20 Year Report

The OHSU PA Program recently hosted an all-alumni reunion banquet to commemorate our twentieth anniversary.  The evening was filled with reminiscing, reconnecting, and celebrating the many program successes and our graduates. The OHSU Physician Assistant Program 20 Year Report provides a summary of the impact the program and graduates have had on the health care workforce during our first 20 years.

Program Accreditation Status

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Oregon Health & Science University, Division of Physician Assistant Education sponsored by Oregon Health & Science University. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.

Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be September 2025. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.

Program Background

The OHSU PA Program was established in 1995 with the mission of preparing physician assistants to provide primary care services to medically underserved communities. The Program graduated its first class in September, 1997.  In the spring of 2001, the PA Program became a free-standing Division within the School of Medicine.

The OHSU PA Program is a 26-month, full-time course of study leading to a Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree. A class of 42 students is accepted each year with classes starting in June. The didactic phase of the Program is 12 months; the clinical phase lasts 14 months.

Oregon Health & Science University

The university campus is located in beautiful Portland, Oregon. As Oregon's only public academic health center, OHSU is devoted to health sciences education, patient care, research and outreach services. OHSU's educational programs are included in the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, and Nursing. The 386-acre campus encompasses many locations including OHSU Hospital and Doernbecher Children's Hospital; Collaborative Life Sciences Building; Center for Health & Healing; West Campus in Hillsboro; dozens of primary care and specialty clinics; three research institutes; and several outreach and public service units. Also located on the campus are the Shriners Hospital for Children and the Portland Veteran's Administration Hospital.

The OHSU PA Program ranks 10th among graduate level physician assistant programs in the nation in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings.