SAN ANTONIO – The Physician Assistant Studies program at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio is making a change for those earning a physician assistant degree.
The change will soon offer students the opportunity to complete the program in two years instead of three, bringing physician assistants more quickly into the workforce.
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The new course of study, ranked 18th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, will begin in July 2012.
In addition, the physician assistant program will begin accepting 40 students instead of 30.
"Our program has always been very well regarded because of its focus on the community and the underserved," said Glenn Forister, associate professor and director of the physician assistant studies program. "We found that we could shorten the program from 33 to 25 1/2 months by combining courses into longer semesters and still offer top-notch educational and clinical experiences."
The shorter program also is more in line with PA programs offered by UT's sister institutions, said Forister.
PAs work under the supervision of a physician or doctor of osteopathy to prevent, diagnose and treat many diseases and medical conditions. Many PAs work in general medicine, while others practice in specialties, such as pediatrics, emergency medicine and surgery.
The federal government has designated most counties in South Texas as health professional shortage areas.
The application deadline for the PA program is Aug. 31.
To be considered, students must meet the admission criteria, which include completing all prerequisites and a bachelor's degree with a minimum 3.0 grade point average.