Since New Jersey began licensing physician assistants (PAs) in 1992, the demand for PAs has outpaced the number of graduates. To alleviate the PA shortage, the School of Health and Medical Sciences launched the M.S. in Physician Assistant program in 2000. Accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc., the program prepares practitioners with a depth of knowledge and judgment to perform as knowledgeable and highly skilled clinicians. The PA Program at Seton Hall is one of only two such programs in the state.

PAs provide patient services, such as conducting physical exams, making a diagnosis and treating illnesses, ordering and interpreting tests, providing counsel on preventive healthcare and assisting in surgery, with the supervision of a licensed physician. Throughout the three-year, 96-credit full-time program, students are engaged in hands-on learning. Students learn from physicians, PAs and other healthcare professionals in a variety of healthcare settings, and, as a result, gain practical knowledge with which to serve patients of all ages. Students in the program critically assess health science literature and current trends, become lifelong consumers of medical literature, and demonstrate the knowledge and sensitivity to culturally diverse and underserved populations.

Clinical rotations are a distinguishing feature of the SHU PA program. While most PA programs offer 38-50 weeks of clinical exposure, the SHMS program provides 64-weeks of varied clinical experiences. Students receive hands-on experiences with patients in their first semester of study. In the first year, students obtain patient histories, perform physical exams and partake in patient observation. Intensive core clinical experiences begin in the second semester of the second year of study and continue into the third and final year of the program. These rotations, in addition to a 4-week elective rotation, are:

• Surgery (8 weeks)
• Internal Medicine (8 weeks)
• Pediatrics (8 weeks)
• Obstetrics/Gynecology (6 weeks)
• Emergency Medicine (4 weeks)
• Psychiatry (4 weeks)
• Long-term Care (4 weeks)
• Critical care (4 weeks)
• Neurology (2 weeks)
• Outpatient Medicine (12 weeks, total)

PA students are challenged to apply theory and research to clinical practice.  They engage in a group research capstone project under the direction of a faculty research adviser. The American Academy of Physician Assistants has selected several of these research projects each year for presentation at its national conference. Compelling research has included:

• Factors Affecting a Physician Assistant’s Decision to Screen for, Diagnose, and Treat Victims of Domestic Violence
• The Use of Peak Flow Monitoring in the Asthmatic Child
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine Education in U.S. Physician Assistant Programs: A Survey of Program Directors
  

Lab experiences enhance classroom learning for all PA students. Physical exam and clinical diagnostic labs enable students to learn a variety of diagnostic procedures and techniques such as examining patients, venipuncture, and injections.  A cadaver lab, facilitated at St. Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, provides students with hands-on opportunities to learn and identify anatomical structures.

Graduates of the program are thoroughly prepared to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE).

The PA Program solely sponsored by Seton Hall University graduated its first class in 2004.  Over the past five years, 94% of our graduates have passed the PANCE on the first attempt.  The PANCE pass rates for first-time takers, by year of graduation is outlined below:
          Class of                                    Percent Pass Rate
             2009                                                   96%
             2008                                                   96%
             2007                                                 100%
             2006                                                   86%
             2005                                                   90%
             2004                                                   94%

Our graduates are fully functioning members of the medical community, capable of working in solo and group practices, hospitals, health maintenance organizations, long-term care facilities, student health services and urban and rural clinics. The program boasts a 100 percent job placement rating, with many students securing employment prior to commencement.

For more information on the M.S. in Physician Assistant degree, review the admission and curriculum and apply today.