Master of Physician Assistant at East Carolina University

The Physician Assistant at East Carolina University is a Full Time Master program offered at the university's main campus in Greenville , United States of America. The program is delivered on campus in English and can be completed in 2 years. Students develop academic knowledge and practical skills that prepare them for future careers in this field. The next available intake starts on August 21, 2027.

About Master of Physician Assistant

Do you have a genuine desire to help people? Are you interested in working as a front-line primary-care provider in an evolving profession?

The goal of the physician assistant program is to provide a primary care-oriented, rural-based training program for entry-level health-care professionals. You must have a bachelor's degree before entering the intensive 27-month PA professional track which begins in August of each year.

As a physician assistant (PA), you will provide health-care services under the supervision of physicians. PAs take medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and interpret laboratory tests and X-rays, make diagnoses, and prescribe medications. They also treat minor injuries by suturing, splinting, and casting.

In most states, including North Carolina, PAs have the delegated authority to write prescriptions. Physician assistants' job descriptions may also include patient education, medical education, health administration, and research.

You will study a wide variety of topics related to the profession to prepare you for a hands-on career. Physician assistants do not have to complete a residency or internship.

Department Website
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Program Director: Alan Gindoff (4310-K Health Sciences Building; 252-744-1700; [email protected])

The Department of Physician Assistant Studies in the College of Allied Health Sciences at East Carolina University (ECU) has held continued accreditation since 1996 with students graduating from the program receiving a master of science in physician assistant studies. The program is focused on providing the skills, knowledge, and professional behaviors necessary to provide: high-quality, compassionate, evidenced based, professional, patient centered, interdisciplinary primary care to those in rural/medically-underserved areas of eastern North Carolina and beyond.

The highly structured rigorous curriculum is divided into 2 phases, the didactic phase and clinical phase. The didactic phase consists of traditional lectures, small group teaching, hands on and skills labs, simulation, active learning and case-based learning. The didactic phase is 15 months in length and consists of 59 semester hours conducted on ECU's Health Science campus. The clinical phase is delivered over a 12-month period and consists of 46 semester hours of clinical rotations (8 required and 2 elective). During clinical rotations students spend 4-6 weeks in areas such as family medicine, woman's health, pediatrics, emergency medicine, surgery, hospital and clinic based internal medicine, psychiatry and geriatrics where they are mentored by licensed health-care professionals (physicians and physician assistants) to develop competence in: Professionalism, performing history and physicals, ordering and interpreting lab studies and imaging modalities, critical thinking and differential diagnosis generation; and developing management plans which are required to graduate and enter clinical practice.

Admission Prerequisite Requirements

The following courses are to be completed prior to entering the program and require at least a 3.0 GPA.

chemistry with lab: one full academic year
genetics: one semester
human anatomy and physiology with lab: one full academic year
medical terminology: one semester
microbiology: one semester
psychology: one semester
statistics: one semester

Degree Requirements

The degree requires a minimum of 105 s.h. as follows:

Core courses - 59 s.h.

PADP 6001 - Principles of PA Practice I
PADP 6002 - Principles of PA Practice II
PADP 6003 - Principles of PA Practice III
PADP 6004 - Principles of PA Practice IV
PADP 6010 - Diagnostic Methods I
PADP 6020 - Diagnostic Methods II
PADP 6030 - Clinical Gross Anatomy
PADP 6040 - Human Physiology
PADP 6050 - Introduction to Clinical Medicine
PADP 6150 - Clinical Medicine I
PADP 6200 - History and Physical Exam I
PADP 6210 - History and Physical Examination II
PADP 6220 - History and Physical Examination III
PADP 6250 - Clinical Medicine II
PADP 6510 - Pharmacology and Therapeutics I
PADP 6520 - Pharmacology and Therapeutics II
PADP 6530 - Pharmacology and Therapeutics III
PADP 6640 - Evidence-Based Medicine
PADP 6650 - Surgery and Emergency Medicine Skills
PADP 6690 - Introduction to Clinical Practice
PADP 6800 - Behavioral Medicine and Psychosocial Issues in Health Care

Note:

To continue to the clinical portion of the curriculum, the student must successfully pass all didactic courses listed above with an overall 3.0 GPA and no more than 6 s.h. of Cs.

Clinical courses - 46 s.h.

