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Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program

 

Unparalleled Clinical Experiences

Instructor and student wear facemasks and shields as they practice a stretch with students in the background
Unparalleled Clinical Experiences
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Access to top clinical sites in Boston and beyond

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Unparalleled Clinical Experiences

 

A Team-Based IMPACT

Interprofessional Health Mentor
A Team-Based IMPACT
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Interprofessional experiences strengthen your ability to provide patient-centered care.

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A Team-Based IMPACT

 

The Dr. Charles A. and Ann Sanders IMPACT Practice Center

Students in collaborative area
The Dr. Charles A. and Ann Sanders IMPACT Practice Center
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Transforming health professions education & community care

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The Dr. Charles A. and Ann Sanders IMPACT Practice Center

 

A World of Opportunity

The MGH Institute's Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program offers a unique blend of opportunities in the classroom and the clinical environment. Learn how to contribute and lead in an interprofessional work setting. Expand your skills and knowledge through an integrated curriculum grounded in team-based learning. And fulfill clerkships at Harvard Medical School-affiliated academic medical centers, primary care outpatient clinics, and community hospitals in Boston and beyond.

 

 

 

Marcus Wheeler, Physician Assistant Studies '19

 

"Growing up on a farm in rural Mississippi and eventually working as a law enforcement officer in Atlanta gave me a unique perspective on socioeconomic and health care disparities. The very roots of the PA profession are to close the gap, which affects so many people  in my community and family alike."

Learn more about Marcus Wheeler [1],
Master of Physician Assistant Studies '19

 

 

Top Profession

CNN/Money.com ranked physician assistants as one of the nation’s best jobs

2nd

Physician Assistant is ranked second in U.S. News & World Report's list [2] of best health care jobs

31% Growth in Next 10 Years

Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the need for PA’s will grow by 31% over the next 10 years

 

The IHP Advantage

Arrow image.svg [3]

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Accelerated Path to Your Health Care Career

If you have any bachelor's degree, successfully complete the prerequisite courses, and have 1,000+ hours of direct patient-care experience, you can apply for our intensive 25-month program. Upon graduating, you'll be eligible to take the national exam to become a licensed PA in  one of the country's fastest-growing healthcare professions. [4]

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Interprofessional.svg [5]

Icon for Interprofessional Education interconnected balls
A Team-Based IMPACT

You will learn and collaborate with students and practitioners from across the health professions. Interprofessional team-based experiences will strengthen your ability to provide patient-centered care in an increasingly complex health care environment.

Learn more about IMPACT Practice [6].

 

Joshua Merson

Describe what it’s like to teach using a team-based learning format.

"Fun and exhilarating – it allows me to use my creative side to develop activities that are both engaging and educational."

- Joshua Merson, MS, MS-HPEd, PA-C, CAQ-EM, Assistant Professor

Learn more about our Physician Assistant Faculty [7].

Josh Merson
Boston skyline with Zakim Bridge
 

Team-Based Learning Forms the Foundation

Team-based learning (TBL) is at the heart of our program. Throughout your course of study, you'll work with a team of students with diverse skills and backgrounds. Rather than sitting in lecture all day, class time is spent with your team under expert faculty guidance working through real-life clinical problems and scenarios. Learn more about our team-based learning approach.

We've designed the MPAS program to meet the needs of the adult learner. Accordingly, the curriculum:

  • Promotes lifelong learning and critical-thinking skills
  • Integrates the basic sciences, medicine and clinical skills
  • Aims to foster compassion and improve patient care by incorporating the humanities, ethics, mindfulness and personal resilience
  • Prepares you for collaborative practice as a PA.

Review MPAS Curriculum for Class of 2021 [8]

Review MPAS Curriculum for Class of 2022 and Beyond [9]

 

 

 

 

Clerkships and Other Clinical Experiences

During your first year in the MPAS program, you'll have ongoing exposure to clinical experiences to enhance early application of classroom learning. Among the many clinical opportunities open to both first- and second-year students is the Crimson Care Collaborative, a Harvard Medical School student-faculty collaborative practice that provides care for vulnerable populations.

The last 13 months of the program are devoted to clinical clerkships. As part of Mass General Brigham, New England's largest health care organization, the MGH Institute offers unparalleled access to Harvard Medical School-affiliated academic medical centers and other respected institutions throughout New England and beyond. Learn more about our clerkships [10].

Exterior of Mass General Hospital
 

The Sanders IMPACT Practice Center

IMPACT Practice Center Reception Area

The MGH Institute’s Sanders IMPACT Practice Center brings together students from nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, speech-language pathology/language and literacy, and genetic counseling to learn and practice in teams and to deliver essential free care to the community.

Students provide care to a variety of clients, under the direct supervision of Institute faculty. They tackle complex client problems, supported by the latest technology and state-of-the-art facilities. Client populations include those with chronic conditions across the lifespan.

The center builds upon and enhances the community services currently provided by the Institute and houses these services in one integrated center. Learn more about the IMPACT Practice Center [11].

 

 

Institute Pledges to Combat Racial Injustice Head On

The IHP Office of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) [12] helps guide the IHP in an agenda that includes this anti-oppression statement [13]; an expansion of the JEDI Fellowship program [14]; programs to improve the diversity, retention, and support of faculty, staff, and students of color, especially Black faculty, staff, and students; and a review and streamlining of procedures for reporting bias.

