Chair: Donna L. Yeisley, M.Ed., PA-C
Medical Director: Mitch Joseph, D.O.
Adjunct Faculty in Physician Assistant Science: Donald Beckstead, M.D.; Elliot Bilofsky, D.O.; Nicole Buchanan, PA-C; William Carney, M.D.; Jacob Dininny, RT; Lawrence Glad, M.D.; Melissa Hall, PA-C; Joseph Hines, M.D.; Peter Kreckel, RPh; Karly Link, PA-C; Alicia Lombardo, O.D.; Nate Martin, PA-C; Jane Maslonik, RD; Kimberly Muffie, PA-C; Marilyn Passanita, PA-C; Stephen Pyo, PA-C; Sara Rearick, RN; Steve Ruddeck, PA-C; Susanne Wise, PA-C; Beth Woods, PA-C; Stephen Yanoshak, D.O.
Clinical Preceptors: Michael E. Abdul-Malak, M.D.; Erin Amato, M.D.; Kara Anderson, PA-C; Kim Andres, PA-C; Joseph Antonowicz, M.D.; Leslie Archer, PA-C; Tara Assi, PA-C; Tammy Aungst, PA-C; Barry Austin, D.O.; John Baker, D.O.; Taylor Barger, PA-C; Kristi Barr, PA-C; Liang Bartkowiak, M.D.; Stephen Baum, M.D.; AnnMarie Bethke, PA-C; Ashley Bertram, PA-C; Elliot Bilofsky, D.O.; Howard Black, M.D.; William Bohonyi, M.D.; Ashley Borden, PA-C; Joanna Brady, M.D.; Jeff Brand, M.D.; Brooke Budion, PA-C; Draion Burch, D.O.; Michael Burgraff, PA-C; Scott Card, M.D.; William Carney, M.D.; Scott Carnivale, M.D.; George Castellano, M.D.; Erin Cessna, PA-C; Umesh Chakunta, M.D.; Safdar Chaudhary, M.D.; Donald Conrad, D.O.; Timothy Coombs, M.D.; Robert Corder, M.D.; Marc Cordero, M.D.; Annamarie Costlow, PA-C; Sarah Crouse, CRNP; Joy Csikos, PA-C; George Cummings, III, D.O.; Bryan Custer, PA-C; Nicole Debolt, D.O.; Erin Donoghue, PA-C; Mary Dougherty, M.D.; Tony Drummond, PA-C; D’Arcy Duke, M.D.; Stephanie Dunk, PA-C; Kathryn Dzikowski, PA-C; Charles Eckman, M.D.; Penne Edgell, M.D.; Vicki Ellis, M.D.; Bettina Ellsworth, M.D.; Tori Farmer, PA-C; George Fatula, M.D.; Neil Floch, M.D.; Bruce Foster, D.O.; Jason Fronczak, D.O.; Kathryn Gates, PA-C; Chris George, PA-C; Emily George, PA-C; Mallory Gergely, CRNP; James Gides, PA-C; Annette Gingerich, PA-C; Lawrence Glad, M.D.; Dennis Glover, M.D.; Gregory Golonka, M.D.; Patrick Gray, M.D.; Steven C. Gribar, M.D.; Tim Groves Jr., PA-C; Nicole Grunthaner, PA-C; Megan Guse, PA-C; Michael Halter, D.O.; Glenn Hamm, M.D.; Bethany Haskins, PA-C; Rachel Heisler, PA-C; Melissa Hillard, PA-C; Ginny Hilton, PA-C; Stephanie Hoover, PA-C; Damian Horner, D.O.; Timothy Horsky, D.O.; David Horton, M.D., Danielle Houck, PA-C; Patricia Hoyne, M.D.; Julie Huston, CNM; Marc Ingerman, PA-C; Ameena Jabir, M.D.; Rizwan Jabir, M.D.; Steve Jarboe, PA-C; Matthew Johnson, PA-C; Mitch Joseph, D.O.; Ioanna Kanellitsas, M.D.; Matthew Kearney, PA-C; Amy King, M.D.; Matthew Klain, M.D.; Ben Klennert, PA-C; Shawna Koehle, PA-C; Sarah Kopnicky, PA-C; Leah Kozlowski, PA-C; Charles Lamertina , PA-C; Margarita Lassaletta, M.D.; Brian