PADP 6310 - Behavioral Medicine Clinical Practicum
PADP 6325 - Family Medicine Practicum I
PADP 6326 - Family Medicine Practicum II
PADP 6335 - Internal Medicine Practicum I
PADP 6336 - Internal Medicine Practicum II
PADP 6340 - General Surgery Clinical Practicum
PADP 6350 - Emergency Medicine Clinical Practicum
PADP 6360 - Pediatrics Clinical Practicum
PADP 6370 - Women's Health and Prenatal Care Clinical Practicum
PADP 6380 - Geriatrics Clinical Practicum
PADP 6390 - International Medicine Clinical Practicum
PADP 6395 - Physician Assistant Studies Clinical Practicum
PADP 6501 - Bridge to Professional Practice I
PADP 6502 - Bridge to Clinical Practice II

Comprehensive Assessment Requirement

All ECU graduate programs require students to successfully complete a comprehensive assessment. The assessment for this program is a Physician Assistant Summative Examination.

For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.

Requirements and Admission Criteria for Master of Physician Assistant at East Carolina University

Entry Requirements

In order to be considered for admission, international graduate applicants follow the same steps as a U.S. applicant with a few exceptions as identified in Red font. Step by step instructions are identified below:

Complete the ECU Online Graduate School Application: One application fee and one set of supporting documents should be submitted for each program of study applying to.
Pay the Application Fee: Payment will be made through the self-service portal prior to submission of the application. The payment portal accepts debit or credit card only.
Provide Foreign Transcript Evaluation:

An official course by course credential evaluation of all foreign transcripts indicating that, at minimum, the US equivalent of a bachelor’s degree has been awarded by an accredited college or university is required.

Provide Official Transcript(s) & Diploma Copy: A copy of your transcript(s) and diplomas showing a full education history issued in your native language as well as a notarized or certified copy in English must be uploaded to your application.
Provide Evidence of English Proficiency: If English is not your native language and you have not completed at least one year of education (minimum of 18 credit hours) at a United States school, you are required to take a standardized English language exam or complete the ECU Language Academy (ECULA).
- Language Exam Options: The Graduate School accepts either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), the Duolingo English Test or Pearson Test of English (PTE) and scores must be forwarded to the Graduate School by the testing service. The paper- or computer-based TOEFL exam is accepted by request only.
ECU Language Academy: You may choose to attend the ECU Language Academy instead of taking the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE. Also, if you do not obtain the required score on the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE, at least one session of the ECU Language Academy may be required prior to the start of your program. Successful completion of all levels of the ECU Language Academy is required for admission without TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores. More information on the ECU Language Academy, including the ECULA application, is available on the Intensive English Program website. Individual programs may have higher minimum requirements.
Provide Official Standardized Admissions Test Results: If required by the program you’re applying to, please arrange for an official score report to be sent directly to the Graduate School by the testing service (GRE or GMAT). ECU’s institutional code is 5180. ECU does not have departmental codes.
Upload Statement of Purpose: If required by the program you’re applying to, please upload a copy of your personal statement (why you believe you would be a good candidate for the program) to your application. You may want to use resources to help you write a personal statement in English such as this webinar.
Provide Letters of recommendation: If required by the program you’re applying to, please arrange to have LOR’s submitted electronically with the online application. Review your program’s application requirements to determine the number of letters, if any, that they require.
Upload Resume: If required by the program you’re applying to, please upload a copy of your most recent resume to your online application.
Provide Financial information: If/when you are admitted to a graduate program at ECU you will be required to provide certified evidence of financial resources adequate to cover educational costs and living expenses. Documents only need submitted if/when an offer of admission is extended.

English Requirements

PTEMin 65
IELTSMin 6.5
TOEFLMin 78

Career Opportunities after Completing Master of Physician Assistant

Graduates with this degree are successful in many fields and careers, including the following:

Physician Assistant
Health and Human Services
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
Physician Assistants

Career Opportunities

ECU has developed resources to help you learn more about career opportunities and job market outlook. In addition, the websites below provide specific information on careers in the various majors from which students may choose:

NC Tower

This website provides graphs and tables of in-depth information on employment rates, wages and ongoing higher education enrollment of graduates from the North Carolina Community College System and from the University of North Carolina system schools. NC Tower includes data on former UNC students who are working in roughly 90% of all jobs in North Carolina. This database excludes information for graduates who are:

Self-employed;
Work for the federal government, including the military: or
Work outside of North Carolina.

US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook

This website also provides in-depth information regarding pay, projected new jobs, required education, growth rate and on-the-job training information on various occupations.

Degree-specific internships

For information on internship information for specific majors, go to the home page of the department in which the major is located and, as available, find the link to the information on internships in that major.

Tuition and Fee Information for Master of Physician Assistant at East Carolina University

Application Fee 75

How to Apply for Master of Physician Assistant at East Carolina University

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Master of Physician Assistant at East Carolina University

East Carolina University

United States of America, Greenville