The college is renovating 11,000 square feet of space adjacent to Texoma Medical Center in Denison, Texas, to serve as its new Health Campus and house the planned PA program. The program is being developed under the leadership of experienced PA educator Dr. Diana Noller in collaboration with the program’s faculty, staff, and the College’s administration.
“This Austin College program will be one of only 12 programs of its kind in all of Texas and will address the critical national and regional shortage in healthcare providers,” said Austin College President Steven P. O’Day, J.D. “The addition to our courses of study reflects a forward vision for the College’s longstanding commitment to preparing health practitioners of excellence.”
According to the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA), PAs are “medical professionals who diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medicines, and often serve as a patient’s principal healthcare provider.”
“PAs serve as an integral part of team-based healthcare and can improve access to care in underserved communities,” Noller affirmed. “Our program aims to educate PAs who understand the impact of illness and disease on the lives of others and are capable of providing high-quality, patient-centered healthcare that reflects the principles of medical humanities.”
The Austin College PA Program’s master-level curriculum is designed as an integrated set of courses delivered over 24 months, beginning with 13 months of intensive classroom training followed by an 11-month clinical phase. Courses are sequenced in a manner to build upon previous knowledge, skills, and experiences to fully develop an understanding of medical science. This will allow students to integrate, synthesize, and apply knowledge and skills as they progress through the program.
PA students at Austin College will experience personal attention, a rigorous curriculum, and excellent, hands-on supervised clinical experiences that will prepare them to enhance the lives of patients and contribute meaningfully to delivering quality healthcare. Opportunities for community service will foster servant leadership and a commitment to improve the lives of others.
By partnering with regional hospitals and healthcare providers for the clinical training phase of the curriculum, administrators of the new program hope to encourage graduates to reside in the area after their training to help address the healthcare needs of local communities.
For more information about enrollment and curriculum for the Austin College PA Program, contact program staff at PAprogram@austincollege.edu.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, pre-professional foundations, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 50 percent of students identifying as persons of color. The residential student body of approximately 1,300 students and an expert faculty of more than 100 educators allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. Related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Austin College cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. The College, founded in 1849, is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.