Mountain State University’s physician assistant program, established in 1994, provides quality medical education for primary care physician assistants. Physician Assistants are well-recognized and valued members of the modern health-care team—professionals licensed to practice medicine, working interdependently with a physician. PAs are educated in the medical model, taking many of the same core courses as medical students, but their overall formal education path is much shorter.

PAs provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services:

• take patient histories,
• conduct physical exams,
• diagnose and treat illnesses,
• counsel on preventive care,
• order and interpret tests, and
• assist in surgery.

At MSU, Physician Assistants receive two years of broad education in medicine, starting with classroom and laboratory instruction in the basic medical and behavioral sciences. In the 3rd year, clinical rotations in internal medicine, family medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine, and geriatric medicine offer practical training and experience to the PA student.