The Kansas State University physician assistant program, offered through the College of Health and Human Sciences, has received provisional accreditation status from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, or ARC-PA.
Having received the accreditation status, the program will welcome the first cohort of 36 students to campus to begin courses in January.
“The physician assistant program at Kansas State University has the potential to have great impact on the health of our communities,” said Craig Harms, interim dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences. “Graduates will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to advocate for patients, reduce disparities in access to health care, recognize and treat disorders and advance prevention of chronic disease. We are very excited to bring this new program to Kansas State University and the state of Kansas.”
The physician assistant program is one of two programs available in Kansas. Housed in Mary and Carl Ice Hall on K-State’s Manhattan campus, the 27-month, full-time graduate program, consists of 12 months of classroom instruction followed by 15 months of clinical training. The program follows the traditional medical model of training, providing in-depth analysis of disease processes, diagnosis and treatment, and prepares students to serve as primary health care providers who practice medicine with physician supervision.
“The faculty and staff of K-State's physician assistant program are proud of the work that led to receiving Accreditation-Provisional status,” shared program director, Gwen Ferdinand-Jacob. “We look forward to welcoming the inaugural class in spring 2022. K-State's PA program provides an excellent opportunity to educate students from a broad geographical area who, upon graduation, will play an essential role in improving access to healthcare.”
For more information on the physician assistant program, please visit their website.