Ohio Dominican's Physician Assistant Studies Program will educate students to become well-qualified, competent physician assistants practicing in physician supervised primary care and specialty patient focused teams.  

The ODU PA Program embraces a holistic approach to the pursuit of excellence in academics, research, clinical practice and community service.

The ODU PA program will provide students with the capability to:

• Provide quality, compassionate ethical healthcare services.
• Continue to develop as professionals through the Dominican motto: contemplare et contemplate aliis tradere (to contemplate truth and to share with others the fruits of this contemplation).
• Be sensitive to individuals no matter the circumstance or background
• Work collaboratively with other health care professionals.
• Become leaders through continued knowledge, growth, research, publication and professional activity.

To maintain program standards with nationally recognized governances, the overall goals for the Physician Assistant Studies program are based upon the ODU PA Program's Mission Statement, current and future healthcare needs of an ever-changing world and the dynamic requirements of the PA profession.

It is further based upon Curricular Guidelines and Competencies for the PA Profession as well as the NCCPA Code of Conduct as ascribed by the following organizations:  

Accreditation Review Commission on the Education of Physician Assistants (ARC-PA) National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA)

These goals ensure that students in the PA program meet nationally recognized standards and attain knowledge, skills and assessments in order to be successful upon completion of the program.   The Program will achieve its mission by accomplishing the following goals:

1. The Well Qualified Competent Physician Assistant

• The Program will provide a high quality curriculum that addresses ARC-PA accreditation standards for curriculum content, PANCE Blueprint curriculum content, and current and evidence- based guidelines for quality care.
• The Program will assess student competency through assessments and evaluations in order to ensure successful completion of the Program, successful PANCE performance, and successful entry into the PA profession.

2. The Holistic Physician Assistant

• The Program will provide policies and curriculum content that identify, develop and reinforce compassion in applicants, students, and graduates.
• The Program will emphasize patient-centered care. The Program will provide curriculum content, service opportunities, and clinical experiences that address the care diverse and vulnerable populations.
• The Program will encourage participation in community service through faculty mentorship and example.
  
  

3. The Professional Physician Assistant

• The Program will monitor and promote professional behaviors during didactic and clinical years.
• Demonstrate attitudes and skills which show a commitment to professional behavior along with respect for self and others.

Ohio Dominican University's Physician Assistant Program recognizes our responsibility to state the outcomes of our goals to prospective and enrolled students.

The program assesses these goals by evaluating eight-month, post-graduate surveys of our alumni and their employers to assess the competency of the ODU PA graduate.

The program will also use students’ performance on the PANCE as an assessment of the success of our goals. 

View Assessment of PA Competencies

View Success in Meeting Program Goals

ODU's PA Program is developing partnerships with organizations in Central Ohio to engage in service opportunities throughout the community.  

Further, all students will perform a service-component during the didactic phase for the course "Diverse & Vulnerable Patient Populations."

Our belief is that a challenging atmosphere of learning, combined with a supportive atmosphere of care, brings out the best in students whose desire is to help others.

ODU's master’s program in Physician Assistant Studies promotes the Roman Catholic moral teaching on the transcendent and inherent dignity of the human person. 

The University’s faculty, staff, and students work to guard that dignity through their respect for human life from conception to natural death and by their assurance of the right to freedom of conscience for each person involved in the Physician Assistant Studies program.

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Ohio Dominican University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Ohio Dominican 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.

The program’s accreditation history document can be accessed on the ARC-PA website by clicking here.