will be made for missed classes, assignments, exams, or clinical rotation requirements.
- The liability insurance offered for clinical work that is associated with the education experience at Elizabethtown College does not cover a student during outside employment.
Graduate Competencies
The competencies expected of Physician Assistant graduates from Elizabethtown College align with ten competency domains developed from review of literature published by the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) in the 2019 Core Competencies for New Physician Assistant Graduates and the 2012 Competencies for the Physician Assistant Profession document published by the four national PA organizations.
- Medical Knowledge and Skills: Students will demonstrate a deep understanding and application of core medical knowledge that is essential for patient care upon entry into clinical practice.
- Patient Centered Care: Students will apply core medical knowledge learned to patient-centered care and utilize evidence-based medicine to refine clinical reasoning and judgment while demonstrating the ability to recognize healthy versus ill patients in various stages of illness.
- Society and Population Health: Students will understand how patient health may be affected by psychosocial influences as well as community, environmental, and genetic disparities. Graduates will be able to identify their own implicit biases and understand how these ideas can impact patient care.
- Health Literacy: Students will utilize emotional intelligence to adjust the style and content of their verbal communication with patients to establish rapport and engage in shared decision-making.
- Professional Practice: Students will demonstrate an understanding of Physician Assistant roles and responsibilities while maintaining a level of team awareness, keeping the patient at the center of all healthcare decisions.
- Legal, Fiscal, and System-Based Healthcare: Students will demonstrate an understanding of ethically and legally appropriate ways to deliver safe, quality, and efficacious healthcare to patients in a variety of clinical settings.
- Self-Reflection and Assessment: Students will work closely with program faculty and their advisors in an ongoing and continual process to develop strategies necessary for reflection, self-evaluation, and self-control while developing confidence in addressing the health needs of their patients.
Cost Schedule
Tuition for the first 3 years of the B.S./M.S. physician assistant program can be found here: Etown Tuition.
Elizabethtown PA program graduate tuition will be a total of $111,395.
| Year 1 – 66 credits | Year 2 – 41 credits | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $68,711 | $42,684 | $111,395 |
| Program Fee* | $6,000 | -- | $6,000 |
| Equipment | |||
| Welch Allen Package*** | $996 | -- | $996 |
| Sim Vivo Suture Kit | $60 | -- | $60 |
| Sim Vivo Tie Kit | $50 | -- | $50 |
| Laptop | $800 | -- | $800 |
| Elizabethtown PA Patch x 2 | $20 | -- | $20 |
| White Coat – Long | -- | $40 | $40 |
| Scrubs x 2 | $50 | -- | $50 |
| White Coat - Short x 2 | $50 | -- | $50 |
| Books*** | $1,500 | $1,500 | $3,000 |
| TOTAL | $78,237 | $44,224 | $122,461 |
*Program Fee includes: AAPA membership, PSPA membership, Clinical Placement Fees, Site Registration Fees, Typhon Student Fee, PAEA Exams, PACKRAT, PA equipment/supplies, ACLS, PALS, Malpractice Insurance
| Year 1 – 14 months | Year 2 - 12 months | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing (estimated) |
$33,600 |
$28,800 |
$62,400 |
|||
| Clinical Site Travel (estimated) | -- | $5,000 | $5,000 | |||
| ***TOTAL | $33,600 | $33,800 | $67,400 | |||
**Housing and clinical year travel is a responsibility of the student and is not included in tuition or the program fee.
Tuition Reimbursement Policy
Notice of withdrawal for medical reasons must be processed through Student Wellness. Students must complete the necessary medical withdrawal paperwork. Notice of withdrawal for non-medical reasons must be given in writing to Academic Advising, which can be contacted at 717-361-1415. The effective date of calculating refunds is the date of acceptance of a written notice of voluntary withdrawal by Counseling Services. Failure to provide notice of withdrawal will result in an unofficial withdrawal. The College withholds refunds and transcripts until an official withdrawal has been obtained.
Tuition refunds are calculated on the following basis:
- First week of classes: 75%
- Second through third week of classes: 50%
- Fourth week of classes: 25%
- Beginning of fifth week of classes: 0%
Refunds of tuition and room and meal plan charges for withdrawal due to medical reasons are pro-rated to the date of withdrawal. Students who are dismissed or suspended from the College are refunded tuition charges according to the standard policy (see above); meal plan charges are pro-rated to the date of dismissal or suspension; no room refunds are granted under these circumstances. Refunds for currently enrolled students must be requested in writing. Financial Aid adjustments will be made according to the above refund policy in conjunction with applicable federal refund regulations under the Higher Education Act of 1998 (HEA98). Please refer to your academic catalog or student handbook for information about these refund and repayment policies or contact the Business Office.
Program Fees:
Program fees are non-refundable. Half of the program fees are collected before Year 1 and the remaining half before Year 2, with no refund available for either payment.
Other costs not included in tuition:
***Equipment List: Students are encouraged to wait until orientation to purchase equipment (not including smart phone/PDA, laptop, or wrist watch). If students already own any of the medical equipment below (i.e. stethoscope or otoscope/ophthalmoscope), approval on the equipment must first be obtained from the PA program director.
