Faculty:

• Nicole Ludwig, D.P.A.S., M.S.P.A., PA-C, Program Director
• James France, M.D., Medical Director
• Richard Hutchinson, M.P.A.S., PA-C
• Bobbie Leeper, Ph. D.
• Emily McCullough, M.S.P.A., PA-C, M.P.H.
• Samantha Hixenbaugh, M.P.A.S., PA-C
• Kimberly Graziano, M.S.
• Theodore Stem, M.D., Medical Director Emeritus
• Jason Thomas, D.P.A.S., M.P.A.S., PA-C
• Allison Turgeon, M.P.A.S., PA-C
• Bethany Vargo, M.P.A.S., PA-C

The physician assistant program at Seton Hill University offers a combined undergraduate and graduate program leading to the Bachelor of Science in medical studies and Master of Science in physician assistant. The Bachelor of Science program in medical studies prepares students with a thorough foundation in natural scientific knowledge for future pursuit of a Master of Science in physician assistant.  It also meets all the necessary prerequisite entrance requirements for the Seton Hill University Master of Science in physician assistant program.  Enrollment in this major is limited to students that have been accepted into the BS/MS program by the Physician Assistant program.  

Admission criteria for the BS/MS degrees

• Admission is limited to first-time college students.
• Have one of the following:
  • A minimum SAT score of 1160 (evidence-based reading and writing and math) OR
  • A minimum ACT score of 24.
• Have a minimum overall GPA of 3.2.
• Have a minimum GPA of 3.2 for all science courses.
• Participate in an interview with representatives from Seton Hill and the Physician Assistant Program.
• High school student applicants are also encouraged to provide evidence of health care/patient contact and physician assistant shadowing experience.

Prior to entry into the graduate level program course work, all students must have successfully completed the following academic requirements:

• Completion of all required Medical Studies, B.S. undergraduate coursework.
• Completion of program prerequisite courses at Seton Hill University.
• Completion of the SHU undergraduate Liberal Arts Curriculum.
• Completion of the Medical Studies, B.S. capstone assessment.
• Overall grade point average of 3.2 or above.
• Overall program prerequisite grade point average of 3.2 or above.
• Minimum of 300 hours of health care experience with direct patient contact.
• 3 PA shadowing experiences in different specialties, each a minimum of 4 hours.

All program prerequisite courses must be completed at Seton Hill University; Advanced Placement (AP) and College in High School (CHS) credits are not accepted for prerequisite courses.  Students are only permitted to repeat one prerequisite course one time, and the repeated course must also be completed at Seton Hill University unless permission is granted by the Physician Assistant Program Director and Dean.  The two grades, the original grade and the repeated grade, are averaged together for calculation of the program prerequisite GPA.  AP and CHS credits are accepted for Liberal Arts Curriculum requirements, and as elective credits towards the BS degree.  

Students in the BS/MS program will achieve graduate student status upon completing the following requirements:

• Completion of all required Medical Studies, B.S.  undergraduate and graduate coursework.
• Student must have earned at least 120 credits posted on her/his Seton Hill transcripts, 
• Student must have completed the Liberal Arts Curriculum requirements, and
• Student must have earned the Baccalaureate Degree. 

Medical Studies, B.S. Learning Objectives:

1. Demonstrate a working knowledge of the basic sciences that provide a foundation to understanding the workings of the human body, including chemistry, anatomy, and physiology.

2. Use appropriate medical terminology in professional written and oral communication.

3. Demonstrate the ability to search, read, understand, and synthesize medical literature.

4. Describe how Catholic Social Teaching values can be applied to the treatment of patients.

5. Demonstrate consistent professional, safe, and ethical practices in healthcare-related and laboratory settings.

6. Describe the role of the Physician Assistant in the interprofessionaI healthcare team and the various specializations within the Physician Assistant field.

7. Participate in healthcare-related experiences with direct patient contact, and in shadowing Physician Assistants of different specialties.

For the description of the graduate program in physician assistant and a listing of the required graduate courses, Graduate Degree Programs, Physician Assistant .

Graduate curriculum requirements may change as a result of changes in the field or accreditation standards. Students are held to the MS curriculum requirements at the time they matriculate into the graduate portion of the program.