Physician Assistant Program

Physician Assistant Program mission

The Physician Assistant Program is administered within the Department of Family & Community Medicine. Student instruction is provided by the physician assistant faculty as well as by integrative instruction with the School of Medicine. Students will spend a large part of their mornings in basic sciences lectures and labs given by School of Medicine faculty and at least 6 hours in small group tutorials in the PA classrooms. Afternoons are devoted to PA classes, workshops, and clinical skills.

In keeping with the Program's mission, much of the curriculum is devoted to preparing the student for eventual service in the under-served and rural areas of New Mexico. Many of the clinical clerkships will be in rural communities and require the student to be away from the metropolitan areas for as much as half their clinical time.

A Bachelor of Science degree and a certificate of completion of physician assistant education will be awarded upon successful completion of the curriculum.