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Physician Assistant Certificate Program
Related Links
- PA Admission Steps
- Current Course Sequence (pdf)
- Current PA Program Costs
- PA Program Financial Aid
- Frequently Asked Questions
- PA Program Equipment & Book Fees
- Competencies for the PA Profession
- Current PA Masters Program w/ SFU
- Physician Assistant Program Staff
- Application Checklist and Advising
Our Mission
We promote excellence in education in order to produce competent, ethical and compassionate health care providers who are ready to fulfill the roles and duties of the primary care physician assistant, recognize and promote the value of diversity, and who are committed to lifelong learning.
AACC's Physician Assistant Program Profile PDF
View our program goals, mission, philosophy and more
AACC's PA Program Goals and AchievementsPDF
View our achievements based on our program goals
NCCPA Pass Rate Summary Report 2008-2012PDF
View first time pass rates on boards
What We Offer
Our full-time curriculum is twenty-five (25) months long and includes subjects in applied medical and behavioral sciences, patient assessment, clinical medicine, procedural skills, health policy, professional practice issues, and supervised clinical practice. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).
The ARC-PA has granted Continued Accreditation to the Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Anne Arundel Community College. Continued accreditation is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.
Continued 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remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards.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 comprehensive review of the program by the ARC-PA will be September 2018.
Current Master's degree program effective for all students graduating by 2015
AACC Physician Assistant students will earn a master's degree while completing the physician assistant certificate through a partnership between Anne Arundel Community College and Saint Francis University (SFU) in Loretto, Pa. Under the agreement, 13 hours of SFU online coursework are paired with 20 hours of clinical rotations at AACC for a Master of Medical Science degree. The program takes place during the student’s second year of matriculation at AACC.
Proposed Master's degree program for students beginning matriculation in May 2014
The Anne Arundel Community College PA program and the University of Maryland Baltimore Graduate School (UM) designed a comprehensive program (pending MHEC approval) to prepare future PA students to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving healthcare system. The graduate from this collaborative program will receive a certificate from AACC and a Master of Health Science degree from UM and be eligible to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certification Exam (PANCE).
Students beginning their matriculation in May 2014 (Graduating Class of 2016) will take classes at AACC Arundel Mills, a regional higher education center, and online from UM. The course sequence and the estimated costs of the collaborative program are available for your consideration and pending MHEC approval. Graduate level funding will be available to matriculating students in their first fall semester.
Course Sequence for AACC Physician Assistant Certificate Program
AACC Physician Assistant Certificate Program Costs
This page will be updated as further information about this collaboration occurs.
Review the Technical Standard Requirement for the Physician Assistant Program.
See Admission Step 1 to learn more about our PA program and how to apply!
"Physician assistants are health care professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. PAs employed by the federal government are credentialed to practice. As part of their comprehensive responsibilities, PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgery, and in virtually all states, can write prescriptions. Within the physician-PA relationship, physician assistants exercise autonomy in medical decision making and provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services. A PA's practice may also include education, research, and administrative services."
American Academy of Physician Assistants, PA Definition
