WILLIAMSBURG – Applications for University of the Cumberlands’ (UC) physician assistant (PA) program on Cumberlands’ campus in Florence, Kentucky are now being accepted. Those interested have until March 1, 2019 to apply.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median yearly wage of PAs in 2017 was $104,860, and the rate of employment for PAs is growing significantly faster than the national average. A recent article from U.S. News ranked Physician Assistant third on the list of “100 Best Jobs” and second for health care jobs in particular.

Physician assistants are licensed healthcare professionals who practice medicine with physician supervision. In health clinics, PAs take patients’ medical histories, perform physical examinations, diagnose illnesses, develop treatment plans and more.

“In a tri-state area like Florence, there are a ton of opportunities we can tap into,” said Blair Whitaker, PA Program Director at Cumberlands’ Northern Kentucky campus. “The PA program in Williamsburg is meeting the needs of underserved populations in rural areas, but there are also underserved populations in urban areas. This is an opportunity for us to move forward in healthcare and focus on them.”

Students who enroll in Cumberlands’ PA program have the opportunity to complete their master’s degree in 27 months. The first 15 months of the program are spent in the classroom completing didactic coursework. This portion of the curriculum is followed by 10 months of clinical rotations gaining real-world experience, and the program finishes with two months of professional development to prepare students for the national board exam. More information pertaining to Cumberlands’ PA program can be found at ucumberlands.edu.

“I am excited to lead the program and be part of bringing in top-notch students who will bring healthcare forward in this area and beyond,” said Whitaker. “We have a great team that we are continuing to build. Cumberlands has a good reputation and is forward thinking, while still keeping an appreciation of where they came from and the intent of the college’s founders. I think this is a program people will be talking about, and in a positive way.”

University of the Cumberlands Northern Kentucky Campus Physician Assistant Program has applied for Accreditation – Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). University of the Cumberlands Northern Kentucky Campus Physician Assistant Program anticipates matriculating its first class in October 2019, pending achieving Accreditation – Provisional status at the June 2019 ARC-PA meeting. 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.