Making a difference makes all the difference.
The Physician Assistant (PA) profession is growing rapidly, and there are unprecedented opportunities for you to make a difference in the lives of patients and their families. Choosing to earn your master’s in Physician Assistant Studies at the Institute will ensure you will learn from and work alongside clinicians and researchers who are highly regarded in their disciplines and who practice at world-class institutions.
You will find our program designed to be student-centered and meet the unique needs of the adult learner. The curriculum was designed around the program’s mission and goals and with the following criteria in mind:
- Model appropriate life balance
- Promote lifelong learning and critical thinking skills
- Integrate the basic sciences, medicine, and clinical skills across the curriculum and
- Reinforce developing compassion in students and improving patient care by incorporating the humanities, ethics, mindfulness, and personal resilience.
Director's Welcome
Welcome to the MGH Institute’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies. As a long-time PA educator and practicing physician assistant, I want to share my enthusiasm for my profession and our program at the Institute. The Institute is committed to ensuring all our graduates are prepared to function effectively as members of health care teams to reflect the evolution of patient care methods that improve outcomes, shorten hospital stays, and focus on the whole patient.
Physician Assistant students learn alongside and with students and faculty from the rehabilitation, nursing, and medical disciplines, preparing you to advocate for your patients as they navigate an increasingly complex medical environment. This interprofessional practice will distinguish you as an employee of choice and ultimately improve your patients’ health and well-being.
I wish you the best of luck in your quest to become a physician assistant, and look forward to helping you achieve this goal.
Lisa K. Walker, MPAS, PA-C
Program Director, Physician Assistant Studies
Team-Based Training
Our unique Team-Based Learning curriculum and clerkships at Harvard Medical School-affiliated teaching hospitals provide students with the foundation to enter one of the country’s fastest-growing professions.
Scholarship & Research
Department faculty regularly publish in leading academic and professional journals, present at conferences, and secure grants – all with the goal of improving techniques and care practices to help improve the lives of patients.
IMPACT Practice Center
The IMPACT Practice Center brings together students from various programs to learn and practice in teams and to deliver essential free care to the community.