Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Program

The Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Program at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine is a fantastic opportunity for individuals interested in health care. This is also an opportune time to advance health care knowledge in Nevada due to increasing demands for clinicians and the flexibility to change specialties. By participating in the PA Studies Program, students will gain the knowledge to perform physical exams, order and review medical testing, diagnose and treat illnesses, assist in surgeries, counsel patients and families on preventive health care, and much more, as part of a health care team.

The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine offers a high-quality educational experience with exceptional faculty that will boost students' prospects for career opportunities upon graduation. Since most PA students will have extensive health care hours prior to admission and are not required to complete a residency program, graduates are workforce ready as soon as they pass the Physician Assistant National Certification Examination (PANCE).

Nevada has numerous career opportunities due to its dire need of primary care providers in its many rural and under-served urban communities. This career-path is continually listed as one of the top job choices in America and has an expected 31 percent job growth rate through 2028. The average salary for PAs exceeds $100,000, and with a 25-month educational program (which means less education cost than an M.D. program), a PA has more economic and lifestyle flexibility. Opportunities for student loan forgiveness supported by The Nevada Health Service Corps (NHSC) are available for qualifying students and graduates. The NHSC, established in 1989, was created to designate areas of underservice within the State and match practitioners to those areas of need. Go to Nevada Health Service Corps/Nevada State Office of Rural Health for additional information.

The PA Studies Program at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, will undoubtedly be beneficial to individuals interested in health care and to local communities unable to keep up with health care demands.

The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine Physician Assistant Studies Program sponsored by the University of Nevada, Reno.

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 program's accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at: www.arc-pa.