Physician Assistant
Discover a rewarding career in medicine as a physician assistant. UNMC's top-rated degree program will take you there.
Why Study to be a Physician Assistant?
Becoming a doctor isn't the only way to enjoy a fulfilling career in medicine. Physician assistants work collaboratively with physicians to provide care in every state and in every medical setting and specialty, improving health care access and quality.
PAs provide almost all the clinical services that physicians provide, including making clinical decisions and providing a broad range of diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive and health maintenance services, including prescribing medications. PAs earn a competitive salary and work more standard schedules than doctors. As a PA, you can have a flexible career. Once obtaining your physician assistant license, you can work in any medical specialty you like.
The physician assistant profession was named the number two best health care job by U.S. New & World Report in 2024. What is a physician assistant?
Why Study to be a Physician Assistant at UNMC?
Top Rated Program
The UNMC College of Allied Health Professions physician assistant program was ranked 16th in the nation in U.S. News & World Report rankings for 2024 released April 25, 2023.
Our PA Program Accreditation statusExperience
Since 1973, we've educated thousands of PAs who now serve the state, country and world. Our graduates are exceptionally well prepared. Over the past five years, 99.7% of our graduates passed the PA National Certifying Exam on their first attempt.
Class ProfilesNCCPA PANCE Exam Performance
After graduation, students take the Physician Assistant National Certification Examination (PANCE) administered by the National Commission on the Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). The University of Nebraska Physician Assistant Program has had consistently higher pass rates for first-time takers compared to the national averages.
NCCPA PANCE Exam Performance By Campus LocationOutstanding Facilities and Faculty
As part of an academic medical center, we offer outstanding facilities where you'll learn from nationally respected faculty who will inspire you and take a personal interest in your professional growth. We foster a culture of caring for the underserved and recognize the contribution PAs make in rural and underserved populations. We recruit and graduate students who will add to the diversity of the profession.
FacultyProgram Snapshot
Program Highlights
Full Preparation
Our program has a family medicine approach yet will prepare you to practice in specialty areas and become an integral part of the health care team to meet changing patient care needs.
Overview & Degree RequirementsClerkships
Clinical education, the second phase of the program, consists of 14 months of required clerkships in specific areas of clinical medicine and 28 elective clerkships selected from specialty or primary care areas. Clerkships are in a wide range of settings, from urban to rural areas in Nebraska and other states as far as Alaska.
Mission, History, and Goals
We will be innovative leaders in physician assistant education, developing clinicians who practice evidence-based medicine and provide exceptional, team-based care to all individuals and communities.
Doctorate for Practicing PAs
The online Doctor of Medical Science Degree Program offers credentialed PAs, who wish to retain their primary role in health care delivery, the opportunity to gain additional knowledge and competencies to advance their practice, through an applied doctoral degree course of study.
Doctor of Medical Science DegreeCareers and Outcomes
Physician assistants are in steady demand among employers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics foresees the PA job market to increase 31 percent by 2029, making it one of the fastest growing jobs in the U.S.
Job Opportunities
- Hospitals
- Outpatient clinics
- Physician's offices
- Academic medical centers
- Community outreach centers
- Nursing homes
- Schools
Related Programs
Check out our online Doctor of Medical Science Degree Program for credentialed PAs, Jointly pursue education in business with an MPAS/MBA, or learn how we award master's degrees to all branches of the military through the Interservice Physician Assistant Program.
