Department of Physician Assistant Studies
Rachel Ditoro, EdD, MSPAS, PA-C, Program Director
Physician Assistant Program Mission
The mission of the Salus University Physician Assistant program is to graduate collaborative clinicians who will serve the healthcare needs of a global community with intelligence, compassion, and integrity.
Master of Medical Science (MMS) Physician Assistant (PA) Program
Our competitive, full-time, 25-month Physician Assistant (PA) program prepares graduates to join one of the fastest-growing professions in the country and become integral members of today’s healthcare delivery team. The program consists of a 12-month didactic phase and a 13-month clinical phase. Upon successful completion of the program, students receive a Master of Medical Science degree (MMS).
The program is patient-centered with a primary care philosophy and holistic approach, so our students appreciate the need to care not only for the patient, but about the patient. Our outstanding faculty is accessible and committed to the personal and professional development of our students.
Early clinical experiences plus innovative teaching through small group and case-based learning are integral to the program. The Clinical Phase is dedicated to supervised clinical practice experiences that afford direct patient care in primary and specialty care disciplines.
Salus University Physician Assistant students receive:
- A strong basic science and pathophysiology foundation for clinical medicine
- Anatomy instruction with an onsite full cadaver dissection lab augmented with virtual anatomy
- Innovative, evidence-based instruction integral to the development of critical thinking skills
- Observational patient care introduced in the first year
Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies