The Yale Physician Associate program accepted its first class in 1971. The mission of the program is to educate individuals to become outstanding clinicians and to foster leaders who will serve their communities and advance the physician assistant (PA) profession. The program's founder, Dr. Alfred M. Sadler Jr., served as its first director in 1970. Yale School of Medicine maintains the only PA program named "Physician Associate" program instead of a "Physician Assistant" program in the United States, as it pre-dates the formation of the accreditation body and has elected to retain its original name. [1] Note that despite the difference in name, graduates of the program will take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam and will be called a physician assistant when practicing. [2]
Completion of the 28 month curriculum results in award of a master's degree. The education is divided into two portions (a didactic and clinical phase). The faculty of the Yale School of Medicine provides the education, which is coordinated by the Physician Associate program core faculty. The didactic year includes clinical and basic sciences as well as courses in research methods, ethics and physical examination. The clinical phase is fifteen months in duration with thirteen one month rotations and two months for research. Yale University requires all graduates to complete an original thesis under the mentorship of the School of Medicine faculty. Many graduates have pursued this research topic through a Yale Downs fellowship. This fellowship provides the student with an opportunity to act out his/her ideas in an international underserved setting. The PA program offers a joint degree (MMSc/MPH) with the Yale School of Public Health.
In 2015 rankings by US News of the Best Physicians Assistant Program, Yale was ranked #20 with Midwestern University, Northeastern University, Rosalind Franklin University, and University of Southern California. [3]
In 2013 James (Jim) Van Rhee began as program director after previously having that position at Northwestern University. [4] This leadership change has ushered in an innovative era at the PA program with enhanced use of technology and problem based learning. In 2015 the program received national headline as they began development of a distance learning format for medical education. [5] This program development has not been without controversy as alumni have expressed concern over increased enrollment and the merits of distance education. [6] The development of this program is potentially delayed as the PA accreditation body identified class expansion occurred too recently for the Yale PA program. [7]
The PA program keeps with the Yale University global focus and encourages students to study internationally. The program currently has clinical sites in Uganda, Peru, Central America, and the UK. In recent years students have studied in five continents, and faculty are frequently consulted in the global development of PA and medical education. [8]
Acceptance is extremely selective. The common application for PA schools is used by Yale. The PA program receives over 1000 applicants for approximately 40 seats. [9]
Alumni have found their way into influential positions within the healthcare system. Many graduates are in leadership positions within medicine and beyond. Several past presidents of the AAPA are Yale PA Alumni. [10]
A Doctor of Medicine is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. This generally arose because many in 18th-century medical professions trained in Scotland, which used the M.D. degree nomenclature. In England, however, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.B.S.) was used: in the 19th century, it became the standard in Scotland too. Thus, in the United Kingdom, Ireland and other countries, the M.D. is a research doctorate, honorary doctorate or applied clinical degree restricted to those who already hold a professional degree (Bachelor's/Master's/Doctoral) in medicine. In those countries, the equivalent professional degree to the North American, and some others' usage of M.D. is still typically titled Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery.
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, professional school, or forms a part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, Master of Medicine, Doctor of Medicine (MD), or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). Many medical schools offer additional degrees, such as a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), master's degree (MSc) or other post-secondary education.
A physician assistant or physician associate (PA) is a type of healthcare professional. While these job titles are used internationally, there is significant variation in training and scope of practice from country to country, and sometimes between smaller jurisdictions such as states or provinces. Depending on location, PAs practice semi-autonomously under the supervision of a physician, or autonomously perform a subset of medical services classically provided by physicians.
A Doctor of Pharmacy is a professional doctorate in pharmacy. In some countries, it is a proficient graduate degree to practice the profession of pharmacy or to become a clinical pharmacist. In many countries, people with their Doctor of Pharmacy are allowed to practice independently and can prescribe drugs directly to patients. A PharmD program has significant experiential and/or clinical education components in introductory and advanced levels for the safe and effective use of drugs. Experiential education prepares graduates to be practice-ready, as they already have spent a significant amount of time training in areas of direct patient care and research.
