Physician assistant fellowship programs train students in various specialties.
Physician assistants are health care professionals who practice medicine under the supervision of physicians, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. These professionals can complete postgraduate fellowships for advanced specialty training after completing two-year education programs in this field. Employment of physician assistants is projected to increase by 39 percent through 2018, and median annual wages in May 2008 were $81,230, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Several schools offer fellowship training programs for physician assistants.
Mayo Clinic
The Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, offers a year-long postgraduate physician assistant fellowship in hospital internal medicine. In this fellowship program, students complete medical specialty rotations that last two to four weeks, and learn through classroom instruction and direct patient care practical experiences. They work 10-hour days. Completion of this program leads to a Mayo Clinic College of Medicine certificate and makes hospitalist physician assistants more competitive in the job market. To enroll in this program, students must be graduates of a physician assistant program that is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). They also must be certified through the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants or be board eligible.
Mayo Clinic
13400 E. Shea Blvd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85259
480-301-8000
mayoclinic.org
Mayo Clinic Hospital
5777 E. Mayo Blvd.
Phoenix, AZ 85054
480-515-6296
www.mayo.edu/mshs/pa-him-sct.html
University of Illinois
The University of Illinois College of Medicine in Rockford, Illinois, offers a physician assistant program that allows students to work with specialists in community-based medical practices. They can choose to concentrate on orthopedics, urology, cardiology or nephrology. During the 12-month program, students attend medical school lectures and multi-disciplinary conferences. They also get practical experience in operating rooms, emergency rooms, multidisciplinary clinics and hospital patient care units. Fellows receive a stipend and health insurance. They must be graduates of accredited physician assistant training programs, and must hold an Illinois license along with life support certifications to appy for the fellowship. Applicants additionally must submit recommendation letters and complete a formal interview.
University of Illinois
College of Medicine
1600 Parkview Ave.
Rockford, IL 61107
815-395-5858
rockford.medicine.uic.edu
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, offers a 52-week physician assistant fellowship in emergency medicine. Students participate in weekly academic conferences, certification courses and journal clubs that introduce them to evidence-based medicine and best practice models. They also must complete a two-day emergency ultrasound course that includes both classroom instruction and hands-on experience. Their rotations additionally include the areas of pediatric emergency medicine, trauma surgery/critical care and medical intensive care.
Eastern Virginia Medical School
721 Fairfax Ave.
Norfolk, VA 23501
757-446-5812
evms.edu
Tags: Mayo Clinic, physician assistant, College Medicine, Eastern Virginia, Eastern Virginia Medical, Medical School
