Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies

A Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies degree from Carroll University prepares you for a career in one of the most rewarding and fastest growing health care fields. Physician assistants are health care professionals licensed or credentialed to practice medicine in collaboration with physicians and other healthcare professionals. As part of their comprehensive responsibilities, PAs take medical histories, conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, develop and implement treatment plans, assist in surgery and prescribe medications. Your education will be divided into a year of course work, followed by a year of clinical rotations, providing you with real-world experiences in a variety of areas.

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About the Physician Assistant Studies Program

Carroll University's Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program educates physician assistants to provide comprehensive, quality healthcare to all. Our graduates are trained to be respectful of patient/client values, committed to ethical principles and remain grounded in evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning.

Our program provides you with the skills you’ll need to contribute to the profession and communities, while preparing you to practice medicine in a variety of primary care settings in collaboration with physicians and other healthcare professionals. You’ll also be prepared to provide service to medically underserved communities and diverse patient populations.

Carroll’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program is dedicated to your success in the profession. Our goals include:

To develop highly-skilled primary care physician assistants who are prepared to demonstrate the medical knowledge necessary to provide optimal patient care
To develop highly-skilled primary care physician assistants who are prepared using an interdisciplinary approach and who regularly assess, evaluate and improve their patient care practices
To develop highly-skilled primary care physician assistants who are prepared using an interdisciplinary approach and who demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in effective information exchange with culturally diverse patients and families, professional associates, and a complex health care system

Program Details

Program Facilities, Resources and Technology

The opening of Michael and Mary Jaharis Science Laboratories in Fall 2016 brought state-of-the-art technology and resources to many of Carroll's programs, including Physician Assistant Studies. New portable technology in the form of laptops and iPads runs state-of-the art anatomy applications. To enhance group learning, students can project from their devices to the several television monitors mounted throughout the classrooms. Anatomical models and laboratory materials are easily accessible through a large storage/preparation room dedicated to anatomy and physiology.

Students now have unlimited access to computer-aided dissections through the use of the Anatomage dissection table. A modern cadaver dissection lab allows students the opportunity to complete research on Carroll's main campus. Read more about the cadaver dissection lab in a recent issue of Carroll University's F1RST magazine.

Community Health Services building and students conducting COVID tests

Providing Comprehensive Healthcare to All

Carroll University’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS) program has partnered with strong community members to provide healthcare to medically underserved populations through an interprofessional team composed of physician assistant, physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing, and public health students. The PA Program is part of the Health Science Primary Care Training and Enhancement Program, an initiative made possible by a five-year, $1.25 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Through this initiative, Carroll has designed, implemented, and is evaluating a training model that prepares physician assistants (as well as the other interprofessional students listed above) to work in a transformed health care delivery system while meeting the primary care needs of Hispanic seniors in Milwaukee and medically underserved patients in Waukesha.

Carroll University has partnered with Milwaukee’s United Community Center (UCC), a comprehensive social service agency serving predominantly Hispanic families of the city’s south side and the Waukesha Free Clinic at Carroll University (WFC), the oldest free clinic in Wisconsin providing healthcare to uninsured and underinsured community members. Through the HRSA grant, PA students within their interprofessional teams provide wellness, primary care and health literacy education to patients and their families at the UCC and WFC. Graduates of these programs contribute to the profession and communities and are prepared to practice in a variety of primary care settings including medically underserved communities and diverse patient populations. (This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number T0BHP29989 titled Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE). This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.)

Renovations

Carroll University has renovated a 9,000 square foot office building near campus where the Waukesha Free Clinic at Carroll University is now housed. In addition to the WFC, the new facility houses faculty-supervised clinics in physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing, and rehabilitative exercise services available to Waukesha community members. Physician Assistant students in their first and second year rotate through the WFC located at the Carroll University Community Health Services building where they can collaborate with other allied health care students and their faculty to provide optimal and comprehensive care to their patients.

The Class of 2022 at their White Coat Ceremony as they enter into their second-year clinical rotations.

First and second year PA students have participated in several community projects through the WFC. Most recently, University faculty and students in the PA department partnered with the WFC to provide free covid-19 testing to community members in Waukesha free of charge. Grant support for this project was provided by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the Waukesha Department of Public Health. Covid-19 vaccines will also be provided to the medically underserved Waukesha community members through this same partnership.