The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has officially accredited Berry College’s Physician Associate program.
The Berry PA program is set to start this August with the first 28 students and will grow to 40 students by 2027. Students who successfully complete the 127-credit hour, 24-month residential PA program, will earn a Master of Medical Science degree.
“This milestone is a testament to the expertise of our PA Program faculty and demonstrates Berry’s ongoing commitment to meeting the needs of our region through collaboration with local healthcare providers,” said Berry Provost David Slade.
The program will emphasize rural health medicine and is the first of its kind in northwest Georgia. Berry seeks to recruit future PAs with a specific interest in the region. Partnerships with multiple health systems and private clinics in Georgia will support supervised clinical practice experiences for students in their second year.
Approval of the PA program coincides with the construction of the new Morgan-Bailey Health Sciences Building. Slated for completion early this summer, the 36,000-square-feet of academic space will include simulation suites, skills and physical assessment labs, active learning classrooms as well as mock operating and exam rooms. The design of the new building, near the heart of campus, will create immersive learning experiences that combine practical skills with traditional education.
The ARC-PA is the only accreditation body for PA programs in the U.S. PAs must graduate from an accredited program to seek national board certification. The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) is the only certifying organization for PAs in the US. Additionally, state licensing boards require PAs to graduate from an accredited PA program.
More at berry.edu/academics/graduate-studies/physician-associate/.
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