NYIT: Department of Physician Assistant Studies

The department of physician assistant studies offers a Master of Science in physician assistant studies degree at the Old Westbury campus.

Physician assistants are health care professionals who work in tandem with and under the supervision of doctors in general and family practice and in such specialty areas as cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology, oncology, psychiatry and pediatrics. PAs, — who must have strong expertise in life and behavioral sciences — conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel patients on preventive health care, assist in surgery and prescribe medication (in most U.S. states).

The program has had no more than one student in a class not pass the examination on the first attempt. All graduates not passing on the first attempt have subsequently retaken the examination and passed.

Your future
Government statistics indicate that physician assistants are among the most in-demand professionals in the United States, with rapid career growth expected throughout the next decade. Your NYIT degree will prepare you to work in medical facilities, private practices, schools and community health settings. You’ll also be prepared for state and professional licensing exams and for graduate study.

Department of physician assistant studies M.S. educational goals
The NYIT PA program educates qualified individuals to be highly skilled members of the health care team who provide diagnostic and therapeutic patient care with physician supervision. Graduates of this program are able to do the following:

1. Elicit a detailed and accurate history and perform the appropriate physical examination; record and present pertinent data, including interpretive recommendations.

2. Perform and/or interpret routine diagnostic studies such as common imaging studies, routine laboratory procedures and electrocardiographic studies.

3. Perform such routine procedures as injections, suturing, wound management, incision and drainage of infections, cast application and fracture treatment and follow-up.

4. Assist the physician by performing patient rounds, recording patient progress notes and pertinent case summaries, determining and implementing diagnostic procedures and therapeutic plans.

5. Instruct, counsel and prescribe for patients regarding physical and mental health, including proper diet, disease prevention, therapy, normal growth and development, family planning, lifestyle risks, situational adjustment reactions and other health care matters.

6. Deliver services to patients requiring continuing care in homes, nursing homes and extended care facilities, including reviewing and monitoring treatment and therapy plans.

7. Perform independent evaluation and initiate therapeutic procedures in life-threatening events.

8. Facilitate referral to community resources, health facilities and agencies and arrange appropriate patient follow-up.

9. Critically evaluate medical literature, policies and systems to enhance their leadership qualities in community and professional endeavors.

NYIT’s PA program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA). Graduates are eligible to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certification Examination (PANCE) administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).