As an aspiring PA, I‘m sure you have plenty of questions about where to pursue your training. I want to welcome you – as an advisor who has spent years understanding these programs – to consider San Diego‘s premier physician assistant schools.
I say this not just because I’m proud to call San Diego home, but because the data and opportunities speak for themselves. This city offers future PAs like yourself the ideal launchpad for your career, with a lifestyle to match.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll overview exactly why San Diego stands above the rest for PA training, profile our highest-ranked programs, and showcase what life is like for students here. My goal is to inform you on all key aspects so you can determine if America’s Finest City is the right fit to achieve your medical career goals.
Let’s get started!
Why San Diego is the Ideal Location to Train as a Physician Associate
While California offers 28 accredited PA programs statewide, San Diego is undoubtedly the prime destination for aspiring PAs seeking unrivaled training opportunities.
Our region simply checks all the boxes: cutting-edge health systems for rotations, direct access to pioneering medtech research, abundant career prospects upon graduation, and the famous Southern California lifestyle.
Consider that San Diego expects to add the most new PA jobs among major metros by 2028 – over 3,100 positions for a multifaceted 37% growth rate. Couple this raging demand with a low cost of living compared to other biotech hubs like the San Francisco Bay Area or Boston. Then add 70 miles of spectacular coastline and America‘s top weather. Suddenly, the complete package emerges clearly.
But the advantages for aspiring PAs run far deeper than lifestyle perks. San Diego has strategically invested billions in its healthcare ecosystem, medical training programs, and biotech sector – establishing a prime environment for PA students.
For context, San Diego’s booming healthcare scene includes:
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UCSD Health – the #1 hospital in San Diego, ranked nationally in 9 adult specialties
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Sharp HealthCare – operates 4 hospitals and 3 specialty medical centers countywide
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Scripps Health – 5 hospitals providing care for 600,000+ annually
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Rady Children’s Hospital, ranked among the nation’s top pediatric centers
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The US Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
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Hundreds of community clinics and specialty practices
Massive investments continue expanding these systems to meet rising demand. For example, Rady Children’s Hospital recently initiated a $660 million capital campaign to improve care access. Meanwhile, UCSD Health is spending $2.57 billion on a new hospital in La Jolla opening in 2025.
This immense growth directly benefits PAs through more job openings plus unprecedented rotation opportunities. Students access hands-on learning across cutting-edge facilities alongside pioneers in medicine and medical technology.
Furthermore, San Diego’s dense concentration of biotech/pharma companies (over 1,300!) allows PAs to connect directly with the latest R&D breakthroughs improving patient treatments. Our region accounts for the largest life sciences cluster in California.
When it comes to impactful research, San Diego also hosts globally-renowned institutions, including:
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Salk Institute for Biological Studies
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Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
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The Scripps Research Institute
So in summary, San Diego invests heavily to lead healthcare innovation nationwide, providing PA students unique access to these immense resources. Our local schools collaborate closely with all major players to offer unmatched training environments.
Simply put, no other US metro currently rivals San Diego for preparing the next generation of advanced practice clinicians in an emerging era of precision medicine. We set tomorrow‘s physician associates up for success better than anywhere.
Highest-Ranked PA Programs Offering Cutting-Edge Training
Within this world-class ecosystem, San Diego houses several exceptional PA programs to deliver elite training:
1. University of San Diego
As a private Catholic institution perennially ranked among California‘s top universities, USD offers a comprehensive 27-month curriculum to convey an impressive 94.4% first-time PANCE pass rate for the Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree.
The entire program engages just 70 students per cohort to ensure specialized attention. Students complete at least 2,000 hours of clinical rotations through 200+ affiliate sites under seasoned PA preceptors.
Rotation options range from rural clinics to cutting-edge urban hospitals to even placements abroad. Specializations include family medicine, internal medicine, OB-GYN, pediatrics, psychiatry, emergency medicine, and surgery sub-fields. Graduates praise the strong employment network connecting them to San Diego healthcare employers.
2. UC San Diego
Among public universities, no PA program holds more prestige than UC San Diego thanks to its anchorage within one of California’s premier academic health centers. In fact, the UCSD Medical Center literally sits across the street.
This primes students for direct access to UCSD Health’s advanced specialty care centers during intense clinical rotations. UCSD also focuses the entire curriculum around primary care training with specializations in medicine/pediatrics or psychiatry.
Faculty members from the nationally-ranked School of Medicine teach courses conveying contemporary best practices through a case-based approach. The program also touts a dedicated Career Services team to help graduates land ideal jobs.
3. Point Loma Nazarene University
This private Christian university of over 4,000 students offers an excellent graduate program in physician assistant studies. The rigorous 28-month curriculum utilizes a “whole person care” model emphasizing evidence-based medicine, preventative care, and underserved community health.
Graduates consistently achieve 100% first-time pass rates on the PANCE certification exam. They praise the program’s committed faculty and administration who take a personalized interest in every student.
Point Loma Nazarene conveys hands-on learning at clinical sites throughout San Diego and Southern California. Their PAs regularly secure positions within the region’s major health networks or growing specialty provider groups.
4. Chapman University
While the main campus resides in Orange County, Chapman opened an additional location in San Diego proper recently. Their burgeoning PA program utilizes a flipped classroom model blending online and in-person instruction for a contemporary education.
