If getting the details of the PA schools in Michigan is why you are here, then we have given you that list that you desire. Read on to find out.
In the list of best jobs in the united states, Physician Assistants ranks as one of the best. Still, not many people are familiar with this course of study. In this article, I will be sharing with you important details about this profession and how you can bag a master’s degree in this field.
A physician assistant is a medical care provider with a license to practice medicine and provide health care in every single state of America. They work in collaboration with licensed physicians, to diagnose, treat and counsel patients in rural and urban areas.
Physician assistants earn one of the most impressive salaries in the united states. However, those who chose to build a professional career in this field are not drawn to it because of the high pay, they consider it because they have the passion and are committed enough to undergo what it takes to become a licensed physician assistant.
After obtaining your Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university, you can apply for a master’s program in any of these listed best Pa schools in Michigan, after which you are eligible to sit for your Physician Assistants National Certification Examination (PANCE), by National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), which gives you eligibility for a license to start practicing immediately. Please read on to find out about the PA schools in Michigan.
What Do Physician Assistants Do?
Physician Assistants are advanced medical practitioners and they run diagnoses, treat, and also monitor patients. They write prescriptions, assist with surgical procedures, order and interpret test results and also obtain and study medical history reports of patients.
They make decisions about patient care and they do so in collaboration with a doctor or surgeon. They are trained mostly in handling preventive care, patient education, and didactic and clinical training.
Employment Opportunities For Physician Assistants
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of Physician Assistants is expected to grow by a margin of 31% before the end of 2030. An estimated value of 12,200 openings for physician assistants is projected every year.
The increase in employment opportunities in this field is due to the increasing and aging world population, which warrants a need for more medical caregivers including physician assistant professionals.
How Much Do Physician Assistants Earn?
As of May 2021, the average salary for a physician assistant was 121,530 dollars. The least 10 percent of earners in this field earned about $77,940 and the highest 10% of earners saw an average income of $164,620. Data are collected from BLS.
A factor that affects the income of Physician assistants is the industry in which they work. Below is the average salary earned by professionals in several pa industries as of May 2021.
| Industry | Median Annual Salary ($) |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 128,430 |
| State, local and private hospitals | 127,240 |
| Physician offices | 121,010 |
| State, local, and private educational services | 101,040 |
The List of Best PA Schools In Michigan
After a period of extensive research and confirmation, we have come up with this list that contains the best PA Schools in Michigan.
So if you are looking to apply to get a Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree, then this is the list for you. Details of admission requirements, application deadline, and necessary information about each school are included in this list.
So without further ado, these are the best PA schools in Michigan.
- Central Michigan University PA Program
1280 E. Campus Drive
HPB 1223
Mount Pleasant, MI 48859
989-774-1730
chpadmit@cmich.edu
- Concordia University – Ann Arbor
4090 Geddes Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
734-995-7300
Thomas.dobberteen@cuaa.edu
- Eastern Michigan University PA Program
PO Box 970
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
734-487-2843
chhs_paprogram@emich.edu
- Grand Valley State University PA Program
301 Michigan Street
Suite 113
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
616-331-5700
pasoovoo@gvsu.edu
- University of Detroit Mercy – PA Program
4001 West McNichols Road
Detroit, MI 48221-3038
313-993-2474
chpgrad@udmercy.edu
- Universtiy of Michigan – Flint
303 East Kearsley Street
Flint, MI 48502
810-424-5867
- Wayne State University PA Program
259 Mack Avenue
Suite 2590
Detroit, MI 48201
313-577-1368
paadmit@wayne.edu
- Western Michigan University PA Program
1903 W. Michigan Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
269-387-5311
melinda.lockett@wmich.ed
Central Michigan University
This happens to be one of the best public universities that you can find in the united states, it is ranked #1201 – 1400 according to QS World University Rankings 2023.
