Master of Physician Assistant Studies, MPAS
https://www.hsutx.edu/academics/graduate-programs/physician-assistant-program/
Tina M. Butler, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C
Physician Assistant Program Director
The Hardin-Simmons University Physician Assistant (PA) Program is dedicated to academic excellence in medical education. Our mission is to develop and prepare compassionate, professional PA providers who are committed to life-long leadership, learning and community service. Our graduates will work as part of the healthcare team to deliver exceptional healthcare to rural West Texas and under-served communities worldwide.
Physician Assistant Program Goals
- Recruit outstanding PA students that will demonstrate a commitment to community service.
- Prepare PA students for the practice of medicine as exemplified by achieving a pass rate on the national certifying examination that exceeds the national average and attainment of employment after graduation.
- Provide training opportunities for PA students in rural and under-served medical settings.
Accreditation Statement
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Hardin-Simmons University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Hardin-Simmons University. 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remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards.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 March 2032. 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 at http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-hardin-simmons-university/.
Physician Assistant Program Admission Criteria
Applications are accepted by applying to CASPA (Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants). A new class begins each fall semester in August. Prerequisites must be successfully completed prior to matriculation.
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Prerequisite Course Requirements+
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Hours
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Human Anatomy with lab*
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4
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Human Physiology with lab*
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4
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*Human Anatomy & Physiology I & II with lab may be substituted (should be taken at same institution).
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Biology with lab (2 separate courses)
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8
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Chemistry with lab
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4
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English
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3
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Microbiology with lab
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4
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Organic Chemistry with lab
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4
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Psychology
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3
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Sociology or an additional Psychology course
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3
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Statistics or Biostatistics
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3
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+All prerequisites must be earned from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university.
Applicants must earn a grade of C or better in all prerequisitie coursework before starting the program.
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Other Requirements
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Bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited college or university
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Overall GPA minimum (as calculated by CASPA)
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3.0
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Overall Science GPA minimum (as calculated by CASPA)
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3.0
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Letters of Recommendation (submitted in CASPA)
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Minimum of 3
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Beginning with the 2024-2025 application cycle, Hardin-Simmons University Physician Assistant program encourages all applicants to take the PA-CAT (Physician Assistant College Admission Test), a 240-question assessment covering nine science areas. While not currently used for admissions decisions, the program is collecting data to guide future integration of PA-CAT scores into the admission process. More details are available at https://www.pa-cat.com/.
Beginning with the 2024-2025 application cycle, the Hardin-Simmons University Physician Assistant program no longer requires the GRE (Graduate Record Examination).
Physician Assistant Program Curriculum
The Physician Assistant curriculum will be delivered on a full-time, continuous basis for a total of 27 months. Students will matriculate as a cohort (30 students) into a 12-month didactic phase, followed by 13 months of clinical education. In the final semester, the two months prior to graduation are didactic.
Year One: Didactic
Semester: Fall
Hours
| PA 6402 | Human Anatomy | 4 |
| PA 6404 | Medical Interview and Physical Exam | 4 |
| PA 6206 | Preventive Medicine & Patient Education | 2 |
| PA 6208 | Intro Health Professions & PA Practice | 2 |
| PA 6310 | Physiology & Pathophysiology I | 3 |
| PA 6112 | Medical Ethics | 1 |
| PA 6214 | Clinical Medicine I | 2 |
Semester: Spring
Hours
Semester: Summer
Hours
Total Credit Hours: 53
Year Two: Clinical
Clinical Rotations include 5 weeks (5 credits each) in the following:
Semester: Fall
Clinical Rotations 1, 2, & 3 (15 Credits)
Semester: Spring
Clinical Rotations 4, 5, & 6 (15 Credits)
Semester: Summer
Clinical Rotations 7, 8, & 9 (15 Credits)
Semester: Last Fall Prior to Graduation
Clinical Rotation 10
Total Credit Hours: 59
Total Credit Hours: 112