The 28-month curriculum focuses particularly on leadership, research methods, and rural medicine. This progressive approach prepares PAs for the industry’s future needs. Students train across the two metros with abundant rotation opportunities and quick hiring interest from regional employers upon graduation.
As you can see, these exceptional programs each take a unique approach while conveying the foundational medical knowledge needed to excel in clinical practice. Between them all, PA students have their pick of quality training experiences to prepare for this in-demand career.
Curriculum Details and Specializations
The core curriculum at any top-tier PA program immerses students in medical science and hands-on learning. This typically spans 12 months of didactic coursework with another 12 months spent in clinical rotations.
Common courses across San Diego programs include:
- Advanced Human Anatomy
- Clinical Medicine
- Medical Physiology
- Physical Diagnosis
- Clinical Pharmacology
- Health Promotion/Disease Prevention
- Behavioral Health
- Medical Ethics
Students also develop physical exam skills, work through complex patient cases, and leverage the latest medical technologies. Programs emphasize evidence-based practices at the forefront of medicine.
For clinical rotations, expect specialty exposure across:
- Family medicine
- Internal medicine
- General surgery
- Pediatrics
- OB-GYN
- Psychiatry
- Emergency medicine
- Orthopedics
Some schools offer focused tracks for extra experience in areas like emergency medicine, surgery, psychiatry or women’s health. Others maintain a generalist Primary Care focus while conveying broad medical knowledge.
Ultimately PA students graduate ready to provide complete patient care with physician collaboration.
The admissions process proves extremely competitive with roughly 5-15% acceptance rates. Required qualifications generally include:
- Bachelor’s degree from accredited university
- All key undergraduate science pre-requisites
- Minimum 3.0 GPA (3.4+ strongly preferred)
- At least 1,000 hours of hands-on patient care experience
- Competitive GRE test scores
- Letters of recommendation
- Essays/writing samples
- Interview
Applicants who check every box AND convey strong motivation through their experiences and communications have the best chance to gain admission.
The Complete Student Experience Living in San Diego
Beyond the academic rigor training tomorrow’s medical providers, San Diego also offers a spectacular lifestyle to enrich one’s PA studies.
Expect vibrant neighborhoods and campus communities blended seamlessly with coastal living. Think surfing before class or hiking the epic Torrey Pines trails on weekends.
Plenty of beaches, parks, shops, restaurants, and cultural attractions surround top universities. Transit access brings the entire metro conveniently to students without cars. Of course sunny days gracing 70°F occur two-thirds of the year on average!
Academically, programs connect students with faculty, clinicians and peers through groups like the UC San Diego PA Student Society and PLNU’s Christian Medical & Dental Association Chapter. Most universities host career networking events to link students with local healthcare partners.
One Chapman University PA student described her experience:
“I looked forward to learning each day alongside supportive classmates and practicing providers invested in our success. We developed professionally through fantastic networking events while enjoying San Diego’s amazing food and beaches during personal time.”
One tip: Obtaining affordable housing can prove competitive, so secure living arrangements early once accepted. Overall though, San Diego offers an unparalleled backdrop for aspiring PAs to thrive personally and academically.
Build Your Career Among San Diego’s Booming Healthcare Sector
Beyond its superb training and lifestyle perks, San Diego provides perhaps America’s strongest job market for newly graduated PAs. Health systems and clinics actively recruit students before they even complete clinical rotations.
Recent market data and projections underscore just how stellar the career outlook shines here:
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1,700+ current openings for PAs in the metro as of 2023, per Burning Glass market analytics. That number should expand significantly in coming years.
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From 2021 to 2031, California will generate 49% total growth in PA jobs compared to 33% nationally, says the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Given San Diego’s outsized health sector, our metro should far surpass average state growth.
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Average salaries for San Diego physician associates land at $115,470 – 15% above national median pay, via BLS data. Top PAs can potentially earn $150,000+.
Where will new graduates find employment? Everywhere from universities health centers, community clinics, surgical groups, and private specialty practices to established care networks.
For example, both Scripps Health and Sharp HealthCare aim to hire 25+ PA graduates per year across inpatient/outpatient services. UC San Diego Health alone currently lists 50+ PA openings for roles from primary medicine to neurosurgery.
Even boutique clinics like La Jolla Orthopedic Surgery Medical Group offer new grad positions given intense demand.
Diego Garcia, a Clinical Care Coordinator at Sharp Rees Stealy Medical Group, says they look to hire PAs graduating local programs:
“Our growing numbers of specialty and primary care clinics depend on PAs to provide exceptional evidence-based care with physicians. We know San Diego programs comprehensively train these critical mid-level providers.”
In many cases, health organizations even enable PAs to progress into leadership roles managing teams. The career pathways prove wide open.
Start Your Journey at San Diego’s Preeminent PA Programs
I hope this guide provided helpful insights on what makes San Diego an ideal environment to train as an advanced practice provider. Between our esteemed universities and patient-centered medical systems, you’ll prepare to deliver care at the forefront of healthcare transformation.
Of course you can also enjoy an unmatched lifestyle outside academics through Southern California‘s perfect weather, coastal access, diversity, arts and dining all at your fingertips.
If you found this breakdown of San Diego’s premier PA programs compelling, I urge taking the next step to apply. Please reach out with any other questions in the process – I’m always glad to help move forward aspiring PAs who will shape the next generation of medicine!