So you‘re considering becoming a physician assistant? As one of the fastest growing careers in healthcare, more and more people are intrigued by this rewarding profession. Physician assistants (PAs) provide a crucial role on healthcare teams by delivering a broad range of medical services under doctor supervision.
To launch your career and gain life-changing experiences caring for patients, a comprehensive PA education is key. Keep reading to learn all about the excellent PA programs offered right in metro Atlanta! I‘ll overview what makes PAs so important, specifics on training pathways, insights into top local programs, and tips to put yourself on the path to success.
Why the Demand for Physician Assistants is Skyrocketing
With the population aging and many Americans gaining health insurance coverage, demand for healthcare services is rising steadily. A doctor shortage looms while chronic illnesses like obesity and diabetes continue escalating. Physician assistants help:
- ✅ Increase Access to Care: PAs expand healthcare access in underserved locales through their availability to see more patients. Studies show appointment wait times are shorter with PAs on the team.
- ✅ Provide Comprehensive Services: Acting as doctor extenders, PAs conduct physicals, order and interpret tests, diagnose conditions, develop treatment plans, prescribe medications, and assist surgeries matching physicians in most everything except the most complex cases.
- ✅ Enhance Practice Efficiency: By managing less complex cases and paperwork, PAs enable physicians to focus expertise on the most critically ill. This streamlines workflow, reduces costs, and boosts patient throughput.
These capabilities are why physician assistant ranks #1 on U.S. News & World Report‘s 100 Best Jobs list with a #5 spot in their Highest Paying Jobs ranking. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects 31% PA job growth through 2030, over 4X the average rate! And Georgia leads with the 5th highest employment level for PAs in 2020.
With so much demand, Atlanta healthcare providers eagerly recruit graduates from local PA programs. Specializing your skills further intensifies interest. For example, Emory University reports 100% job placement for graduated PAs across their adult medicine and generalist tracks.
What is a Physician Assistant?
Physician assistants offer an accelerated pathway to healthcare practice through specialized master‘s degrees allowing them to examinations, diagnosis, prescribing, procedures, surgeries, and other duties similar to doctors across medical fields.
Close physician oversight lets those with deep medical expertise guide PA activities while also offloading routine cases for greater productivity through task shifting. This symbiotic practitioner relationship expands access to quality care.
To become a PA, one must:
- ✅ Earn a Bachelor‘s Degree: Meet prerequisite courses like biology, chemistry, psychology and statistics
- ✅ Obtain Direct Patient Care Experience: Get hands-on practice through roles as EMTs, nurses, medical assistants, etc.
- ✅ Complete an Accredited PA Master‘s Program: Curriculum includes classroom and clinical work over 2-3 years
Upon graduation, certifying exams test medical and clinical knowledge while state licensing allows legal healthcare delivery under defined scopes of practice.
Because Atlanta contains several premiere healthcare education institutions, it offers fantastic options to gain these PA credentials!
Why Get Your PA Degree in Atlanta?
From top-tier universities to community campuses, Atlanta trains over 2,500 future PAs and other advanced clinicians annually. Here‘s why it makes for the perfect educational springboard:
✅ Abundant Experiential Opportunities
Renowned university medical centers plus private specialty groups, FQHCs, VA and state facilities, rural clinics and more offer clinical rotation slots providing real patient care experience. Students gain exposure across settings to clarify specialization preferences through this access.
✅ Interprofessional Training
Through joint simulations and activities with programs like nursing, pharmacy, PT and medical school, PA students build team dynamics increasingly essential delivering collaborative care.
✅ Cutting-Edge Facilities and Technology
Modern educational buildings contain lifelike simulation labs with high-fidelity mannequins and virtual reality to practice suturing, resuscitations and difficult patient conversations risk-free. Students fall behind without this contemporary focus.
✅ Strong Industry Partnerships and Job Prospects
Well-integrated faculty and clinician contacts foster mentorships and open doors to post-graduate employment through the built-in networking infrastructure.
Top Atlanta PA Programs Providing Superb Training
Let‘s explore metro Atlanta‘s four top-tier PA programs in detail regarding academics, specializations offered and graduate successes. Comparison shopping helps highlight unique strengths suiting specific interests and professional aspirations.
