Application window open for UC NKY Campus PA program

Applications for University of the Cumberlands Northern Kentucky Campus Physician Assistant (PA) program on UC’s 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 health care professionals who practice medicine with physician supervision. In health care facilities, 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, Program Director on UC’s 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 health care and focus on those communities as well.”

Students who enroll in UC’s Northern Kentucky Campus PA program have the opportunity to complete their Master’s degree in 27 months. The first 16 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 one month of professional development to prepare students for the national certification exam. More information pertaining to the UC Northern Kentucky Campus PA program’s curriculum can be found at ucumberlands.edu.

“I am excited to lead the program and to be part of bringing in top-notch students who will bring health care forward in this area and beyond,” said Whitaker. “We have a great team that we are continuing to build. University of the Cumberlands has a good reputation and is forward thinking, while maintaining the institution’s mission and appreciating the intentions of the college’s founders. I think this is a program people will be talking positively about across the region.”

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.

Located in Williamsburg, Kentucky, University of the Cumberlands is an institution of regional distinction offering quality undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and online degree programs. Learn more at ucumberlands.edu.