Newswise — Rush University College of Health Sciences is now offering a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies designed to prepare students for careers as physician assistants as well as provide a foundation for leadership in specialty areas of clinical practice.
Rush’s Physician Assistant Studies program recently received its initial accreditation from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). Rush is currently accepting applications for admission to the first class which will begin in June of 2010.
Physician assistants (PAs) are health professionals licensed to provide medical care with physician supervision. PAs provide a comprehensive range of medical services, from primary care to performing specialty procedures. PA duties include performing physical exams, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests and x-rays, prescribing medications, treating injuries, and diagnosing and treating illnesses.
The Physician Assistant Studies program at Rush offers an innovative 33-month curriculum that will utilize the extensive resources available at Rush University Medical Center, a 671-bed academic medical center in Chicago, and its affiliates, to provide a comprehensive training and education experience.
The first 12-months of the program include lecture, small group discussion and simulation-based training to prepare students for clinical rotations. The following 21-month clinical training portion of the program will prepare students to practice as primary care providers, as well as provide a unique opportunity for advanced training in a medical or surgical specialty area.
“We are pleased to offer this new educational program, which we believe will help advance our mission to provide the very best care to patients,” said Regina Chen, MS, PA-C, LAc, Dipl. CH, director of Rush’s Physician Assistant Studies program. Chen joined Rush in August 2009 from Rosalind Franklin University, where she was academic coordinator and assistant program director of the physician assistant program.
Rush University is dedicated to training in the clinical and basic sciences of health care and medical research. Rush University is the academic component of Rush University Medical Center. It includes Rush Medical College, the College of Nursing, the College of Health Sciences, and The Graduate College.
The College of Health Sciences, established in 1975, offers a doctoral program in audiology and ten programs at the master’s level, in addition, to bachelor’s programs in clinical laboratory sciences, perfusion technology, respiratory care, and vascular ultrasound and technology. More than 2,150 baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees have been awarded.
For more information, contact the PA program at (312) 563-3234, or visit the Rush University Web site at www.rushu.rush.edu/pa-program.
Rush University Medical Center includes the 671-bed (staffed) hospital; the Johnston R. Bowman Health Center; and Rush University (Rush Medical College, College of Nursing, College of Health Sciences and the Graduate College).
Rush is currently constructing a 14-floor, 806,000-square-foot hospital building at the corner of Ashland Avenue and Congress Parkway. The new hospital, scheduled to open in 2012, is the centerpiece of a $1 billion, ten-year campus redevelopment plan called the Rush Transformation, which also includes a new orthopedics building, a new parking garage and central power plant, renovations of selected existing buildings and demolition of obsolete buildings The new hospital is being designed and built to conserve energy and water, reduce waste and use sustainable building materials. Rush is seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. It will be the first full-service, “green” hospital in Chicago.
Rush’s mission is to provide the best possible care for its patients. Educating tomorrow’s health care professional, researching new and more advanced treatment options, transforming its facilities and investing in new technologies—all are undertaken with the drive to improve patient care now, and for the future.
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