The University of Maryland Eastern Shore, a historically Black educational institution in Princess Anne, has received accreditation confirmation to offer a physician assistant program. Based on the review of the program by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, the university hopes to enroll a cohort of 20 new students in August 2020 with plans to grow the program annually.
The program will be 28 months in duration and include didactic and experiential education components. Students in the program will complete over 2,000 hours in rotations including family medicine, general surgery, and mental health training. The rigorous course content aligns closely with that of medical school and the program is attractive to students of all career and educational backgrounds. The university will award a master of medical science degree in physician assistant studies to those who successfully complete the program.
The program is under the direction of Tiffany S. Maxwell, who serves as department chair. Dr. Maxwell stated that “the university’s physician assistant program will be an integral part of the healthcare community by educating the next generation of healthcare providers to serve our local and surrounding communities.”