James Van Rhee, Program Director for PA Online, Discusses the Evolving Role of Physician Assistants

By 2020, the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) projects that the nation will face a shortage of approximately 20,400 primary care physicians. Yale PA Online, which prepares patient-focused clinicians to seek licensure as physician assistants (PAs), is designed to help meet that demand.

If today’s system for delivering primary care remains fundamentally the same, in 2020, there will be a projected shortage of 20,400 primary care physicians.  This increased demand for primary care service is mostly due to population aging and growth. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that between 2014 and 2024 the country will need to grow the physician assistant workforce by 30 percent, which represents roughly 29,000 jobs. As a response, the supply of primary care PAs is projected to increase by 58 percent, from 27,700 to 43,900, between 2010 to 2020.¹ The Yale online PA can help meet the demand by educating primary care PAs around the country.

The program is focused on achieving three primary goals. First, we aim to increase the number of highly-proficient, patient-focused physician assistants in primary care across the country. Second, we strive to amplify the impact of Yale on the health care field with an emphasis on patient care in medically underserved areas, as defined by the HRSA. The blended format of the program provides the platform for achieving this goal by allowing students to remain in their home communities to study and complete their clinical rotations. Our third objective will be to improve pedagogy throughout the program with the use of innovative technology, develop new pathways of teaching, and promote lifelong learning and critical thinking in students. 

The Yale School of Medicine is proud to offer two pathways to obtain a high quality PA education. The Physician Associate program is a fully-residential program and the Physician Assistant Online Program is a blended learning experience, which combines online coursework and in-person clinical experiences. Students in both programs graduate with a Master of Medical Science (M.M.Sc.) degree and both utilize the faculty from the Yale School of Medicine. With consistent admission requirements but unique learning experiences, prospective students can apply for the program that best meets their learning and career objectives. Since the Yale PA Online Program provides students the opportunity to be educated in their local communities, we envision many will stay following graduation to provide essential health care to patients in those communities. 

We are looking for the same qualities other programs seek: candidates with strong academic records who exemplify care and compassion. We are also looking for self-directed learners, individuals who want to take charge of their own education; and innovative learners; candidates who are enthusiastic about various methods of learning. 

The program will use a multifaceted program and student evaluation process. We will be looking at outcome-based benchmarks the program has developed to monitor the education and training of the students. For example, the program will use student assessment results and student evaluations of the courses to determine if the curriculum is preparing students for the national certifying examination. Also, graduate surveys will be used to evaluate the program’s success in preparing graduates for clinical practice. The curriculum, taught by Yale Medical School faculty, will provide students with an educational experience involving leaders in PA and medical education.

¹ “Projecting the Supply and Demand for Primary Care Practitioners Through 2020,” HRSA Health Workforce, Nov. 2013. Accessed Nov. 28, 2016. bhw.hrsa.gov/health-workforce-analysis/primary-care-2020 arrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference