Purdue Global to offer new Military Physician Assistant Preparation concentration
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The U.S. armed forces is known for its frontline soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and Guardians. Behind the scenes, medical personnel are critical to keep those service members healthy, and upskilling personnel for positions such as physician assistants in medical units is essential.
To help address that need, Purdue Global has launched a new military physician assistant pathway, thanks in part to feedback from active-duty service members.
The new Military Physician Assistant Preparation (MPAP) concentration will be offered through Purdue Global’s Bachelor of Science in health science degree program.
Additional Information
“There is a large demand for physician assistants in the military, and it was one of our most frequently requested programs when we surveyed service members who were working on degrees,” said Richard Orona, who serves as Purdue Global’s director and a professor of military health and nursing. “Military physician assistants (PA) could transition to the private sector after one’s military service is complete. The military PA credentials are civilian-equivalent, and we know there is a need for physician assistants in the nonmilitary market, such as in physicians’ offices and hospitals.”
The concentration includes the academic prerequisites needed before one can be accepted to the military’s Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP). Completion of the MPAP concentration serves as a preparation for, and not a direct qualification for, the IPAP offered by the U.S. military.
Enrollment in the MPAP concentration is limited to active-duty U.S. military Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Space Force, Reservists and National Guard service members. If a student is not accepted to IPAP, they can complete their studies at Purdue Global for a Bachelor of Science in health science and apply to civilian PA schools.
Completion of the MPAP concentration does not guarantee admission to the IPAP, and the military may change IPAP prerequisites.
“We have made it easy for the service members to be in this program. The popularity is off the charts,” Orona said. “Purdue Global is happy to help service members achieve their educational dreams and missions.”
Orona and Rebecca Zolotor, interim dean of Purdue Global’s School of Health Sciences, were recent guests on the “Your Next Mission” podcast, where they talked about the MPAP concentration and other degree programs.
Purdue Global is Purdue’s online school for working adults. Purdue Global proudly serves approximately 10,000 military-affiliated students, which include uniformed personnel, veterans and eligible dependents.
About Purdue Global
Purdue Global is Purdue’s online university for working adults who have life experience and often some college credits. It offers flexible paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, military service and previous college credits, no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and backed by Purdue University. For more information, visit https://stories.purdue.edu/purdue-global/.
Writer/Media contact: Matthew Oates, 765-496-6160, [email protected]; @mo_oates
Source: Richard Orona
