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About our program

The WMU Department of Physician Assistant offers an entry-level, full-time, 24-month, professional education curriculum that leads to a Master of Science in Medicine (MSM). After graduation you'll be prepared to take the certifying exam to become a PA.

  • The first year focuses primarily on classroom and laboratory instruction, and includes a component that addresses research issues pertinent to physician assistants.
  • The second, or clinical year, includes a variety of experiences in community teaching hospitals, clinics and physician offices.

Learn more about our rigorous curriculum

What is a PA?

Physician assistants are medical professionals who diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications and often serve as a patient鈥檚 principal health care provider. With thousands of hours of medical training, PAs are versatile and collaborative. We practice in every state and in every medical setting and specialty, improving health care access and quality.

Information Sessions

We are pleased to host virtual information sessions for the 2024-25 application cycle. The sessions are held monthly via WebEx. More information can be found below. If you have questions outside of an information session please utilize our department email: pa-info@wmich.edu. This inbox is monitored regularly. 

September 24

Tuesday 1 p.m.

October 22

Tuesday 10 a.m.

Holistic admissions

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Candidates are scored on more than 50 individual data points that assess academic ability, recommendations, grit and other non-academic attributes in a scoring system that more accurately reflects a whole person. Undergrad GPA is one factor, but there is no standardized test requirement.

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Student involvement

Our students are actively engaged in our program and in our community. The WMU PA Student Society is a registered student organization at the University. Our students regularly compete (and win) quiz bowls at the MAPA annual event. And they're community advocates, leading donation drives each year around the holidays.

2018 Pre-PA students

PA class of 2020

WMU PA Student Society

Our facilities

The College of Health and Human Services building is on WMU's East Campus. While it's not centrally located, the building's many amenities make it a comfortable home for our students.

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students at the anatomage table