Career Advancement for PAs
Updated: 01/17/2018
About 1.9% of PAs have obtained a doctoral degree of some sort (PhD, EdD, DHSc, DPH “public
health”, PsyD, PharmD, DHEd, DHA “healthcare administration”, DGH “global health”,
DPA “public administration” etc.) according to the 2014 Statistical Profile of Certified PAs
released by the NCCPA in 2016. PAEA’s 2014 Faculty and Program Director’s Report showed
174 faculty held doctoral degrees, with 30 DHSc, 15 EdD, 56 PhD, 12 PharmD, and other (JD, etc.).
Of the 48 program directors who responded, 19 held a PhD, 10 DHSc, 7 EdD. Degree creep is upon
our profession as it has affected many of our colleagues in the healthcare workforce. With increased
competition from our peers, we are continually being challenged to step up to the educational demands
of our employers and address the deficit in leadership and education nationwide. Doctoral degrees,
while not the be-all-end-all of expertise, can offer physician assistants an opportunity for career
advancement in many areas, including public healthy policy, education, and administration. This
is why so many physician assistants have chosen to seek higher education - to open up new
opportunities. While some may argue that doctoral degrees are unnecessary to obtain these
potentials, not every PA will be offered the same experiences in the same amount of time with
the same amount of experience.
Many PAs wonder about the incentives for pursuing a doctoral degree. Some include:
Most PA programs require a doctoral degree for tenure status, which can make you
- more marketable if you are considering education (Dean or program director)
Governmental jobs pay higher based on degree attainment
Some private sector jobs offer higher financial incentives for higher degrees, most do not
Competition faced against DNPs
International opportunities to work in global health
Administration and organizational management gateway
Feasibility of conducting research as the primary investigator and applying for grants
Managing public health departments or providers
In as many as 27 states, nurse practitioners are allowed to practice independently of their
supervising physician (full autonomy), which has created lots of competition to hiring PAs for
those same positions. Qualified individuals are not receiving adequate compensation for lacking the “proper credentials.” There are many fields in which a doctoral degree is already required, such as physical therapy, pharmacy, audiology, psychology, and advanced nurse practitioners. Arguably, some PAs feel this is a major threat to our profession and that PAs need to develop a degree specific to our profession or as an entry level degree. Unfortunately, there are few degree programs that allow PAs to pursue an advanced route in medicine to enhance their careers especially in a cost-effective manner.
Click here to read the Clinical Doctorate Summit (used to be available for free) which highlights
many of the opinions centered around the doctoral degree, degree-creep, and deciding what the
terminal degree should be for physician assistants.
Some of the more difficult questions you might ask yourself if you are considering a doctoral degree:
What are my plans after I obtain the degree and how long will it take me to obtain the degree?
How time consuming will this be, can I afford it, and how invested in it am I?
How do PAs work toward advancing their career in leadership within the larger administration
they work within?
What programs or training are available beyond pursuing an MBA, MHA or PhD?
Should I get a doctoral degree in healthcare sciences? Beyond education, what new career
opportunities justify the expense of obtaining a DHS? Same question applies to DHed and EdD.
Doctor of Health Science (DHSc) Programs
Currently, there are 2 DHSc programs that are well attended and known by PAs,
although MCPHS and many other universities have also started programs. Both programs are academic
instead of clinical doctorates. Both are doctorate degrees in the health sciences, so each degree will allow you to do similar work as with a MPH. PAs have a great opportunity for lateral movement in medicine, but the struggle remains to move up vertically in any hierarchy. The DHSc has brought forth administrative opportunity and responsibility. Obtaining a doctoral degree can make any candidate more marketable, but keep in mind that a DHSc may not improve what you are already capable of clinically. Patients may be better served by a doctoral degree that offers a different area of expertise, such as public or global health, hospital administration, or leadership/organizational behavior. These specialty areas can make PAs more of an asset.
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Outcomes: prepare students to better understand, effectively manage and
evaluate solutions to ongoing challenges of healthcare access, cost, and quality
Knowledge and skills to excel in project management, decision-making,
organizational leadership, establishing evidence-based standards and gaining competencies
to apply research to professional practice
64 credit hours of distance education + 1 week residency in AZ
8 quarters long, may start in any quarter, take 1-2 classes per quarter
No on campus requirement except graduation
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70 credit hours total
Cost: $34,370
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Outcomes: provide evidence based knowledge in health sciences, including health
professions education, epidemiology, global health, health policy, clinical professionalism
and ethics, and effective delivery of culturally competent services to populations and
individuals in U.S. and internationally
Online course delivery with an internship and practicum, doctoral analysis, two 1-week
on-campus institutes
No dissertation required, complete the program in as little as 2 years (or up to 3.5 years),
1-2 classes per semester
61 credit hours at $628/semester hour = $38,308
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MCPHS Boston, Massachusetts
Outcomes: pursue educational opportunities in teaching in higher education or leadership
in healthcare delivery organizations, advanced managerial and administrative positions
within private care facilities, government agencies, pharmaceutical industries, clinical and
research settings, etc.
