May 13: Master of Physician Assistant Studies degrees will be presented

The Department of Physician Assistant Studies Hooding Ceremony for the Master of Physician Assistant Studies Class of 2017 at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences will take place on Friday, May 12, at 2 p.m. at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Official diplomas will be granted during University of North Dakota Commencement on Saturday, May 13.

Thirty-three students will receive their Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree. The program comprises a 24-month curriculum and includes a combination of online coursework, classroom experiences on campus and clinical experiences under the supervision of a physician or physician assistant in rural or under-served primary care areas.

The primary mission of the University of North Dakota Department of Physician Assistant Studies is to prepare selected students to become competent physician assistants working collaboratively with physicians, emphasizing primary care in communities within North Dakota as well as regionally, nationally and globally.

With this mission, the goal is to improve access to health care, help alleviate shortages of primary care providers and deliver quality, affordable and comprehensive health care to rural or underserved populations.

To date, the program has 1,780 graduates who are employed throughout the United States (including Hawaii, Alaska, and the Virgin Islands), Canada, and overseas. The program’s success in meeting its mission is evidenced by the following over the past three graduating classes:

• 75 percent of recent graduates are employed in primary care practices;
• 57 percent of recent graduates reside in the same city or town as when they graduated (trained and retained as medical providers in home areas); and
• 44 percent of recent graduates are practicing in a rural area (defined as fewer than 25,000 people).

SMHS Senior Associate Dean for Education Gwen Halaas and Associate Dean for Health Sciences Tom Mohr will offer welcoming remarks along with Department of Physician Assistant Studies Chair Jeanie McHugo. Associate Professor Eric Johnson, medical director for the SMHS Department of Physician Assistant Studies, will deliver closing remarks. Awards will be given to academically outstanding students, committed preceptors, and students who performed well on their scholarly projects. Students will be hooded by their family and friends.

For a complete list of the graduates with their hometowns, please visit https://goo.gl/rKjRrj.

— Denis F. MacLeod, Assistant Director, Office of Alumni and Community Relations, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 777.2733, denis.macleod@med.UND.edu