Explore the Online Doctor of Physician Assistant Program at TUW
Physician assistants already play a critical role in the American health care system, handling many of the patient interactions once done by medical doctors. As the need for their expertise grows, physician assistants who aspire to leadership roles have decided to return to school and earn a doctorate.
As designed by Touro University Worldwide, the online Doctorate of Physician Assistant degree program prepares graduates for management positions by building on clinical experience gained at the graduate level. Those positions include jobs such as clinical manager, lab manager, and medical researcher.
Why Earn an Doctorate of Physician Assistant Degree?
A physician assistant (PA) enters the profession by earning a master’s degree, passing a national examination, obtaining a license in their state of practice and establishing a relationship with a practicing physician. It’s a position with significant demand in the United States. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 31 percent increase in the number of PAs between 2018 and 2028. The average salary for PAs nationwide in May 2018 stood at $108,610.
Working in a physician’s office, a PA examines patients, makes diagnoses and prescribes treatment for their illnesses, conditions or injuries. They can order medical tests and prescribe medications.
A PA typically decides to earn a doctorate to advance their career in their area of medicine, surgery, medical education and other areas of health care. TUW designed its program to teach post-professional students the theories and research that optimizes clinical competencies, preparing them for leadership.
Unique Aspects of the TUW Online Doctorate of Physician Assistant Degree
TUW’s Doctorate of Physician Assistant degree program is one of the first in the nation offered to students 100 percent online. This allows busy PAs to continue to do their job while they expand their skills and knowledge in a doctorate program.
Other features of the program include no residency requirement, no GRE required, a convenient online application process, accelerated admissions, and affordable tuition.
TUW instructors offer students expertise as scholar-practitioners with experience working as a PA or medical doctor. They remain actively involved with their own research and professional work. TUW has designed the program’s curriculum to apply directly to PAs and support students’ success as leaders in a global health care industry.
Students in the program build upon what they have learned in a PA master’s degree program. TUW’s main goal with the program is to develop scholar-practitioners who regularly integrate research as part of a clinical practice. Graduates also have expertise in taking the findings of academic research and translating it into solutions for real-world health care challenges.
Coursework in a TUW Doctorate of Physician Assistant Program
The TUW program unfolds in three phases. In the first phase, students take 10 core scholar-practitioner courses. They include:
- The Scholar-Practitioner Model
- Evidence-Based Medicine
- Advanced Pharmacology and Therapeutics I
- Health Care Law and Professional Practice
- Health Care Management and Delivery systems (DPA 704)
- Advanced Pharmacology and Therapeutics II
- Advanced Pharmacology and Therapeutics III
- Contemporary Professional Issues in Medicine
- Research Methods for Health Care Professionals I
- Research Methods for Health Care Professionals II
In Phase Two, students work on their doctoral research project proposal. In Phase Three, students complete and present their doctoral research projects. TUW commits to the preservation and dissemination of doctoral students’ research contributions.
The work done in the TUW Doctorate of Physician Assistant program prepares graduates for decision-making roles in the health care industry. Graduates gain broader conceptual mastery of the scholar-practitioner model, allowing them to effectively bridge the gap between research and its application in health care.