Emory University – #15 Nationally Ranked PA Program
Highlight: Ability to tailor experience through adult medicine versus generalist tracks
A highly respected name carrying prestige, Emory‘s program challenges students through a fast-paced 7-semester plan initiated after required undergraduate degrees are completed. Their physician associate curriculum comprises:
Didactic Stage: An immersive classroom experience with lectures, small groups, simulations and labs building core medical knowledge needed for patient care responsibilities
Clinical Stage: Rotations across 40+ specialties at Emory University Hospital, Emory Saint Joseph‘s Hospital, Grady Hospital, VA clinics and other sites. You‘ll practice examinations, diagnoses, treatment plans and technical skills through 1500 supervised direct patient contact hours.
Two paths cater learning for career ambitions:
- Adult Medicine: Coursework concentrates more on managing chronic diseases for roles centered around internal medicine, geriatrics and related fields.
- Generalist: Adds pediatrics and OBGYN focus for those interested in family medicine, emergency care, surgery and acute illnesses.
The small cohort fosters tightknit mentor relationships with preceptors guiding skills development through personalized feedback. Graduates especially valued the patient diversity, teaching excellence and camaraderie built connections sustaining into professional collaborations post-graduation.
Program Details:
- 93% Board Exam Pass Rate
- 13 Full-Time Faculty
- 48 Students Per Class
- $39,600 Annual Tuition
Emory University Hospital – One of the top-ranked clinical training sites
Morehouse School of Medicine – Emphasizing Primary Care in Underserved Communities
Highlight: Passionate focus on caring for disadvantaged patient populations
Established in 1984 as Georgia‘s first PA program, Morehouse has an esteemed legacy training those delivering healthcare to marginalized communities. The 27-month curriculum thoroughly prepares you for urban and rural primary care practice through:
Didactic Phase: Broad foundation through course modules on clinical medicine topics
Clinical Phase: Culturally-informed patient care training via five rotations in family medicine, pediatrics, women‘s health and community mental health totaling 800 hours focused on common conditions.
Faculty with public health perspectives mentor students to manage health equity challenges through a patient-centered lens. Graduates gain cultural competency making them ideal providers serving disadvantaged locales.
Many alumni work in Community Health Centers, the VA system, correctional facilities and related settings improving access. Others obtained additional credentials as hospitalists or specialists.
Program Details:
- 100% Board Exam Pass Rate
- 12 MD & PA Faculty
- 36 Students Per Class
- $10,350 Annual Tuition (In-State)
Morehouse School of Medicine – Emphasizing primary care access
South University – Offering Tracks Supporting Varied Careers
Highlight: Pathways excelling in surgery, mental health, emergency care and more
Based in Savannah, GA with a metro Atlanta campus, South University‘s PA program admits one cohort annually for an immersive 27-month experience including:
Didactic Stage: An organ systems-based curriculum progressing from basic to clinical sciences
Clinical Stage: Rotations across emergency, family, internal and pediatric medicine. Additional electives supporting specialization:
- Cardiology
- Surgery & Surgical Subspecialties
- Women‘s Health
- Infectious Disease & Endocrinology
- Mental & Behavioral Health
- Orthopedics
- Gastroenterology
- Oncology
- Neurology
Small classes enable abundant faculty guidance. Students also complete research or community health improvement projects.
Program Details:
- 100% Board Exam Pass Rate
- 10 MD and PA Faculty
- 30 Students Per Class
- $31,140 Tuition
Georgia State University – Atlanta‘s Newest PA Program Option
Highlight: Strong interprofessional focus on team-based care
Georgia State launched their PA program in 2016 earning quick accreditation status through fast-tracked programming centered on collaborative clinical environments. The 27-month schedule has just 12 days off annually given the packed course load and early patient contact.
Training happens through a mix of classroom and clinical work focused on primary care across aging populations. You‘ll study typical disease presentation and management plus evidence-based therapies demonstrated to improve outcomes. Lifelike mannequins and standardized patient actors aid honing skills.
Required clinical rotations encompass family medicine, internal medicine, general surgical, emergency medicine, pediatrics, OB-GYN or behavioral health electives and an underserved population experience. Faculty help arrange sites catering interests near graduation.