Welch Allen Package through the Medical Store (included list below) – Total (estimated) $996.00
- Welch Allyn Classic 3.5V Diagnostic Set
- Welch Allen Adult and pediatric blood pressure cuff
- Stethoscope
- Pocket Eye Card with Ruler
- Tuning Forks
- LED Penlight
- Reflex Hammer
- Dissection Kit
- Tape Measure
- Protective Eye Wear
- Medical Bag
***The College subscribes to Access Medicine for online student textbook (approximately $217 per student). This estimation includes textbooks other than those available through Access Medicine and if the student chooses to not use online version of the textbooks.
Background Checks/Health Screenings:
Background Checks/Health Screenings:
- FBI Criminal Background Check and Child Abuse Clearance - $63 each year
- Health Physical/Immunizations Titers/Drug Screen - varies by insurance carrier
Health Insurance Requirements: In accordance with Elizabethtown College’s health insurance requirements, students enrolled in the Elizabethtown College PA program are required to maintain personal health insurance for the entire duration of the program. Proof of insurance coverage must be provided prior to orientation. Students are responsible for all personal health care costs incurred while enrolled in the PA program, including any costs incurred in the event of exposure from a contaminated needle stick, puncture wood, or contamination of any obviously open wound or the mucous membranes by saliva, blood, or other bodily fluids. Due to the potential risk for exposure to potentially infectious materials, insurance should cover screenings, diagnostic testing, treatments that may result from any potential exposure.
Student Attrition
Student attrition is when a student enters the accredited phase of the program (summer of the graduate didactic year) but does not graduate with that cohort of students. Please note that student attrition can be the result of several things including poor academic performance, poor professional performance, voluntary withdrawal or medical leave of absence.
Attrition rate is calculated by dividing the number of students that attritted by the entering class size.
Graduation rate is calculated by the dividing the number of graduates by the entering class size.
| Class of 2024 | Class of 2025 | Class of 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Entering Class Size | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Entering Class Size | 30 | 28 | 25 |
| Graduates | 25 | N/A | N/A |
| Attrition Rate | 16.67% | 7% | 0% |
| Graduation Rate | 83.33% | N/A | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
Master of Physician Assistant Studies Graduate Program:
Applications will be completed online through the Elizabethtown College website.
Coursework (prerequisites):
- General Biology – a minimum of 6 credits with labs
- Anatomy and Physiology – a minimum of 6 credits with labs
- General Chemistry – a minimum of 3 credits with lab
- Organic Chemistry – a minimum of 3 credits with lab
- Microbiology – a minimum of 3 credits with lab
- Statistics – 3 credits
- General/Introductory Psychology – 3 credits
A bachelor's degree from an Accreditation U.S. College or University is required. Pre-Requisite GPA must be at least 3.0 with a desired overall GPA of 3.0 and no course grade below a C. Students applying as Graduate Students to the Physician Assistant program are required to submit GRE. Ideally, a student should have a composite score of 300. The MCAT can be submitted in place of the GRE, with an ideal score of 500. GREs are not required for any applicant that has a completed Master's or Doctorate Degree. Students must also complete a minimum of two-hundred healthcare exposure hours (including PA-C shadowing).
Due to the competitive nature of the Physician Assistant Program, not all candidates will be offered an interview or admission into the Elizabethtown program. Candidates that are offered an interview will be invited to campus in late fall.
Admissions decisions will be released by January.
Some applicants may be offered the option to be on a waitlist. As seats in the accelerated program become available, students on the waitlist may be offered a seat in the program. Once the program is full, we will communicate this with students on the waitlist.
Courses will be evaluated for transfer from all colleges and universities, including community colleges.
Yes, students are welcome to take classes at Elizabethtown College that fulfill the required prerequisites for the Master’s program.
College seniors may have up to two outstanding prerequisites at the time of application. All other applicants must have completed all prerequisite coursework. If offered an interview and acceptance, the acceptance will be conditional upon completion of any outstanding prerequisite coursework and/or bachelor’s degree, following grade/GPA criteria.
- June 2021 - Completed application materials submitted to the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA)
- September 2021 - Initial provisional site visit to verify Elizabethtown’s ability to begin a program in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards and the program’s readiness to matriculate students.
- March 2022 – Commission review of the program and eligibility to receive accreditation – provisional
- April 2024 – Provisional monitoring site visit verifying that Elizabethtown College and the provisionally accredited program’s progress in delivering the program is in compliance with the Standards and the ability to continue to do so.
- 2026 – Final provisional site visit verifying that Elizabethtown College and the program’s demonstration of compliance with the Standards, including the ability to incorporate and report the findings of a robust self-assessment process as required by the ARC-PA.
- After commission review, the program is eligible for an accreditation status of accreditation – continued.
The Master of Physician Assistant Studies program is 26 consecutive months.
- Outpatient care centers 64%
- Hospitals; state, local, and private 23%
- Educational services; state, local, and private 3%
- Employment services 3%
Clinical Rotation placement will be based on multiple variables. All students will complete seven core rotations and one elective rotation. Students will be exposed to multiple specialties, locations, and communities. Students are not able to set up their own rotations and any costs associated with travel and housing are the student’s responsibility. Rotation sites include, but are not limited to, settings in Lancaster County and all of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland.
Students who have graduated from Elizabethtown College and meet all of the application requirements will be offered an interview. An interview does not guarantee admission.