Where are classes and labs held?
Our students learn and practice their skills in the new 325,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art Center for Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences located on our North Haven Campus. The North Haven Campus is designed for collaborative learning for students pursuing degrees in medicine, nursing, law, education and the health professions.
The facility features 24 teaching laboratories, including an orthopedics lab, a rehabilitative sciences lab, a clinical skills lab, an intensive care unit, a health assessment lab, a physical exam suite, a physical diagnostics lab, a motion analysis lab, and other special amenities that set it apart from other universities offering health sciences programs. The Center for Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences also features an operating room suite with two additional high-fidelity simulation rooms, 48 pro-section stations, 16 standardized patient rooms, multiple team study rooms, student lounges, a vending area, an expanded health sciences library, a 350-seat auditorium, 17 additional classrooms and 10 seminar rooms that seat from 12 to 150 students.
How is the curriculum organized?
The program begins with an intensive 4-semester didactic phase covering the core medical and clinical sciences. Students then enter the clinical education phase consisting of 7 core and 2 elective clerkships. The program concludes with a final semester of comprehensive review and
evaluation.
Are there clinical experiences during the first year?
During the first year, students are introduced to the clinical aspects of their training by being paired with a licensed health care provider one day a week. These pre-clinical clerkships enable students to strengthen their clinical skills (history, physical, written and oral presentations) and
knowledge acquired in the classroom to the actual care of patients early in the program.
What can I expect in terms of clinical rotations?
Clinical rotations include 7 core rotations of 6 weeks duration in the following areas: family practice/primary care, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics/gynecology, general surgery and emergency medicine. In addition, there are 2 4-week electives where students may choose to gain additional experience in one of the above areas or a sub-specialty of interest. The clinical rotations are done within an extensive network of fieldwork experiences, which includes hospitals, medical centers, clinics, extended-care facilities and nursing homes.
If I am accepted at Quinnipiac, can I select any of my own rotations during the clinical year?
The PA program faculty determine the clinical placements for the 7 core rotations. Students have the opportunity to designate a "wish list" for the 2 4-week elective rotations. This may include further experience in a core rotation, a sub-specialty of interest, and/or placement in a desired geographic area.
Where are the clinical rotations?
The 6-week clinical residencies are done predominantly in Connecticut, with a limited number in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Placement is determined by PA program clinical faculty that customizes rotations to best complement a student's academic and clinical experiences, expertise and personality. Each student will do rotations in health care institutions of various sizes, populations, settings and resources to ensure positive and diverse clinical experiences.
How are the employment opportunities for Quinnipiac Physician Assistant Graduates?
Two sets of statistics help to emphasize the outstanding employment opportunities for physician assistants. In 2019 the PA profession was ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the #1 best healthcare job. In addition, in the 2016-2017 Occupational Outlook Handbook, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics listed physician assistants as one of the top occupations with the highest percentage of employment in the next decade, with a predicted increase in jobs of 37% between 2016-2026.
More information on job outlook is available at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website
How are employment opportunities for Quinnipiac physician assistants?
Looking specifically at Quinnipiac PA graduates, 100% of the Class of 2019, who responded to our employment survey, were employed in their jobs of first-choice within 7 months of graduation. It’s important to keep in mind that graduates determine when they take the PANCE exam, therefore affecting employment dates. The mean salary of Quinnipiac graduates is higher than the mean for new PA graduates nationwide. Quinnipiac graduates are employed throughout the United States as our program has a strong reputation nationally. Graduates go into all areas of practice, with the largest percentages going into emergency medicine or critical care, primary care, surgery and internal medicine.
Technical standards for the program?
The physician assistant certificate/master of health science degree signifies that the holder is prepared for entry into the practice of medicine. Students in the Quinnipiac University Physician Assistant Program must possess ability, aptitude and skills in these areas: observation, communication, motor, intellectual, behavioral/social and physical demands. The technical standards for the QU PA program can be accessed on the website.
What are your NCCPA board passage rates?
In 2019, the Physician Assistant Program at Quinnipiac University had an NCCPA PANCE pass rate of 98% for first-time takers. Quinnipiac PA students consistently perform successfully on the PA national certifying exam (PANCE), with a 99.2% first-time taker pass rate in the last 5 years.
What are some of the unique aspects of the Quinnipiac PA program?
A number of our strengths can be summarized in the PA program mission statement that includes:
- Clinical Competence — Developing highly qualified health care providers who demonstrate an investigative and analytic approach to clinical situations and provide care that is effective, safe, high quality and equitable.
- Professionalism — Providing care with respect, compassion and integrity with a commitment to excellence and on-going professional development.
- Interprofessionalism — Preparing students for a term-based care system through interprofessional education.
- Leadership — Working effectively with health care professionals as a member or leader of a health care team or other professional/community group. Mentoring and developing future leaders within the profession and the community.
- Community outreach — Demonstrating responsibility and accountability to patients, society, and the profession through active community involvement and volunteerism.
- Cultural humility — A state of openness toward understanding and respecting important aspects of other people’s cultural identities. This requires an awareness of one’s personal and professional beliefs, biases, attitudes, and actions that affect patient care and a commitment to ongoing professional development. (PAEA Core Competencies for New Physician Assistant Graduates, 2019)
Nationally known for its community service, the Quinnipiac University PA program has annually made the maximum contribution to the CT Physician Assistant Foundation, which provides scholarship money to qualified students in a CT PA program. The Quinnipiac University PA Student Society has also received numerous awards from both state branches of the National Kidney Foundation and American Lung Association.
Another unique aspect of our program is the national-involvement of Quinnipiac University PA faculty. Many of the program faculty members are involved in state and/or national leadership positions, including members who have served nationally with the AAPA and PAEA. William Kohlhepp, a current faculty member and the former Dean of Health Sciences at Quinnipiac University is the past President of the PAEA (Physician Assistant Education Association).