About the PA School

The University of Florida School of Physician Assistant Studies is a continuous 24-month, full-time educational program that accepts new students once a year to begin in late June. The program strives to prepare physician assistants in a broad range of medical and surgical knowledge and skills and educate them to provide high-quality and compassionate health care to diverse patient populations under the supervision of a licensed physician.

The School of Physician Assistant Studies at the University of Florida remains a state-funded graduate level educational program for Physician Assistants in Florida, in recognition of the tremendous need and demand for mid-level health practitioners in the state and the nation. To date, the UF School of Physician Assistant Studies has produced about 2,500 graduates, more than two-thirds of whom remain in Florida for clinical practice.

PA Curriculum

1st year

Academic Year

The first half of the curriculum consists of an intensive didactic phase in basic and clinical sciences taught in the classrooms, laboratories, and clinical facilities.

2nd year

Clinical Year

The clinical phase of the curriculum is built around 12 one-month clinical rotations at the teaching hospitals and practices of UF, as well as across Florida.

Upon successful completion of the two-year curriculum, the student is awarded the Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree as well as a Certificate of Completion. The graduate is then eligible to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

Facilities and Resources

University of Florida

College of Medicine

As the largest college within the UF Health academic health center, the UF College of Medicine is home to thousands of faculty, students and staff committed to improving the health and well-being of people across the globe.

Local Resources

Gainesville, Florida

Gainesville is a small city with a population of just over 100,000, known for its lush vegetation, set in north central Florida approximately 60 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to the West and the Atlantic Ocean to the East.