SEU Launches New Physician Assistant Program
June 23, 2019
Master of Science in Physician Assistant program at SEU to prepare graduates for one
of the fastest-growing and in-demand jobs in healthcare today
Morristown, N.J. (July 23, 2019) – With an aging population and a looming shortage of doctors and nurses, the United
States is facing skyrocketing demand for physician assistants (PAs) to provide routine
medical diagnosis and care. Saint Elizabeth University is answering the call for trained
professionals in this highly-skilled specialty with a new degree, the Master of Science in Physician Assistant, with the first class to begin in October 2019.
One of just four programs in New Jersey, SEU's 28-month MS PA program provides a rigorous
curriculum that aims to equip graduates with strong medical knowledge, as well as
the critical thinking, interpersonal and communication skills that define effective
practitioners.
"The launch of the PA program is a significant achievement, especially for the size
of a school such as Saint Elizabeth University," said Dr. Helen J. Streubert, president
of SEU. "We are proud that this new program not only continues SEU's longstanding
tradition in the area of healthcare education, but also underscores SEU's mission
to provide leadership through service to others started by the Sisters of Charity
nearly 120 years ago."
Newly-renovated space in Henderson Hall houses the new program. Funded through a $5
million bequest from the estate of 1951 graduate Antoinette Anastasia, the area offers
students real-life clinical experiences with state-of-the art classrooms and a 12-bed
clinical assessment lab, as well as a Simulation Center with interactive mannequins
and task-trainers, six standardized patient evaluation rooms, virtual dissection tables
and a video-capture system to provide students with immediate feedback on their patient
interaction skills.
"The students we will be enrolling are coming to Saint Elizabeth University with a
passion to bring medical care to a patient population that is underserved," said Dr.
Medea Y. Valdez, director of the PA program at SEU. "Through this new program, we
will be transforming students' lives and they in turn will transform the lives of
those in need of medical care."
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc.
(ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Provisional* status to the Saint Elizabeth University
Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Saint Elizabeth University.
For more information about the program, visit www.steu.edu/mspa.
*Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource
allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet
enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program's ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards
or when a program holding Accreditation-Provisional status appears to demonstrate
continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation
of the first class (cohort) of students.
Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It
is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class.
The PA Program's accreditation history can be found at: http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-st-elizabeth-university/.