Physician Assistant Program

 Accreditation

The UNM PA Program is accredited by ARC-PA. The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has granted accreditation-continued status to the University of New Mexico Physician Assistant Program sponsored by the University of New Mexico. Accreditation-continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program follows the ARC-PA standards.

The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be in 2024. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy. Accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website.

Our mission over our 25-year history has centered around primary care medicine for the underserved and rural populations of New Mexico. Our team is proud of our mission and to continue this tradition of training Physician Assistants with a focus on primary care.

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at this link.

Program Director’s Welcome

What makes the UNM PA Program unique?

• Small by design. Our small, cohort-based model fosters strong relationships among students, faculty, staff, alumni, preceptors, and community partners throughout the 27-month Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program and beyond.
• Part of an academic health sciences center. While we are small, being on a large, modern health sciences campus affords students opportunities to learn and practice interprofessionally with students and expert mentors from across disciplines.
• Medical school integration. PA students are integrated with medical students, with part of the day spent in basic science lectures and labs given by School of Medicine faculty, and the remaining portion devoted to PA specific courses, workshops, and clinical skills led by PA Program faculty.
• Hands-on training. From dissection experience in the Anatomy Lab to Continuity Clinic experience alongside a provider in the first year of training, PA education at UNM is experiential and clinically-focused.
• Experienced faculty. All of our faculty are experienced clinicians who continue to work clinically as part of their faculty role, ensuring they remain current in their practice. Our faculty are engaged in conferences and research at the state and national levels.
• Commitment to our state. As the only public PA program in the state of New Mexico, we are driven to provide physician assistants to diverse areas of New Mexico, including rural and underserved regions. During the 9 months of clinical rotations, students complete multiple rural rotations as part of their training.

I am proud of our work in the UNM PA Program and thank you for your interest. Please explore our website to learn more. We look forward to getting to know you and sharing our story.

-Laura Wylie, MSPAS, PA-C
 Program Director