Interprofessional simulations require working alongside nursing, PT and medical students delivering integrated care in replicated scenarios. This interdisciplinary approach reflects the collaborative team foundations in clinical settings.
Program Details:
- 100% Board Exam Pass Rate
- 8 MD, OT and PA Faculty
- 30 Students Per Class
- $20,068 Tuition
Inside the Life of a PA Student
Wonder what it‘s like to walk in the shoes of a student within these programs? Expect an intense yet exciting educational journey!
✅ Rigorous Didactic Preparation
The first classroom-based year equips you with medical knowledge needed for patient care duties. This means swallowing the textbook as days fill with:
- Lectures & Exams: Faculty teach core concepts you must command like pharmacology, physical diagnosis skills, urgent care protocols, specialized medicine overviews and more. Testing ensures retention and academic standards are met to progress.
- Reading & Writing: Many hours outside class involve assigned textbook chapters, research articles and clinical guideline review. Reflection and term papers build analytical abilities.
- Labs & Simulations: You‘ll practice suturing techniques, respond to codes, examine simulation mannequins, use microscopes, test blood samples and more through hands-on learning that sticks.
- Patient Case Analysis: Small groups discuss real patient scenarios including reviewing history notes, interpreting imaging tests, mapping anatomical correlates, identifying diagnoses, outlining management plans and other key critical thinking steps that become second nature.
✅ Clinical Rotations Catalyzing Real Competencies
The second year sends you to hospitals, clinics, operating rooms and bedsides through clinical rotations exposing you to specialties and direct patient care. Preceptorships entail:
- Patient Management: You‘ll conduct visits interviewing patients, doing physical exams, ordering appropriate tests and labs, compiling notes into electronic records, calling consults, prescribing therapies, educating on care plans and following up across affiliated sites.
- Rounding & Operating: Daily rounds follow patients‘ progress across hospitalizations determining next steps. You may assist in surgeries, work trauma codes in the ER, deliver babies alongside OBs/GYNs or respond to other emergent care situations based on the specialty focused that month.
- Presentation & Documentation: Expect presenting your approach through oral case reports plus written/EHR notes. Clear recording remains imperative legally and for coordinating ongoing care between providers.
Faculty monitor progress offering feedback while signing off on clinical hours toward certification.
What Career Paths Can You Pursue as a Physician Assistant?
With multifaceted medical training applicably nearly anywhere, PA graduates hold broad career prospects. Many stay local entering the abundant Atlanta healthcare market. Common work settings include:
- Hospitals (inpatient, ER, surgery, etc.)
- Outpatient Clinics (family medicine, specialty care)
- Urgent Care Centers
- Skilled Nursing & Rehab Centers
- Correctional Facilities
- Community Health Centers
- Educational Institutions
- Research Organizations
The specific environment and specialty depend on passions and credentials pursued. For example, Morehouse grads lean toward federally qualified health centers serving marginalized groups whereas Emory‘s adult medicine track funnels PAs toward hospitalist roles.
Finding Your Perfect PA Program Fit
Choosing the right PA school proves challenging given metro Atlanta‘s offerings! As you compare programs, consider:
- Location: Is campus commutable from your home? Clinical partners accessible?
- Cost: Compare tuition and budget for cost of living if relocating. Most new PAs take 5+ years paying loans.
- Curriculum Style: Do you prefer an intense pace or more gradual progression? What specialization options appeal?
- Culture Fit: Get a feel for learning environments and teaching styles through website content, tours and current student perspectives.
Building a competitive applicant profile through academic success, healthcare experience and passion for practice establishes entry. All accredited programs teach the competencies needed for state licensing exams and clinical work.
Select the one enabling your success through the right personal fit and financial commitment. Thousands find the journey wholly worthwhile advancing community health!
Let Your Career Take Flight with Metro Atlanta‘s Premier PA Training
The need for talented physician assistants continues rising across the country – especially in a major metro hub like Atlanta striving toward better population health outcomes. These top-tier local PA programs provide rocket fuel for your career through excellent teaching, abundant hands-on opportunities, and pathways tailored to ambitions.
Now that you know how the PA role improves healthcare access and what it takes to enter this booming field, are you ready to advance your career while making a difference for those needing compassionate care? Contact program admissions offices to get informed on next steps for potential entry this application cycle!
