Physician Assistants (PA) are health care professionals licensed to practice medicine in coordination/conjunction with a doctor of medicine (MD) or doctor of osteopathic medicine (DO). As a team with the physician, the PA provides diagnostic and therapeutic patient care, takes patient histories, performs physical examinations, orders diagnostic studies, and develops
and carries out treatment plans. PAs also work in research, administrative, and academic positions. PAs work in private physician offices, clinics, hospitals, health maintenance organizations, neighborhood health centers, federal and state facilities, the Armed Services, industries, universities, medical schools, and many other settings.
Largely, PAs are trained according to the medical model similar to instructions given in medical schools across the nation, in which healthcare providers are trained to identify specific symptoms and use evidence-based treatments to address those symptoms.
The first PA training program began in 1965 at Duke University to assist in alleviating the shortage and misdistribution of physicians. Four ex-Navy corpsmen were in the first class of the Duke University PA program. Today, there are 300 accredited PA programs in the United States that are operating as part of medical schools, universities, and colleges. PA programs are
accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA).
PAs are trained in primary care but have the opportunity to work in other specialties of medicine. In order to practice as a PA, the student must graduate from an accredited ARC-PA physician assistant program in order to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE). The graduate must pass the PANCE to obtain state licensure. PAs must participate in continuing medical education to maintain their certification.
The Harrogate PA program, established in 2009, is a 27-month primary care-focused program located in Harrogate, Tennessee. The 115-credit-hour curriculum provides a solid foundation in primary care medicine using simulated trainers. Students practice procedural skills, including intravenous catheter insertion, lumbar puncture, and point-of-care ultrasound. The program offers students unique opportunities to provide medical services to indigent, uninsured, and underserved populations. The curriculum prepares graduates to provide safe and effective patient care, with an emphasis on primary care.
The Knoxville PA program, established in 2020, is located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The program is a 27-month primary care program with expanded training in surgical sciences. The 115-credit-hour curriculum provides a solid foundation in primary care medicine with three semesters of human cadaver anatomy and up to 20 weeks of clinical experience in surgical disciplines. The curriculum prepares graduates to provide safe and effective patient care in surgical and acute care settings.
Learn More About the Knoxville PA Program
The Tampa PA program is located in Brandon, Florida. The program enrolled its first cohort in January 2026. Students will complete 115 credit hours over twenty-four (24) months. The program is designed to develop students into competent, professional, ethical, and compassionate PAs to practice clinical medicine. The program will provide pointed instruction in cultural competence and will include courses in medical Spanish.
The Chattanooga PA Program, located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a 115-credit-hour program to be completed over twenty-four (24) months. The program is built for those who thrive in dynamic, hands-on environments and learn best through active engagement with real-world challenges. The program anticipates matriculating its first class in January 2027, pending achieving Accreditation-Provisional status at the October 2026 ARC-PA meeting.
Based upon its overlapping curriculum content and unique hospital clinical experience opportunities, the LMU-SMS Bachelor's in Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) degree is an advantageous choice of Bachelor of Science degrees that fulfills all of the academic prerequisites requirements for consideration for admission into any of our Physician Assistant programs. In addition to meeting all the prerequisites for PA school, the MLS graduates can take the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification Exam (ASCP BOC) and enter the workforce as board-certified medical laboratory scientists practicing in various clinical settings, including hospital laboratories, physician's offices, and research and molecular diagnostic laboratories.
