Entry-Level Dual-Degree
On Campus
Visit the School of Health Sciences
On Campus
Visit the School of Health SciencesWhether prescribing medication for a child who is sick with the flu or assisting a surgeon who is repairing a broken leg, physician assistants are highly sought-after members of the medical community. They can be found working in every health care setting, from private practice to large hospitals.
As a physician assistant, you may perform a wide range of duties, such as suturing wounds, developing treatment plans and assisting in surgery. You’ll prescribe medications, educate your patients and interpret medical tests. You’ll learn what a day in the life of a PA entails through first-hand experience in a wide variety of specialties and clinical settings.
Our entry-level Dual-Degree BS in Health Science Studies/MHS in Physician Assistant program takes you through four years of preprofessional undergraduate training and a 27-month professional component that leads to your master of health science degree. Our program is nationally recognized with almost all of our graduates securing their first-choice jobs within months of graduation.
Not only will the professional component of your training give you experience in core areas of medicine, but you’ll have an opportunity to designate a wish list for two elective rotations. This may include further experience in a core rotation, such as emergency medicine, surgery, pediatrics or placement in a specialty practice of interest to you.
Percentage of 2021 MHS graduates that passed the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination the first time.
Guaranteed seat in our Graduate PA Program, as long as standards are met.
Collin Dimler BS `16, MHS `18
Even in high school, Collin Dimler BS `16, MHS `18, knew he wanted to be a PA. After one visit to Quinnipiac’s School of Health Sciences, he knew the dual-degree Entry-Level Master's Physician Assistant (ELMPA) program would help him reach his goal as quickly and economically as possible.
“What attracted me was being able to go straight into the graduate program without a gap year or even gap month, and to have my undergraduate scholarship carry over into the graduate portion,” Dimler said.
Now a PA at Hartford Hospital specializing in neurosurgery, Dimler credits his success to a range of early clinical experiences, as well as his program’s alumni network. As an undergraduate, he shadowed PAs in several unique specialties and fulfilled his patient contact hours working as a medical assistant in a primary care setting, as an EMT, and a physical therapy aide.
“These all exposed me to what PAs actually do clinically in various settings and prepared me very well to transition to the graduate PA program,” Dimler said.
While attending a Connecticut PA conference, Dimler met Lindsey Lien, MHS '11, an alumna who helped him secure an elective clinical rotation at Hartford Hospital, where she worked. His experience and composure quickly made him stand out, paving the way to his current position.
U.S. News & World Report
This podcast, developed with current students, debuted in February 2022 under the advisement of Shahana Lee Theriault, clinical assistant professor of physician assistant studies. The project's mission is to give insight to prospective and current PA students as well as practicing PAs in the field. Current episodes discuss the journey to PA school with tips on how to "survive" once accepted while upcoming episodes will focus on specific specialties in medicine, underrepresented aspects of healthcare and leadership opportunities for PAs.
(Invitation only)
Well-qualified applicants who are not accepted into the entry-level Dual-Degree BS in Health Science Studies/Master's Physician Assistant (ELMPA) program may be invited into the physician assistant-preparation (PA-Prep) concentration, which is part of the health science studies major. Top candidates from PA-Prep will have the opportunity in their junior year to be considered for limited spaces in the ELMPA program.
Learn more about the PA-Prep Concentration within the Health Science Studies curriculum
Our undergraduate admissions counselors are here to answer any questions you may have and help you navigate the application process.