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Types of doctoral degree programs for physician assistants

Types of doctoral degree programs for physician assistants

Doctor of Medical Science (offered by A.T. Still University)

The establishment of ATSU's new discipline-specific Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) program is an important pathway for physician assistants wishing to become leaders and scholar-educators in order to enhance the delivery of whole person healthcare to underserved populations.

Students in this exclusive post-professional, terminal PA degree program must be currently or previously certified or licensed to practice as physician assistants who want to advance their careers in whole person healthcare including:

  • Educational leadership
  • Industry leadership
  • Federal, state, local, and healthcare policy and advocacy

Doctor of Physician Assistant Studies (DPAS)*

This is a clinically-focused terminal degree anchored by clinical practicum to achieve defined clinical competencies over the course of the program. The focus is on incorporating current clinical trends and evidence-based medicine modeled after graduate medical education for physicians. Students can choose to advance their careers in delivering whole person healthcare in professions such as:

  • Primary care
  • Hospital medicine
  • Emergency medicine

Physician Assistant PhD*

Some individuals may consider enrolling in a very focused physician assistant PhD program in order to perform advanced healthcare research, fine tune their skills, or develop a specialization. This type of physician assistant doctorate program may require students to complete original research or submit a dissertation as part of their graduation requirements, additional coursework or practical training might also be components of a physician assistant doctorate program. Source: GradSchools.com

Due to the specialization of this type of traditional PA PhD program, many of these doctorally-prepared individuals are not necessarily equipped with the skills needed to address issues of the modern workplace in order to properly train the next generation of PAs.

*These programs are not offered by A.T. Still University.