About Us
Vision Statement
WMU will prepare the highest quality Physician Assistants to practice primary care medicine within the changing healthcare environment of the 21st century.
Mission Statement
The department is dedicated to educating competent, caring physician assistants to practice primary care medicine with the supervision of a physician, and to providing physician assistants to serve in all areas of society, particularly underserved and disadvantaged communities.
Educational Philosophy
The aim of the program is to facilitate the acquisition of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to respond positively to the challenges and opportunities of future trends in health care delivery. The focus is on "higher order learning" to prepare the PA student for critical thinking, ethical decision-making and the synthesis and judgment of problems, based on the bio-psycho-social model. The PA student will be insightful and aware of his/her own professional role and limitations, as well as the needs, styles, and values of patients, and those of other health professionals. PA students are considered "life-long learners" of the art and science of medicine, as well as active learners who ask questions, uncover meaning and make decisions.
Departmental Goals
Students: The department is committed to educating high quality, effective Physician Assistants, who are life-long learners and who respond positively to the future challenges and opportunities in healthcare delivery.
- Community: The department is committed to contributing to the health and well being of society.
- Profession: The department is committed to promoting and developing the Physician Assistant profession.
- University and College: The department will assist Western Michigan University and College of Health and Human Services to accomplish their mission and goals as they apply to the department.
Program History
As far as longevity is concerned, the physician assistant profession is one of the newer professions around. The first academic programs in the U.S. appeared in 1965, and the baccalaureate program at WMU, founded in 1972, was the second to be established in Michigan. Its impetus was promoted by Kalamazoo physician William Birch, M.D., obstetrician/gynecologist, whose ubiquitous presence at the state capital eventually convinced the legislature that the education of physician assistants would be the "best thing since sliced bread" and Kalamazoo and WMU would be the ideal milieu for assuring its success.
Overall, the profession flourished, primarily fueled by the return from Vietnam of military personnel who were trained as medics and who wished to forge a civilian career using their acquired medical skills. Still a popular educational goal, with abundant job opportunities and generous entry-level salaries, WMU’s program attracts over 300 qualified applicants each year.
In 1998, the WMU program converted from baccalaureate to master’s degree level, a national trend and another indication that the profession has significantly advanced its stature in the short span of its existence.
Why WMU?
If you like people and if you are attracted to helping them achieve maximum good health, then a physician assistant career may be your ticket to job satisfaction, prestige, and an income that provides security for you and your family. Thanks for visiting with us, and we hope to hear from you, either through an application or with a request for additional information.
Says a recent program graduate, about his clinical rotations, "My preceptors provided me not only with the opportunity to observe and learn but also to assess, plan, and execute treatments. On one occasion, I assisted in an emergency appendectomy on a seven-year-old boy with a serious abscess. We saved the boy’s life, and it was a positive experience for all concerned."
Master of Science in Medicine
The Department of Physician Assistant offers a professional entry-level program leading to the Master of Science in Medicine. This program is solely intended as a full-time professional education curriculum allowing graduates to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE), required by all states for licensure to practice.
Program Accreditation
The program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Review Committee on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA), the review body for all P.A. programs in the country. The program is currently accredited through 2010.
What are the WMU Physician Assistant PANCE Exam Results?
For the past five years Western Michigan University (WMU) has had a 99.4% pass rate for first-time test takers of the PANCE exam. The WMU PA program consistently has a pass rate and average score above the national average. Any questions related to PANCE scores at WMU should be directed to the program director.
2008 |
2007 |
2006 |
2005 |
2004 |
|
| Total Number of First-time Test Takers at WMU | 35 |
37 |
33 |
28 |
27 |
| Pass Rate at WMU | 100% |
97% |
100% |
100% |
100% |
| Average Score at WMU | 583 |
541 |
563 |
553 |
580 |
| National Pass Rate First-time Takers | 94% |
93% |
92% |
90% |
90% |
| National Average Score | 528 |
517 |
504 |
500 |
496 |
Non-Discrimination Policy
Western Michigan University prohibits discrimination or harrassment which violates the law, or which constitutes inappropriate or unprofessional limitation of employment opportunity, University facility access, or participation in University activities, on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, protected disability, veteran status, height, weight, or marital status.
What is a physician assistant?
Physician assistants are health professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. Within the physician/physician assistant relationship, they exercise autonomy in medical decision making and provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services.
What does a physician assistant do?
- Works with patients to improve their health
- Evaluates, monitors, and diagnoses illnesses, performs therapeutic procedures, and makes referrals to healthcare resources
- Educates and counsels patients
- Promotes health and wellness within a holistic concept of the needs of individuals and communities
- Serves the needs of medically underserved and disadvantaged communities
- Accesses and contributes to the physician assistant professional literature through research and practice
- Works as a member of healthcare teams, promoting a positive public awareness of the physician assistant profession
How do I become a physician assistant?
The Physician Assistant Department is dedicated to educating competent, caring physician assistants to practice primary care medicine emphasizing health promotion and disease prevention with the supervision of a physician and to providing physician assistants to serve all areas of society, particularly underserved and disadvantaged communities.
Students study for 24 consecutive months. The first year focuses primarily on classroom and laboratory instruction and includes a research component to educate students in research issues pertinent to physician assistants. Some courses are taught by practicing physicians. The second, or "clinical," year includes a variety of experiences in community teaching hospitals, clinics, and physician offices.
The clinical experience requires rotations in the areas of pediatrics, surgery, emergency medicine, mental health, family medicine, women’s health, and internal medicine. Most rotations are located in Michigan or contiguous states. The clinical experience also involves a research project and three clinical seminars as part of the graduate curriculum.
WMU graduates earn a Master of Science in Medicine degree. They are eligible to take the certification examination offered by the National Commission on Certification for PAs (PANCE). The computer-based exam, required by all state licensing agencies, measures entry-level competencies.
Successful completion of the PANCE allows the physician assistant to use the title of PA-Certified or PA-C