Physician Assistant

Contact Information

phone: (716) 839-8383
daemen.edu/physicianassistant

Chair

Gregg Shutts
(716) 839-8383

Degrees Offered

Related Minor:

Admission Requirements

The College offers two degree tracks:

  • BS in Natural Science – Health Science and  MS in Physician Assistant Studies
  • MS in Physician Assistant Studies

Applicants may only be accepted as first-year or graduate students. However, first-years accepted to the College with a reserved seat must complete at least four semesters of prerequisite coursework and meet published academic standards before matriculating in the PA Program. The College does not accept transfer applications. The number of seats available for graduate students is limited. All applicants possessing, or planning to possess, a BA or BS prior to matriculation must apply to the MS program

All successful applicants must demonstrate evidence of strong mathematics and science preparation, knowledge of the profession, and superior interpersonal communication skills. Faculty interview required. The admissions process is very competitive. Please refer to the FAQ page  for more specifics on prerequisites and minimum requirements.
Applicants for admission to the BS/MS degree track should apply directly to the Daemen College Office of Admissions.

Applicants for admisson to the MS degree track must apply through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA).   Apply at www.caspaonline.org.

Daemen College reserves the right to make changes to the Physician Assistant curriculum and/or entrance criteria and/or program and graduation requirements. All enrolled students must meet all requirements if changed or amended by Daemen College.

Minimum Technical Standards For Admission And Matriculation

Additional non-academic criteria apply to students enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program. These Technical Standards are available on the website or on request from the Physician Assistant Department.

Mission and Description

The mission of the Daemen College Physician Assistant Program is to educate capable individuals to meet the challenges of providing quality health care services with the supervision of a licensed physician.

The Specific Objectives Of The Program Are To:

  • Educate the student to function as a competent, compassionate and dedicated physician assistant with the ability to effectively access, evaluate, and apply relevant and valid information using a variety of information resources.
  • Graduate the student with the requisite medical knowledge to pass the national certification examination.
  • Sensitize the student to the diversity of health care needs and the impact of socioeconomic factors on health care and its availability.
  • Educate the student with the intent of having him/her provide health care services in medically underserved areas or to underserved populations.
  • Foster in each student a desire to pursue medical education as a continuous and lifelong process.

Description

A first-year student is admitted as a B.S. Natural Science – Health Sciences major.  A seat in the Physician Assistant Program is reserved pending completion of all prerequisite coursework, core curriculum requirements, direct patient contact experiences, and meeting the program’s published academic standards. Four academic semesters, at a minimum, are required to complete the prerequisite coursework and core curriculum requirements.  Students possessing a bachelor’s degree are admitted directly to the Physician Assistant Program.

The program is three years (33 months) in duration and affords each student an understanding of the medical sciences and their application to clinical situations. The first two academic years are devoted to didactic work in the basic medical sciences, fundamentals of clinical medicine, professional issues, and the psychosocial aspects of health care delivery. Students spend the third year completing 40 weeks (about 2,000 hours) of supervised clinical practice experiences in various teaching hospitals, clinics and physician offices.