MS in Physician Assistant Studies - East Falls & New Jersey

Physician Assistant Program (East Falls and New Jersey) is a 25-month program dedicated to developing highly skilled, compassionate, and humanistic healthcare providers. The didactic curriculum is intentionally scaffolded, allowing students to build foundational knowledge and progressively develop advanced clinical reasoning and patient care skills throughout the program. The clinical phase is also approximately 1 year in length and includes 9 five-week clinical rotations, the Transition to the Clinical Year and the Master’s Comprehensive Experience courses.

In addition to comprehensive medical education, the curriculum prepares students to navigate today's complex healthcare environment through coursework in trauma-informed care, humanistic healthcare delivery, stress management, burn out prevention and social determinates of health. Students gain practical experience through standardized patient encounters in fall, spring, and summer didactic semesters, helping them develop communication, clinical assessment, and patient-centered care skills in realistic clinical scenarios.

Students and faculty in the Physician Assistant Program on both campuses have access to TJU services either in person on the main campus or virtually.  These services include but are not limited to: 

• Academic support through the Academic Success Center (ACS), individual and group tutoring services, access to the Writing Center, Gutman and Scott Libraries, online databases such as Access Medicine, and support from professional librarians.  The Office of Academic and Career Success supports all students with career development services and accommodation requests.
• Health and wellness service options for students are available at all program locations virtually and in-person.
•  Faculty have access to Faculty Affairs, Human Resources and faculty development/representative activity on all campuses both physically and virtually.

Both campuses feature state of the art anatomy laboratories dedicated exclusively to PA student education, where students actively participate in full cadaver dissection. Students also participate in multiple Jefferson Center for Interprofessional Education (JCIPE) experiences, culminating in a Master Comprehensive Project during the clinical year when students earn an JCIPE Certificate of Excellence in Team-Based Practice. 

Prior to entering clinical rotations, students obtain training in BLS, ACLS, Mental Health First Aid, point of care ultrasounds (POCUS), and participate in the META program (training in gynecological and other sensitive examinations), ensuring they are well prepared for clinical practice. The program leverages the extensive resources of the Jefferson healthcare network, including regular simulation experiences where students will travel to the Center City Simulation Center, and participate in advanced hands-on learning activities throughout the didactic year.

As a two-campus program, students may travel between the East Falls and New Jersey campuses, particularly during the final didactic summer semester and the clinical year, allowing the full cohort to benefit from the facilities, learning opportunities, and collaborative experiences available at both locations.

Successful completion of the Physician Assistant Program includes:

• Completing all required courses and rotations
• Maintaining a 3.0 grade point average
• Successfully passing Summary Testing
• Meeting all standards listed in the University and College Graduate Handbooks and all Physician Assistant Program Handbooks

Advanced Placement
The Program does not grant advanced standing or waivers for applicants to the Program or waivers of required coursework included in the PA curriculum for currently enrolled students. All curriculum courses and components must be satisfactorily completed as a matriculated student in the Program.

The curriculum is delivered using a variety of educational modalities to include live lectures as well as simulcasted lectured from the opposite campus, small group work, workshops and labs, live Teams lectures and pre-recorded lectures.

Students will complete nine standardized patient clinical experiences (SCPE) throughout the clinical phase of the program. These SCPE experiences are coordinated and scheduled by the program’s principal faculty. Students are not required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors.

The Remediation Policy is also listed in the program handbook and on specific course syllabi. 

Remediation - Didactic Year 

Remediation - Clincial Year 

You must complete the Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree Program within 4 academic years of matriculation. This time period includes any approved leaves of absence time and deceleration. Any student not meeting graduation requirements within 4 academic years of matriculation will be administratively withdrawn from the Program.