Physician Assistant (PPA)

4116 William S. White Building
(810) 424-5687
http://www.umflint.edu/graduateprograms/physician-assistant-pa

Director: Stephanie Joseph Gilkey, EdD, M.S., P.A.-C., DFAAPA

Associate Professor: Chasity Falls
Associate Professor: Stephanie Gilkey
Assistant Professor: Sara Guerin
Assistant Professor: Taneisha Franklin
Assistant Professor: Natalie Little
Assistant Professor: Michael Moore
Associate Professor: Satyen Nichani
Assistant Professor: Susan Raaymakers

Physician Assistants (PAs) are healthcare providers who practice medicine. Duties include; conduct medical histories and physical exams, diagnose illness, order and interpret tests, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, counsel on preventative care, perform procedures, assist in surgery, attend to patients in every medical setting and in nursing homes, and often serve as a patient’s principal healthcare provider. PAs practice medicine on healthcare teams with physicians and other providers in every medical setting and specialty, in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories. The entry-level and terminal degree in PA education is the master’s degree. In order to maintain national certification, PAs are required to recertify as medical generalists every 10 years and complete 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years.

PA education is built on a solid foundation of basic sciences including chemistry, human anatomy, physiology, and microbiology. Healthcare experience and the study of psychology through the lifespan prior to program matriculation provides preparation to develop effective interpersonal relationships with patients, family members, caretakers, other health care professionals, third party payers, community agencies and other stakeholders.

Student PAs learn to strive for excellence in patient management across the lifespan, learning to value and respect diversity of gender identity, race, culture and disability, regardless of age.  Graduates are self-directed learners who are critical thinkers, using evidence and best practices to make sound clinical judgments.

Career opportunities for PAs are continually expanding. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of PAs is projected to grow 31 percent from 2020-2030. As the demand for healthcare services grows, PAs will be needed to provide care to patients.

Department Mission and Assessment

The faculty and staff in the Physician Assistant Department at the University of Michigan-Flint are student-centered and committed to excellence in best practices in teaching and learning, scholarship, clinical practice and service. The Department’s graduates will be highly qualified PAs who are engaged citizens and leaders in the PA profession, in accordance with standards of the American Academy of Physician Associates/Assistants. The Physician Assistant Department at the University of Michigan-Flint will prepare students to become exemplary physician assistant practitioners, leaders, and advocates for the profession and public health through best practices in teaching, learning, and service to our diverse local community and beyond.

The Physician Assistant Department actively participates in continuous assessment of the MSPA program to facilitate excellence in education in the development and implementation phases. Changes to the program and curriculum will be based on these assessments. Students admitted to the MSPA program are expected to abide by the implemented curricular changes. The Department also participates in university-wide assessment efforts for the Higher Learning Commission of North Central Accreditation.

Academic Regulations and Procedures

Students are expected to maintain satisfactory performance in their academic courses, clinical rotations, and professional/ethical conduct. While enrolled in the MSPA program, the student is subject to the policies and procedures of the program regarding academic standards and professional conduct. Because the student is enrolled in the College of Health Sciences (CHS), the student is also subject to the policies and procedures of CHS. All regulations of the University of Michigan-Flint also apply to students in the MSPA program. Students should make note of these regulations, which appear in other sections of this catalog. Specific rules and regulations adopted by the faculty of the MSPA program are presented in the sections that follow.

Grading System

The PA Program grading system details are contained in the PA Department Academic Standards Policy. 

Credit without Grade (Pass/Fail)

The pass/fail option applies only to specific courses so designated in the course schedule by individual CHS departments.  Courses elected for credit without grade are not included in the calculation of the grade point average. There are no courses within the MSPA curriculum granting the pass/fail grade option.

Changes in Course Elections (Drop/Add)

Changes in course elections include dropping and adding courses. It is the student’s responsibility to adhere to the published deadlines for dropping and/or adding a course. Granting withdrawal from the Physician Assistant Department with or without intention to return is a prerogative of the Physician Assistant Department faculty and the Professional Standards and Progression Committee.

Academic Standing

The faculty of the Department, acting on behalf of the University, has the responsibility of defining academic standards and reserves the right to remove from the MSPA program any student whose academic and professional standing, in the judgment of the faculty, is regarded as unsatisfactory. To maintain satisfactory academic standing, a student must maintain the standards documented in the PA Program Academic Standards and Professionalism Standards policies. Formative evaluation of student progress occurs throughout each semester and is monitored by the Professional Standards and Progress Committee. Students whose progress does not meet published standards are notified midterm and at the end of the term. Physician Assistant program policies can be found in the Physician Assistant Student Handbook.

Appeals Procedure 

Students admitted to the Physician Assistant Department agree to follow established policies and procedures which govern academic and professional performance, clinical competency, and ethical standards of the profession (AAPA Guidelines for Ethical Conduct for the PA Profession). Specific appeals procedures are outlined in the Student Handbook. For issues or complaints involving a faculty member, the appeal procedure should be initiated after consultation with the faculty member whenever possible.

For issues or complaints of a discriminatory or sexually harassing nature the student should consult with the University Human Resources or the Dean of the College of Health Sciences. Information regarding sexual harrassment can be found at: https://www.umflint.edu/sexualmisconduct

English Proficiency Requirements for the Physician Assistant Department

Applicants whose native language is not English and have not earned a baccalaureate degree from the the United States, Canada, or Great Britain are required to submit official test scores for the Test of English as a Foreign language (TOEFL). The TOEFL exam must be taken by and be submitted to the Central Application Service for Physician Assistant application by February 1. The minimum TOEFL scores accepted: 94-internet based, with a speaking score of 26.

Programs in Physician Assistant

The Physician Assistant Department at the University of Michigan-Flint, College of Health Sciences, offers the Master of Science Physician Assistant (MSPA) program.

Accreditation

The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Probation status to the University of Michigan-Flint Physician Assistant Program sponsored by the University of Michigan-Flint. 

** Accreditation-Probation is a temporary accreditation status initially of not less than two years. However, that period may be extended by the ARC-PA for up to an additional two years if the ARCPA finds that the program is making substantial progress toward meeting all applicable Standards but requires additional time to come into full compliance. Probation accreditation status is granted, at the sole discretion of the ARC-PA, when a program holding an accreditation status of Accreditation - Provisional or Accreditation - Continued does not, in the judgment of the ARC-PA, meet the Standards or when the capability of the program to provide an acceptable educational experience for its students is threatened. Once placed on probation, a program that fails to comply with accreditation requirements in a timely manner, as specified by the ARC-PA, may be scheduled for a focused site visit and is subject to having its accreditation withdrawn.

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-university-of-michigan-flint 

More information on accreditation is available at http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation/, or at: Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc., 12000 Findley Road, Suite 150, Johns Creek, GA 30097, (770) 476-1224.