Its 2-and-a-half-year Master’s degree program is patient care centered and provides an in-depth curriculum, coupled with extensive clinical hours.
The program guarantees you will be certified and licensed to work with a physician upon completion of your studies. The program ensures to incorporate and highlight solutions to health care needs of underserved communities and stresses the importance of compassionate, ethical, and competent medical practice.
They boast of a state-of-the-art Health professions building, high-tech instructional wing, laboratories, outpatient clinics, and many more.
The first 15 months of the program are dedicated to instructive learning, while the 2 last semesters of the didactic year comprise a clinical mentorship program that aims to boost your clinical education and experience in vital areas of medicine.
You can find more information on their official website.
Admission Requirements: Documentation of 500 hours of direct patient care experience, Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university, a minimum CGPA of 3.0, all prerequisite courses must have been completed within 6 years prior to application with a minimum grade of C.
Three letters of recommendation from a coworker or employer, medical professionals, and not more than one letter from a Professor. Submission of official transcripts is also required.
The deadline for this application is the 1st of September and the application is submitted via CASPA.
Tuition: $146,032.00 estimated for the entire program.
Concordia University – Ann Arbor
The 27 months pa program at Concordia university only became accredited in the summer of 2020.
This school boasts of 6 to 1 students to faculty staff ratio, hence providing a personalized learning experience to enable you to become a competent, well-learned, and empathetic physician assistant. They train you to master providing health care in a professional manner to body, mind, and spirit.
Physician assistants are expected to be able to counsel, diagnose and treat patients of various ages. Physician assistant jobs are expected to increase between 2018 and 2028, so this is a great choice of study if you are already considering it.
Students of this university go through 15 months of didactic coursework in a recently renovated wing of the school’s North building. This building boasts a large multi-purpose classroom, dry and anatomy laboratory, study cubicles, lecture halls, locker rooms, and a 10-bed skills lab.
You can find out more information on their official website
Admission Requirements: Baccalaureate degree from an accredited university, minimum of 3.0 in overall and science CGPA, all prerequisite courses must have been completed. PA-CAT test score is required.
Application is done via CASPA and the deadline for submission is January 15th.
You can find out more requirements on this page.
Tuition: $99,610 is the estimated total.
Eastern Michigan University
Worldwide, there is a high demand for physician assistants because they help to fill a shortage of medical practitioners experienced in health care system. Many people are interested in this programs and the Bureau of Labor Statistics already predicted a 31% increase in PA professionals before the end of 2030.
This is the reason Eastern Michigan University has a 24 months pa program to help train the next set of exceptional medical caregivers who are dedicated to service and empathetic. This program is held in the School of Health Promotion and Human Performance, which is within the College of Health and Human Services.
The program centers about boosting the critical thinking of students and building a patient-centered problem-solving skill in them. This school boasts of effective multiple teaching styles, specially renovated facilities for PA students, small group learning and simulation, and also it is accredited.
You can find out more information here.
Admission Requirements: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university, 2 letters of reference, all official transcripts, minimum of 3.0 CGPA, GRE scores, completion of all prerequisite courses.
Clinical experience is recommended but not compulsory.
The deadline for application is 15th of January and application is via CASPA.
Tuition: N/A
Grand Valley State University
For students seeking to become one of the best in this field of study, this school should be one you apply to.
Graduates are eligible to take the National Certification Commission on Physician Assistants (NCCPA) Physician Assistants National Certification Examination (PANCE) and can also apply for their license to work in any of the 50 states.
The mission of this school is to train Physician assistants who are competent, diverse, empathetic and have leadership skills to impact the health care system positively. They aim to instill collaborative practice, professionalism, competence in patient care, and evidence-based learning in students.
You can find out more information on their official website.
Admission Requirements: Baccalaureate degree from an accredited university, after CASPA submission and verification, you have to complete a supplemental application which will be sent to you via mail.
