PRINCESS ANNE, Md.– The University of Maryland Eastern Shore this week received accreditation confirmation to offer its physician assistant program.
The university said the reaffirmation will allow it to resume offering graduate-level courses leading to a physician assistant degree in the coming academic year.
Based on the review of the program by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA), UMES looks to enroll a cohort of 20 new students in August 2020 with plans to grow the program annually.
The program will be 28 months in duration and include a didactic and experiential education components. The university will award a masters of medical science in physician assistant studies to those who successfully complete the program.
Tiffany Maxwell, program director and department chair, who led the reaffirmation effort for the campus, said, “The university’s physician assistant program will be an integral part of the healthcare community by educating the next generation of healthcare providers to serve our local and surrounding communities.”
As the 16th president of UMES, Dr. Heidi M. Anderson said she made reaffirmation of the PA program an institutional priority.
“Given that all the counties on the Eastern Shore of Maryland are designated as medically underserved areas and/or health professions shortage areas, having more physician assistants is vital for our communities,” Anderson said.
Rondall Allen, dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, hired Maxwell, a veteran educator, and tasked her with coordinating the compilation of detailed material the accrediting body required of institutions to prove readiness in preparing competent and compassionate physicians assistants.
ARC-PA, after receiving the materials, stated it “appreciate the commitment and dedication to quality PA education demonstrated by (UMES’) participation in the accreditation process.”
In addition to providing endorsement for the reaffirmation of the PA program, elected leaders in Maryland also approved funds to underwrite construction of a healthcare training complex that will enhance all healthcare curricula at UMES, including the physician assistant program.
Maxwell acknowledged the program will be strengthened by the engagement with the local healthcare community, including Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Atlantic General Hospital, University of Maryland Shore Regional Health, local physicians, physician assistants and other healthcare providers.
Students in the Physician Assistant program will complete over 2,000 hours in rotations including family medicine, general surgery and mental health training. The rigorous course content aligns closely with that of medical school and the program is attractive to students of all career and educational backgrounds.
A year from now, UMES will be able to enroll an additional 25 students with another 30 to be added in 2022.
“I am so proud of Dr. Maxwell and Dean Rondall Allen,” Anderson said. “They took on this monumental task and got it accomplished in record time. And it comes just when the nation is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and needing a plethora of healthcare providers.”
For information on the Physician Assistant program at UMES, see the website: https://www.umes.edu/PA/