 

 

 

Costs & Funding

For Total Estimated PA program Costs, use our Tuition Calculators [15]

 

Financial Aid Information [16]

 

 

Your PA Career Starts Here

[17]
Request Information [17]
[18]
Information Sessions [18]
​ [19]
Application Requirements [19]
[20]
My Application  [20]
 
 
 
Photo of students at IHP
 

Performance Data and More Information

Performance Data

Learn about outcomes and success of the program in meeting its goals [21].

PANCE Performance Report

View PDF of report [22]

Due to a change in the NCCPA exam blueprint from 2018 to 2019, the national first-time taker pass rate dropped from 98% to 93%.

Accreditation

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the MGH Institute of Health Professions Master of Physician Assistant Studies sponsored by MGH Institute of Health Professions. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.

Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be 2029 June. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website [23].

Attrition Data

View Table [24]

Average Admission Statistics

Review average admission statistics [25] for the MPAS Classes of 2017 (40 students), 2018 (50 students), 2019 (50 students), 2020 (45 students), 2021 (45 students), 2022 (44 students).

Immunization Requirements

Health Requirements for Participation in the Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program at the MGH Institute of Health Professions:

To be enrolled in the program, students must demonstrate compliance with the institute’s policy on immunization [26]. These requirements are based on the CDC guidelines [27] for health care personnel.

For international rotations offered by the institute, please refer to the Institute’s travel student resources [28] for a list of your immunization needs.

Featured MPAS Alumni

An MPAS grad is among the alumni profiled in the IHP's Forty for 40 section that celebrates our 40th anniversary. [29]

Student Support

Veterans Benefits [30]

Academic Support [31]

Career Services [32]

 

 

 

Search for Housing

Explore housing listings in and around Boston; view photographs and floor plans; maps showing the housing location's proximity to the Institute campus, find a roommate and more. Search for housing on our off-campus housing site. [33]

Mission, Vision, and Goals

Learn more about the mission, vision, and goals of the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program [34].

Technical Standards

Technical standards refer to those physical, cognitive and behavioral abilities required for satisfactory completion of all aspects of the curriculum as a student in the PA program. Learn more about the technical standards [35].

PA Program Manual

The Physician Assistant Studies Program Manual [36] expands on policies in the IHP Catalog.

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© 2021 MGH Institute Of Health Professions

Source URL: https://www.mghihp.edu/overview/master-physician-assistant-studies-program

Links
[1] https://www.mghihp.edu/featured-student-profiles#wheeler
[2] https://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/rankings/the-100-best-jobs
[3] https://www.mghihp.edu/files/arrow-imagesvg
[4] https://www.mghihp.edu/academics-degree-programs-physician-assistant-studies/physician-assistant-careers
[5] https://www.mghihp.edu/files/interprofessionalsvg-0
[6] https://www.mghihp.edu/ipe
[7] https://www.mghihp.edu/list/pa-faculty-directory
[8] http://smartcatalogiq.com/Catalogs/MGH-Institute-of-Health-Professions/2019-2020/Catalog/School-of-Health-and-Rehabilitation-Sciences/Physician-Assistant-Studies-Department/Master-of-Physician-Assistant-Studies/MPAS-Curriculum-Master-of-Physician-Assistant-Studies
[9] https://www.mghihp.edu/2021-2022-master-physician-assistant-studies-mpas-curriculum-plan
[10] https://www.mghihp.edu/academics-academic-programs-physician-assistant-studies/clerkships
[11] https://www.mghihp.edu/overview/impact-practice-center
[12] https://www.mghihp.edu/JEDI
[13] https://www.mghihp.edu/equity-and-anti-oppression
[14] https://www.mghihp.edu/sites/default/files/JEDI-fellow-posting.pdf
[15] https://www.mghihp.edu/tuition-and-fees
[16] https://www.mghihp.edu/overview/financial-aid
[17] http://info.mghihp.edu/request-information
[18] https://www.mghihp.edu/admission/admissions-events-master-physician-assistant-studies
[19] https://www.mghihp.edu/overview/pa-studies
[20] https://caspa.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login
[21] https://www.mghihp.edu/academics-degree-programs-physician-assistant-studies/performance-data
[22] https://www.mghihp.edu/sites/default/files/atoms/files/MGHIHP-PANCE-Report-1.1.22.pdf
[23] http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-mgh-institute-of-health-professions/
[24] https://www.mghihp.edu/sites/default/files/atoms/files/PA-Attrition-Dec21.pdf
[25] https://www.mghihp.edu/academics-degree-programs-physician-assistant-studies/average-admission-statistics
[26] https://www.mghihp.edu/health-history-and-cpr-certification-requirement
[27] https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr6007a1.htm
[28] https://www.mghihp.edu/overview/student-global-health-experiences
[29] https://www.mghihp.edu/forty-for-40-pa
[30] https://www.mghihp.edu/veterans-benefits
[31] https://www.mghihp.edu/StudentSupport
[32] https://www.mghihp.edu/career-services-3
[33] http://housing.mghihp.edu/
[34] https://www.mghihp.edu/academics-degree-programs-physician-assistant-studies/mpas-mission-vision-and-goals
[35] https://www.mghihp.edu/academics-degree-programs-physician-assistant-studies/technical-standards
[36] http://mghihp.smartcatalogiq.com/2021-2022/Catalog