Colorado Mesa University’s new Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program, which received provisional accreditation in October of last year, has taken in its first cohort of 16 students, according to Amy Bronson, program director and assistant professor of Physician Assistant Studies.
“That’s all, via accreditation, of how many students we can allow into the program,” Bronson said. “We had over 800 applicants but we could only accept 16.”
The process for getting the MPAS program accredited began more than two years ago. “CMU actually started the discussions for a PA program before I was even hired,” Bronson said. “We filed our application in the spring, they came for a site visit over the summer, and then finally granted us our provisional accreditation starting in October.”
The process of provisional accreditation took place between CMU and the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). From Johns Creek, Georgia, ARC-PA will still be involved in CMU’s program while it’s in the provisional stage.
ARC-PA’s final visit is expected in 2023, at which point, if they approve of what they see, CMU’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies program will receive “continuing accreditation,” which is good for up to 10 years.
The staff for the program had to be hired before provisional accreditation. Bronson started at CMU in 2017 while Assistant Professors of Master of Physician Assistant Studies Nikki Williams, Daniel Meyer and Daniel Millard were hired on in 2018.
According to Bronson, the program is 27 months long. “They do 15 months didactic, meaning they’re here in the classroom full-time, daytime, all the time,” Bronson said. “They take classes from about 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. some days.”
After the first 15 months, the students do clinical rotations, according to Bronson.
Disclaimer from Amy Bronson, “The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the Colorado Mesa University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Colorado Mesa University.
Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding Accreditation- Provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students.
Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class.”
