Our Commitment to Health Equity 
M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies

Healthcare disparities remain a significant public health challenge. The Carroll University PA Program is dedicated to preparing future physician assistants (PAs) to bridge these gaps through comprehensive, patient-centered care.
We believe that excellent healthcare requires recognizing the full context of a patient’s life, including their medical history, environment, culture and socioeconomic factors. By educating students to understand the impact of these influences, we prepare them to serve patients more effectively across a wide range of clinical settings.

Local Roots, Global Perspective

Carroll University is proud to reside in Waukesha, Wisconsin, a community with a demographic tapestry:  68.7% White, 10.6% Hispanic/Latino, 2.9% Asian, 2.8% Black or African American, 2.9% Two or More Races.  While Waukesha County is one of the more affluent in the state, the City of Waukesha faces distinct economic challenges that impact health access. There are approximately 12.7% of homeowners and 42.8% of renters in the area are "housing cost burdened," often forcing families to choose between stable housing and medical care.

Bridging the Gap: Access to Care

We turn our mission into action through direct community engagement, ensuring our students gain hands-on experience in addressing healthcare barriers. Learn more

• Waukesha Free Clinic at Carroll University: To directly address access to care, our students are integrated into the clinic during both their first year and clinical year, providing essential services to the uninsured and medically underserved.
• Community Outreach: We strengthen our local ties by hosting an annual back-to-school fair, where our students and faculty provide athletic physicals for local youth, ensuring they are healthy and ready for the school year.

Our Strategic Initiatives

To graduate socially aware and clinically excellent PAs, our faculty and students collaborate to:

• Identify Barriers: Examine healthcare systems to find and address causes of unequal health outcomes.
• Integrated Curriculum: Prioritize instruction on the social affects of health and patient-centered communication.
• Diverse Clinical Rotations: Establish and maintain rotations in high-need rural and medically underserved communities.
• Holistic Admissions: Use an admissions process that considers an applicant’s unique experiences, service history and alignment with our mission.
• Professional Development: Provide faculty and students with ongoing training in culturally responsive and holistic care.

Carroll University and the PA Program advance their mission by offering holistic student support, fostering an an inclusive and welcoming campus community and creating cross-cultural experiences that encourage meaningful interactions.