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) is a health science university and professional school of the U.S. federal government. The primary mission of the school is to prepare graduates for service to the U.S. at home and abroad as uniformed health professionals, scientists and leaders; by conducting cutting-edge, military-relevant research; by leading the Military Health System in key functional and intellectual areas; and by providing operational support to units around the world.
The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is a medical school of the University of Pittsburgh, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The School of Medicine, also known as Pitt Med, encompasses both a medical program, offering the doctor of medicine, and graduate programs, offering doctor of philosophy and master's degrees in several areas of biomedical science, clinical research, medical education, and medical informatics.
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) is a private medical school with its main campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and additional locations in Suwanee, Georgia and Moultrie, Georgia.
Touro University Nevada (TUN) is a private university in Henderson, Nevada. It is part of the Touro College and University System. Touro University Nevada is a branch campus of its sister campus Touro University California.
Touro University California is a private graduate school focused primarily on health professions and located on Mare Island in Vallejo, California. It is part of the Touro College and University System and is jointly administered with its sister campus Touro University Nevada.
The Florida State University College of Medicine, located in Tallahassee, Florida, is one of sixteen colleges composing the Florida State University. The college, created in 2000, is an accredited medical school, offering the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree for physicians. The College of Medicine also offers a Ph.D. degree and a Physician Assistant program.
In Canada, a medical school is a faculty or school of a university that trains future medical doctors and usually offers a three- to five-year Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Medicine and Master of Surgery degree. There are currently 17 medical schools in Canada with an annual admission success rate normally below 7.5%. As of 2021, approximately 11,500 students were enrolled in Canadian medical schools graduating 2,900 students per year.
Medical education in Philippines is principally offered and developed by accredited and government recognized medical schools in the country.
The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, located in Tucson, Arizona, is one of four MD granting medical schools in the state of Arizona, affiliated with the University of Arizona. The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix was initially established as a branch campus in 2007, but became an independent medical school in 2012. The College of Medicine – Tucson campus is located at the University of Arizona Health Sciences (UAHS) center on the campus of the University of Arizona and is governed by the Arizona Board of Regents. Traditionally, the college accepted Arizona residents exclusively. However, beginning the 2009–2010 incoming class, the school changed its policy to allow for admission of "highly-qualified," non-residents.
Marshall B. Ketchum University is a private university focused on graduate programs in healthcare and located in Fullerton, California. MBKU expanded from the Southern California College of Optometry which was founded in 1904. The university was officially established as a multidisciplinary university with the addition of School of PA Studies in 2011 and College of Pharmacy in 2013. Along with Hope International University, the campus bookends the north and south sides of the Cal State Fullerton campus respectively.
The University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville is the largest of the three University of Florida Health Science Center Jacksonville colleges — medicine, nursing and pharmacy. The college's 16 clinical science departments house more than 440 faculty members and 380 residents and fellows. The college offers 34 accredited graduate medical education programs and 10 non-standard programs.
Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMUoHP) is a private, for-profit university focused on graduate healthcare education and located in Provo, Utah. It was established in 1998 and is accredited by the Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities.
Avalon University School of Medicine (AUSOM) is a private medical school located in Willemstad, Curaçao, in the Caribbean. AUSOM confers upon its graduates the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. Administrative offices for the university are located in Youngstown, Ohio.
A pathologists' assistant (PA) is a physician extender whose expertise lies in gross examination of surgical specimens as well as performing forensic, medicolegal, and hospital autopsies.
Certified anesthesiologist assistants (CAAs) are master’s degree level non-physician anesthesia care providers. CAAs are members of the anesthesia care team as described by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). This designation must be disambiguated from the Certified Clinical Anesthesia Assistant (CCAA) designation conferred by the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists. All CAAs possess a baccalaureate degree, and complete an intensive didactic and clinical program at a postgraduate level. CAAs are trained in the delivery and maintenance of most types of anesthesia care as well as advanced patient monitoring techniques. The goal of CAA education is to guide the transformation of student applicants into competent clinicians.
Rosemarie Louise Lucianin Fisher, is an American gastroenterologist. She is the Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Deputy Title IX Coordinator at Yale University.