Part-time option available, two-1 week Boston residencies in January and July
Dissertation required
Two concentrations:
Admission requirements: master’s degree, 3.0 GPA, 3-5 years of health related work
experience
54 semester hours at $870/credit hour = $46,980
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Admission requirements: master’s degree, GPA 3.0+, master’s level statistics course and
master/doctoral level research methods course, 4+ years experience as a professional
clinician, public health examiner, educator in health-related field or HCA, healthcare
manager/administrator
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Admission requirements: graduate degree, 2+ years full-time managerial or professional
experience in healthcare, 2 letters of recommendation, interview
Doctor of Physician Assistant Studies Programs
In February of 2014, Lynchburg College in Virginia announced its plans to develop a doctoral PA
program to suit the needs of the future of health care and PA students. They have notified the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) of their decision. Director and Founding Chair,
Jeremy Welsh, DHSc, PA-C, says that a degree beyond a master's would be beneficial to those seeking
leadership positions such as a program director or chair. It would also allow PAs in emergency medicine
to gain expertise in the specialty. The program will consist of a fellowship, advanced didactic training in
leadership, and a commitment to student research. This training could also prepare someone for
teaching PA education as some PA educators lack a doctoral degree. Students wishing to enter this
degree program would first graduate from Lynchburg College's Master of PA Medicine (MPAM) program
and pass the PANCE. The first graduates will be in May 2018.
Outcomes: leadership and organizational behavior, healthcare management and law, disaster
medicine, and global health
Clinical fellowship in any area of medicine
9-12 months of academic and clinical preparation
Admission requirements: master’s degree
Admission requirements: GPA 3.2+, state licensure and current NCCPA certification, work
experience (preferred), MPAS or equivalent
23 total credits over 5 semesters
Physician Assistant to Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
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Fast tracked, 3-year medical school curriculum leading to Doctor of Osteopathic
Medicine degree
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1st year of didactic instruction
2 primary care focused clinical clerkships: 1 family medicine, other in general IM,
pediatrics, family medicine, or OB/GYN
2nd year of didactic instruction
48 additional weeks of clinical clerkships
12 students accepted annually: 6 undeclared (students take residency of their choice),
6 primary care (commit to 5 years in family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics or OB/GYN)
Admission requirements: PA-C, GPA 2.7+, at least one physics/organic chemistry course
with lab, minimum 23 on MCAT, U.S. citizen or permanent residency
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Doctor of Public Health
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Outcomes: lead practice-based research, influence public health policy, effect change
in health systems and institutions, and assume key roles in the public health community
at local, national, and international levels
Distance based learning with a one time 3-day summer institute
Dissertation required
28 semester hours
Dual-Degree Programs
Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS)/Master of Public Health (MPH/MSPH)
Pros
Cost of dual program can be cheaper than getting MPH by itself
Less time than if you were to get both degrees separately
Requires less coursework than separate programs
Do not have to author two theses
Access to global or public health careers
Access to hospital or administrative roles (health policy/management)
Access to academia
Access to more jobs, internationally
Government jobs pay more with an MPH
Some employers will pay for your tuition
Cons
Increases overall program length
Costs at private institutions can be expensive
Less ability to specialize with your public health degree (most are general)
Some PA programs do not have accredited MPH programs, which matters if you are
seeking government jobs
Schools Offering
Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS)/Master of Healthcare Administration(MHA)
If you’re looking to become an administrator of a hospital or health care education, you’ll probably
want to look into dual programs that offer MPAS/MHA degrees. Other PAs who move into administrative
positions also have Master of Business Administration degrees, in which case you could also look
into doing a MPH/MHA or MPH/MBA degree before PA school as well. If you’re looking into management
after PA school, you could apply to become an operations manager (junior administrator) and eventually
be promoted to operations administrator (hospital administrator). It is highly advised that if you’re looking
into health care administration, you go with a program offering a dual MHA program.
MMs-PhD Program for Physician Assistants
Wake Forest School of Medicine - a 5-7 year program that combines a Master of Medical
Science in PA Studies with a PhD in Molecular Medicine and Translational Science (MMTS)
This program primarily targets students interested in clinical research, community research
and translation of knowledge into improved human health
Lab research is supervised by physician scientists and molecular medicine pathway is clinically
oriented, and after research and dissertation are complete, the PA facet begins with connections
to population and translational research applications.
PhD candidates also gain mentored experiences in teaching.
