Physician Assistant (PA) Program

What is a PA?
As the physician shortage intensifies, physician assistants (PAs) will provide a critical role in meeting the primary care needs of an aging population in the United States. The PA profession is one of today's fastest growing health care fields.
Physician assistants – also known as physician associates – are licensed to practice medicine with physician collaboration. Trained mainly in primary care, PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery and may also write prescriptions. PAs practice in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology and surgery. They may also work in specialty fields such as cardiovascular surgery, orthopedics and emergency medicine.
Detroit Mercy PA graduates go on to work in all areas of medicine and many can be found in leadership position in most of the major health systems in the metro Detroit area. Several of our graduates have continued their education in selective post graduate residencies. Find out more about the PA profession at the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) website.
The PA Program is for graduate students and leads to a master's degree. But the University offers multiple ways to pursue your PA education at Detroit Mercy, including beginning as an undergraduate.
Undergraduate paths to a PA degree
- Pre-PA program – For undergraduate students, the Pre-PA path takes you through a rigorous curriculum in biology, biochemistry or chemistry to prepare you to enter the Physician Assistant graduate program. When you earn your bachelor's degree, if you meet the criteria at the time of application to the graduate PA program, you'll be guaranteed an interview with the PA admissions committee. This is special consideration for Detroit Mercy Pre-PA graduates only. See the Pre-PA page for details and contact information.
- Accelerated Five-Year Program – Detroit Mercy was the first to offer a five-year, entry-level master's degree PA program in Michigan. "Entry-level" means that you enter the University as a freshman and five years later you graduate with both a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Science in Physician Assistant. Learn more about the Five-Year PA Program.
Graduate paths to a PA degree
There are two- or three-year possibilities for graduate students to pursue their PA master's degree.
For information on admission on other topics, see the PA Frequently Asked Questions page.
Excellent Certification Rates
Your successful completion of the program qualifies you to take the Physician Assistant National Certification Examination (PANCE), and Detroit Mercy graduates have excellent PANCE certification rates.
The Detroit Mercy PA Program meets educational requirements to practice in Michigan. Graduates may find more information on licensure from the State of Michigan's Bureau of Professional Licensing.
Note: The University has not made a determination of whether our curriculum meets the PA requirements in any other state. Students are urged to contact the specific licensing board in the state in which they intend to practice in order to ensure they are in full compliance with the education, practice and certification requirements.
Accredited since 1972
Detroit Mercy's Physician Assistant Program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) and has been continuously accredited since 1972. The PA Program also holds membership in the Association of Physician Assistant Programs and is host to a student AAPA chapter.
-
Accreditation Details
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the University of Detroit Physician Assistant Program sponsored by the University of Detroit Mercy. 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 June 2029. 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-university-of-Detroit-mercy/Our web address is https://healthprofessions.udmercy.edu/academics/pa/gradARC-PA Student Attrition University of Detroit Mercy PA Program12000 Findley Road, Suite 150
Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA)
Johns Creek, GA 30097
770-476-1224
http://www.arc-pa.org -
Preceptors
-
Additional Resources
PA Professional Organizations
- Michigan Academy of Physician Assistants (MAPA)
- American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA)
- National Commission on Certification of PAs (NCCPA)
- Student Academy of the American Academy of Physician Assistants: The SAAAPA Web Site functions as an information resource for PA students across the country as well as those interested in exploring a career as a physician assistant.
- Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant: The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) is the accrediting agency that protects the interests of the public and PA profession by defining the standards for PA education and evaluating PA educational programs within the territorial United States to ensure their compliance with those standards.
Job and Financial Aid Links
- Medical Opportunities in Michigan (ACE MAPP Careers):
MOM is a free service of the Michigan Health Council, a nonprofit organization established in 1943. MOM helps physician assistants connect with the Michigan communities and healthcare employers that need them. - MedCareers
Online database of healthcare job opportunities and resumes. - Michigan State Loan Repayment Program
The Michigan SLRP provides loan repayment assistance to medical, dental and mental health care professionals who are willing to provide full-time health care services in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) at a not-for-profit health clinic for two or more years. - Federal and state help to pay off students loans
From ExploreHealthCareers.org, a free, multi-disciplinary, interactive health careers website. - The National Health Service Corps
The National Health Service Corps (NHSC), through scholarship and loan repayment programs, helps Health Professional Shortage Areas in the U.S. get the medical, dental, and mental health providers they need to meet their tremendous need for health care.
Academic Resources
- Medscape
Medical news and information, continuing education and conference coverage. From WebMD. - Prescribing Reference
PA prescribing reference - 12 Lead EKGs
Reading 12 lead EKGs - US National Library of Medicine
U.S. National Library of Medicine The world's largest medical library and creator of MEDLINE/PubMed - HSTAT
HSTAT is a free, Web-based resource of full-text documents that provide health information and support health care decision making. HSTAT's audience includes health care providers, health service researchers, policy makers, payers, consumers and the information professionals who serve these groups. - PubMed Central (PMC)
PubMed Central (PMC) is the U.S. National Library of Medicine's digital archive of life sciences journal literature. Access to PMC is free and unrestricted. - Postgraduate Medicine
Free access medical research and articles on medical topics. - Biomed Central
The research articles in all journals published by BioMed Central are open access. They are immediately and permanently available online without charge.
Other Professional Organizations
Related Links
Recent Detroit Mercy health professions and nursing news
-
Goals, Objective and Outcomes
The University of Detroit Mercy Physician Assistant Program developed its program goals as a reflection of the Competencies for the Physician Assistant Program in conjunction with the mission and vision statement of our College and University, as well as respect for the historical dedication to service of our founders. A complete list of program goals, objectives and outcomes can be found online: