A.T. Still University and Ponce Health Sciences University Announce Expanded MOU to Address Nationwide Healthcare Worker Shortage
The world's first osteopathic medical school teams up with one of the top producers of Spanish-speaking doctors to create post-graduate pathways for students to pursue medical education
ST LOUIS, Sept. 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, A.T. Still University (ATSU) and Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU) announced an expanded MOU to provide PHSU students with a pipeline to becoming preferred applicants at ATSU's Arizona School of Health Sciences (ATSU-ASHS) Physician Assistant (PA) program, establishing a pathway for students -- particularly those from historically underserved communities and backgrounds -- to pursue careers in medical education.
Projected to grow 31% between 2019 and 2029, the physician assistant profession is a critical solution to address two pressing challenges in the healthcare industry: the need for a workforce that reflects the diversity of our population, and increased access to primary care.
"PA professionals can play a crucial role in addressing our country's pressing healthcare needs -- today and in the future. However, the demographic makeup of the profession -- like many other healthcare professions -- fails to reflect many communities across the country, a factor that has a notable impact on patient outcomes. In fact, 86.7% of PAs identify as white, non-Hispanic and the racial and ethnic diversity of physician assistants has stayed relatively stable between 2016-2019," said Michelle DiBaise, DHSc, PA-C, ATSU-ASHS PA program chair and director. "As we work to ensure our communities have expanded access to primary care professionals who are well-trained and culturally competent, we're very excited to collaborate with Ponce Health Sciences University. This innovative program ensures that we're widening opportunities to address these gaps and cultivating a talented and diverse healthcare workforce."
Through this new pipeline, students from PHSU's Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MSMS) program who complete the program with at least a 3.0 grade point average will be eligible for an interview at ATSU. Furthermore, PHSU MSMS students who apply and are accepted to the PA program will complete their clinical education with ATSU's affiliated community health centers, which allows -- and encourages -- students to practice medicine within their community.
ATSU -- the first osteopathic institution in the world, founded in 1892 -- serves more than 3,100 students from 35 countries every year, about 20% of whom identify as students from Historically Underrepresented Groups. Students in the Physician Assistant program track -- a nationally ranked top 50 program -- grow into their profession in a learner-centered environment through face-to-face instruction, didactic clinical experiences, year-long clinical procedures and history and physical exam laboratories, regular SPE (Standardized Patient Experience) using standardized patient actors, and small group application learning lab all before their year of supervised clinical experiences working in clinics and hospitals.
"With the impacts COVID-19 has had on communities across the country -- particularly those in rural or minority areas -- it is absolutely crucial we build pipelines of trained physician assistants to help mitigate the shortage of healthcare workers in the world, particularly in medical deserts," said Dr. David Lenihan, President of Ponce Health Science University, and Co-Founder and CEO of Tiber Health. "By developing this new pathway for students from PHSU to pursue a physician assistant degree at ATSU, we are encouraging highly-qualified students to pursue a career that puts both them and their community on a path to success."
This latest announcement builds on an already established relationship between PHSU and ATSU's Kirksville, Missouri, campus doctor of osteopathic medicine and doctor of dental medicine programs.
About Ponce Health Sciences University
Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU), a fully-accredited university, is dedicated to providing the highest quality graduate education programs available in medicine, clinical psychology, biomedical sciences and public health in order to prepare world-class, culturally competent health professionals to better serve a growing population of diverse patients across the United States. Located in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and St. Louis, Missouri, PHSU is recognized around the world for its educational service and research achievements.
About A.T. Still University of Health Sciences
Established in 1892 by A.T. Still, DO, the founder of osteopathy, A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (ATSU) began as the nation's first college of osteopathic medicine and has evolved into a leading university of health sciences comprised of two colleges and four schools on two campuses and online. Today, ATSU offers master's degrees across allied health disciplines and doctorates in osteopathic medicine, dental medicine, athletic training, audiology, health administration, health education, health sciences, medical sciences, nursing practice, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.
SOURCE Ponce Health Sciences University
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