CSJ physician assistant program receives regional accreditation

College of St. Joseph’s developing Master of Medical Science Physician Assistant Studies program has received accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

NEASC, the regional accrediting association, recently notified CSJ that it has accepted the college’s substantive change approval request.

The physician assistant program is working to receive provisional accreditation from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant in March 2016. The program anticipates matriculating its first class in June 2016, pending ARC-PA accreditation-provisional.  Accreditation-provisional status is an accreditation status for a new PA program that has demonstrated its preparedness to initiate a program in accordance with accreditation standards.

The program is currently accepting applications for the first class through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants. The deadline for applications is Dec. 1, 2015.

CSJ’s program utilizes a rolling admissions process, and interviews are scheduled from July to January. Preference is given to Vermont applicants and those who are from a rural or underserved community.

“The approval from NEASC is a powerful affirmation which reflects the high level of commitment CSJ has in creating a quality physician assistant program,” said program director Catherine Gemmiti.

In related news, Sarah Tatko has recently joined CSJ as the program’s academic coordinator. Tatko graduated with her Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree in 2013 and has worked in emergency medicine and as a clinical assistant professor in the Communications Sciences and Disorders Department at University of Vermont. The academic coordinator is responsible for planning, development, implementation, evaluation and general effectiveness of the didactic curriculum of the program.