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March 21, 2017 - The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the King’s College Physician Assistant (PA) Program sponsored by King’s College. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.

Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be March 2027. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.  

The ten-year term is the longest available from the national independent accrediting body.

King’s is one of 216 ARC-PA accredited programs in the country and one of only 23 in Pennsylvania.  King’s is only one of three Pennsylvania accredited programs based at a college; most are at universities.

The King’s PA program received its first accreditation in 1979.  The King’s program was the third in Pennsylvania to receive its initial ARC-PA accreditation.

The program, which received applications from students throughout the United States, moved into expanded facilities in the King’s on the Square building since its last reaccreditation in 2010.

“The Physician Assistant Program has been outstanding since its inception at King’s,” said Father John Ryan, C.S.C., president of the College.  “This maximum term reaccreditation affirms that excellence and ranks the King’s program with the best in the country and means graduates of the program will play a vital part in the changing field of healthcare.”

Upon completion of the master’s portion of the program, graduates must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) in order to practice as a physician assistant.  In the last four years, the PANCE pass rate for King’s physician assistant graduates is 98 percent.

PAs are health care providers who are nationally certified and state licensed to practice medicine. As a part of their responsibilities, PAs perform physical exams, diagnose illnesses, develop and carry out treatment plans, order and interpret lab tests, assist in surgery, provide patient education and prescribe medications.

PAs are employed in virtually all types of health care settings including private offices, clinics and hospitals. PAs can practice in almost any field of medicine including family practice, surgery, pediatrics, psychiatry and orthopedics to name just a few. King’s PA graduates have achieved placements throughout the country, many of whom are working in medically underserved areas.