Take the First Step Towards Your Calling in our PA Program in Chicago
The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 31 percent* increase in job growth for physician assistants from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations.
And it’s no wonder that this career path is a desirable one, with the autonomy and speed to practice it provides - not to mention the fulfillment of treating patients and their families in a collaborative care environment. Get the support you need to enter this rewarding field through Chamberlain’s PA school in Chicago.
*https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm#tab-1 (visited January 2022). Data reflects a projected percentage change in employment from 2020-2030 and may not reflect local economic conditions.
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Prepare for Practice with a Hands-On, Comprehensive Curriculum
Take the first step toward your career as a physician assistant with confidence
In two years of study in our PA program in Chicago, learn to diagnose illness, order and interpret diagnostic tests, conduct physical exams, develop and manage plans of care, prescribe medications, provide preventive healthcare counseling and assist in surgery to care for patients across clinical settings.
Prepare to start a career in general medicine, in close collaboration with a licensed physician and healthcare team, at our Chicago program. You’ll benefit from:
Chamberlain’s PA program is committed to ensuring that our graduates have the competencies required for PA clinical practice. The following are the program learning outcomes/competencies our graduates will have achieved:
Medical Knowledge
Apply medical knowledge in the assessment, diagnosis and management of patients across the lifespan to prevent, diagnose, and treat acute, chronic, urgent, and emergent disease states.
Interpersonal & Communications Skills
Communicates effectively with patient populations and other healthcare providers in managing the healthcare of individuals, families, aggregates, and communities.
Clinical and Technical Skills
Incorporate clinical and technical skills while performing medical and surgical procedures essential to PA practice.
Clinical Reasoning and Problem-Solving
Synthesize history, physical examination, and clinical diagnostic findings to develop management plans appropriate for the patient’s medical and/or surgical conditions.
Professional Behaviors
Demonstrate a high level of responsibility, compassion, commitment to ethical practice principles, sensitivity to diverse patient populations, and adherence to legal and regulatory requirements.
Practice-based Learning & Improvement
Integrate evidence from scientific studies and multiple sources to improve practice using systematic methods in collaboration with other members of the health care team.
Create a holistic and inclusive practice environment with awareness to personal and system biases, culture, individual preference, gaps in medical knowledge, and physical limitations of self and others.
Systems-based Practice
Engage in inter-professional teams in various healthcare delivery settings and coordinate care to improve and optimize health care delivery and patient-centered care.
Consider environmental influences, socioeconomic factors, health care disparities, and other population level determinants to promote health and wellness of communities and patients.
Advocate for health policies that promote quality, safe, and cost-effective healthcare at the micro, meso and macro levels.
Utilize medical information, clinical data systems and knowledge of funding sources and payment systems to provide effective, efficient and cost-effective patient care.
Chicago Campus Location Information
2718 West Roscoe Street
Chicago, IL 60618
888.707.7063
Mon - Fri: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Our Chicago Campus
Join an inclusive student community at our new campus in Chicago
Newly built in 2021 and designed specifically for PA program students, our modern Chicago campus is equipped with a brand new lecture hall, lab group areas, individual H&P exam rooms and advanced procedural task trainers with ultrasound capabilities.
Featuring stunning views of the Chicago skyline, our beautiful new campus is right in the heart of the city. When you join our PA program, you’ll be near grocery stores, coffee shops, restaurants, gorgeous historic buildings and so much more!
After class, head outside for a scenic walk through Clark Park and enjoy a riverside picnic while you watch local crew teams row by. Want to walk or bike to class? This centrally located campus is near it all. Driving in? There’s plenty of parking available outside our building if you’d rather commute by car.
PA Program Requirement FAQs
The following courses are required to have been completed within the last 10 years with a grade of C or better for our PA program in Illinois:
|
Area of Study |
Courses |
Semester Credit Hours |
|
Biology (choose one) |
General Biology – with lab |
3 |
|
Anatomy & Physiology (choose one) |
Human Anatomy and Physiology |
8 |
|
Microbiology |
Microbiology – with lab |
3 |
|
Chemistry (choose one) |
Biochemistry – lab preferred |
3 |
|
Statistics (choose one) |
Statistics |
3 |
|
Psychology (choose one) |
General Psychology |
3 |
With limited seats available, applicants who meet the following criteria may have an advantage for our PA school in Chicago:
- 300+ hours of clinical healthcare experience
- 16+ hours shadowing a physician assistant
- Military or veterans
- Chamberlain students and alumni
- Resident of a designated medically underserved area
We encourage you to apply early to secure a spot. Request information to get started.
A maximum of 24 qualifying credits may be transferred, and a grade of ‘B’ or higher is required. Courses must have been taken at the graduate level and designated as a Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine or a Physician Assistant course. An admissions representative can get you started with a transcript evaluation so you know what is eligible to transfer before you enroll. Request information to learn more.
MPAS Program Performance, Goals and Outcomes
Program Performance
Goals and Outcomes
View Chamberlain’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies program goals and outcomes.
Exam Performance (PANCE)
Review Chamberlain’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies PANCE exam performance rates.
Attrition
See Chamberlain’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies attrition rates.
Policies
There are three documents that include the policies, procedures, rules, and regulations that apply to physician assistant students regarding academic, professional, and behavioral performance. These include the Chamberlain University Academic Catalog, the Master of Physician Assistant Studies Student Handbook and the Master of Physician Assistant Studies Clinical Handbook.
Taken as a whole, these documents should provide the student with the guidance necessary to thrive in Chamberlain’s physician assistant program. The program policies apply to all students, principal faculty, instructional faculty, Program Director, and Medical Director regardless of location. During the clinical year, it is possible that certain program policies will be superseded by those at the clinical site.
See a list of our Master of Physician Assistant Studies program policies.
Meet the Faculty
Learn from experienced healthcare educators
Fran Angerer-Fuenzalida PhD, MPH, PA-C
Dean and Program Director, MPAS Degree Program
Francine M. Pearce, MD
Medical Director, MPAS Degree Program
Abbey Baus PA-C, AAHIVS
Assistant Professor, MPAS Degree Program
Sophia Macarol, PA-C
Assistant Professor, MPAS Degree Program
Ashley Ramos, PA-C
Assistant Professor, MPAS Degree Program
Pamela N. Ihenachor-Lefor DMSc, MMSc, PA-C
Assistant Professor
MPAS Degree Program
Sachi Patel, MSPAS, PA-C
Assistant Professor
MPAS Degree Program
PA School Frequently Asked Questions
To enroll in Chamberlain’s PA school in Chicago, you can have a bachelor’s degree with any major. However, you will need to make sure you have taken the prerequisite courses for admission.
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants both work at an advanced practice level of care. Physician assistant education uses a medical model,
while nurse practitioner education uses a nursing model.
PA programs typically take between 2-3 years to complete. You can earn a degree in as few as 2 years at Chamberlain’s MPAS program in Illinois.
To become a physician assistant, you will need to earn a bachelor’s degree, complete prerequisite science courses, earn a graduate level degree
from an ARC-PA accredited PA program and successfully pass the PANCE, the national certification exam.
Request more information about Chamberlain’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies program.
Many PA programs will enroll for the fall, with some having starts in winter and spring too. Chamberlain’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies program is enrolling for a start date of August 29, 2022.
Accreditation
Learn more about accreditation and approvals for Illinois PA school
Chamberlain University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (www.hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
See accreditation and state authorization information or view a full list of program approvals by state.
The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the Chamberlain University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Chamberlain University.
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 http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-chamberlain-university/