| Admissions | Master of Physician Assistant Studies

MASTER OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDIES (MPAS)

Thank you for your interest in the Rocky Vista University Physician Assistant Program. The 2020-2021 application cycle will open on April 30, 2020, and closes for our program on September 1, 2020.

The goal of the RVU PA program is to support the development of clinically competent, collaborative, and compassionate physician assistants. The programs’ competency-based curriculum and its faculty provide the framework to achieve this goal, offering a learner-centered, innovative approach to medical training, promoting patient safety and primary care. Ultimately, it is the learners that make RVU a success.

This program is offered at the Colorado campus.

Accreditation Status

The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation – Provisional status to the Rocky Vista University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Rocky Vista University. Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding Accreditation-Provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students.Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class.

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-rocky-vista-university/.

PANCE Pass Rates

Student Employment Policy

Admissions Statistics

The following highlights the demographics of each cohort that has matriculated into our program:

Class Profile	2020	2021	2022
Total students	33	36	36
Female	22	29	26
Male	11	7	10
In-state	23	18	24
Out of state	10	18	12
Average age	27 (range 22-46)	25 (range 21-34)	24 (range 22-35)
Average cumulative undergraduate GPA	3.43	3.46	3.5
Average BCP GPA	3.29	3.32	3.44

Professional Licensure Disclosure Statement (PDF)

Additional Resources

RVU PA Mission and Vision

Message from the Program Director

What is a PA?

Tuition and Fees

Application Requirements

Admissions Process

Curriculum

General Information Sessions

RESOURCES

The University reserves the right to change tuition and fees at any time without advanced notice. Learn more about the tuition payment schedule, individual health insurance status, and the tuition refund process.

The Physician Assistant Program processes hundreds of applications for admissions each year. Learn more about requirements for admissions including GRE scores, minimum prerequisite course work, and GPA requirements.

The MPAS curriculum is sequenced and designed to address and integrate the entrustable professional activities in which are contained the competencies the student must achieve to successfully enter the profession upon graduation.

RVU PA STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Maria Hipp, PA

Hometown: Darby, Montana
Undergraduate studies:
BS - Kinesiology and Health Promotion at the University of Wyoming

Graduate studies, if applicable:
MS – Clinical Exercise Physiology at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse

What clubs and activities are you currently involved with?
AAPA student member currently; RVU AAPA student chapter president 2018-2019
Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Back Country Horsemen Chapter Member

Why did you choose PA?
I chose PA because I realized after 6 years of post-secondary education that I wanted to be in medicine. When I started looking at going back to school, I saw that PA programs really valued previous health care experience in choosing future health care providers. Also, PA school is very intense and requires a certain personality type and grit to be successful. My background as a clinical exercise physiologist really prepared me to take the next steps of pursuing a career as a PA.

What do you like most PA?
As a PA I will not only have autonomy as a health care provider but will have the ability to discuss difficult cases with my supervising physician. This unique characteristic of PA gives me confidence in knowing I will always be able to provide patients with the best care and advice.

What are your plans after PA school?
I am currently applying to primary care PA jobs in rural communities in Montana. I grew up in a rural town in Montana and really value the importance of community. There were several people in my hometown who helped elevate me in several ways to achieve my educational goals. I want to be a part of a community where I can give back as a health care provider, help patience focus on personal health goals, and improve their quality of life. Really embrace what it means to give back and pay it forward.

What do you do in your spare time?
In my spare time I like to be outside biking, hiking, horseback riding, and fishing. I have a 9-year-old border collie that loves to accompany me on my outdoor adventures. I try to balance study and clinic time with at least 30-60 minutes of outdoor time each day for my mental and physical health.

What advice do you have for first-year students?
My advice to first-year PA students is to not be afraid to talk about how difficult didactic year is. You are not alone in your struggle to balance school and daily life. In my experience, PA school and life was easier to balance once clinical rotations started, so keep moving onward and look forward to some relief very soon.

Click here to read previous student spotlights

CONTACT THE PA PROGRAM

COLORADO CAMPUS
8401 South Chambers Rd.
Parker, CO 80134
303-373-2008

For faster response, please direct inquiries to the PA Program:
tcoe@rvu.edu