Altus Comprehensive Admissions Assessment score, college transcripts, minimum of 3.0 GPA on 4.0 scale, applicants must have completed all prerequisite courses, with a minimum grade of C. GRE scores, 2 recommendation Rubrics, and a minimum of 500 hours of direct patient care experience.
Application is submitted via CASPA online and the deadline for submission is the 1st of September.
Tuition: $81,988 estimated for entire program.
University of Detroit Mercy
This program helps to equip pa students with all necessary theoretical knowledge and clinical experience necessary to assist a physician with health care responsibilities.
It is a 2 years program with an impressive curriculum that builds on your clinical and academic competencies. This curriculum is enriched with courses in basic science, behavioral science, health promotion and disease prevention, methodology in medical research, etc.
The first year in this program covers didactic coursework, the second year involves improvement in the clinical expertise of students through community health education, clinical rotations, etc.
There is a 3 year course of study available to those who work and learn. In this case, the first year of didactic studies is spread across 2 years. You can find more information on their official website.
Admission Requirements: A Baccalaureate degree from an accredited university, GRE scores, completion of all prerequisite courses with a minimum grade of C and minimum CGPA of 3.0. 1000 hours of direct patient care experience, and professional recommendation letters.
Application is done via CASPA online and the deadline for submission is 15th of January.
Tuition: Find out more here
Wayne State University
This school started its pa program in 1996 and since then it has become known as one of the best institutions for pa studies. Its Physician Assistant Studies Program is located on the WSU campus and lasts for 2 years full time.
They are deeply committed to maintaining quality when it concerns the pa educational foundation. They pride themselves in raising competent and passionate physician assistants.
The most recently admitted students had an average age of 24.4 years, 9% of them were female, and had an average GRE score of 151 in quantitative and verbal, and 4.2 in writing. They had a 3.78 average CGPA and 3.87 CGPA in prerequisite courses. You can find more information on their official website.
Admission Requirements: The next class begins in May 2023, so you can start applying now, so long as you possess the following requirements.
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university
- CASPer assessment score
- Completed prerequisite courses
- 500 hours or more of direct patient care experience.
- TOEFL and GRE scores
Submit necessary documents via CASPA online. The deadline for application is on the 1st of September and the 1st of October for supplemental application to WSU .
Tuition: $45,039.54 for resident students and $96,874.68 for non-residents.
Western Michigan University
This school offers a 2 years full-time pa studies program that earns you a Masters of Science in Medicine (MSM) degree. You become eligible to take your certification exam to become a full-fledged PA.
This program which started in 1972 celebrated its 50 years of existence and the institution remains devoted to raising medical professionals who are competent, charismatic and professional medical care providers.
The first year of this program covers classroom and laboratory instruction, it also includes a part that handles research issues concerning physician assistants. The second year also referred to as the clinical year involves gaining experience from clinics, physician offices, teaching hospitals, etc. You can find out more on their official website.
Admission Requirements: 6 required prerequisite courses, a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university, minimum of 1000 hours of direct health care experience, and a minimum of 3.0 CGPA.
Applications are made via CASPA online, and deadline for submission is the 1st of December.
Tuition: $69,424.10 for in-state students, $104,136.15 for out-of-state students, $21,436 for other expenses.
What is the difference between a physician assistant and a physician?
Physicians spend a longer time in school and partake in longer hours of clinical rotations before they are able to practice. Also, physician assistants work under the supervision of Physicians.
What is the difference between a physician assistant and a nurse?
The difference is in their training, physician assistants are trained based on traditional medical education and incorporate a wider range of clinical experience than that of a Nurse practitioner.
How much do PAs earn on an average?
Physician assistants earn around 150,000 dollars annually according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What Skills and knowledge do PAs need?
Answer: physician assistants need to have properly developed clinical skills, and an in-depth understanding of medical ethics and health care administration. Other skills needed include:
- Problem-solving skill
- Critical thinking
- Effective communication
- Research skills