Lieb, D.O.; Sarah Lincoln, PA-C; Jill Linton, CNM; John Littlejohn, M.D.; Megan Long, PA-C; Teresa Luong, PA-C; Emily Lynch, PA-C; Tony Maalouf, M.D.; Scott Magley, M.D.; Kelly Maher, PA-C; James Mansberger, D.O.; Liva Marasco, PA-C; Jean Marfurt, M.D.; Hillary Marshall, PA-C; Ted A. Matthews, M.D.; Tina Matthews-Hayes, CRNP; Deanna Maurer, PA-C; Megan Maurer, M.D.; Karla McCann, D.O.; David McConnell, Jr., M.D.; Alexandra McClurg, PA-C; Timothy McKee, M.D.; Fiona McLellan, M.D.; Chelsea McNutt, PA-C; Heather Merrow, PA-C; Aubree Miller, PA-C; Robert Moesinger, M.D.; Kyle Mohney, PA-C; Kathy Moyer, PA-C; Conor Mulcahy, D.O.; Andy Mullhollen, D.O.; Olivia Neeper, PA-C; Eric Nelson, PA-C; Thomas Nicholson, M.D.; Jennifer Nunnelee, PA-C; Michael, O’Brien, Jr. , M.D.; James O’Bryon, M.D.; Mark Oherrick, NP; Elizabeth Paros, PA-C; Kisher Patel, M.D.; Paige Patterson, M.D.; Chelsa Polonia, PA-C; Robert Potter, M.D.; Laurie Powell, CNM; Perveen Punjani, M.D.; Jeff Reed, CRNP; Julie Reitnauer, PA-C; Richard A. Renza, D.O.; Mary Ann Rigas, M.D.; Antonio Ripepi, M.D.; Christa Riscigno, PA-C; Megan Rockey, PA-C; Virginia Roth, PA-C; Richard Rothman, M.D.; Elizabeth Royer, PA-C; Travis Rudge, PA-C; Nishma Saini, M.D.; Jay Sandberg, D.O.; Kevin Sanders, PA-C; Stephen E. Sargent, M.D.; Michael Sassmann, PA-C; Jerome Scherer, D.O.; Michael Schlechter, M.D.; Stephen Schmidt, M.D.; Angela Shaffer, PA-C; Ruth Shaffer, FNP-BC; Gieth Shahoud, M.D; Qamar Shaikh, M.D.; Khalid Shalaby, M.D.; Rachel Sharan, PA-C; Jane Shughart, PA-C; Kathleen Smith, PA-C; Gretchen Snider, PA-C; Amber Somogyi, PA-C; Roopam Sood-Khandpur, M.D.; Phillip States, M.D.; Gerald Steeves, PA-C; James Stewart, M.D.; David Stobie, PA-C; William Su, M.D.; Narayana Subramany, M.D.; Kevin Sugalski, D.O.; Robert Sussman, M.D.; Monique Swain, M.D.; Terry Tallman, CRNP; James Tatum, M.D.; Sunny Thomas, M.D.; Adam Turinsky, PA-C; Amy Turner, PA-C; Cierra Turner, PA-C; Tim Valko, M.D.; Charles Walch, M.D.; Saba Waseem, M.D.; George Weber, M.D.; Tammy Weiss, PA-C; Meghan Weltman, PA-C; Breanne Westendorf, PA-C; Julie Wonderling, M.D.; Kevin Wong, M.D.; Alicia Wurm, PA-C; Stephen Yanoshak, D.O.; Robbin Yothers, CRNP; Jing Zhang, PA-C
The Physician Assistant is a nationally certified and state-licensed medical professional. Physician assistants practice medicine on healthcare teams with physicians and other providers. Physician assistants can obtain medical histories, conduct physical examinations, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret diagnostic tests, write prescriptions, perform medical procedures, counsel patients on preventive health care, assist in surgery, and make rounds in nursing homes and hospitals, among many other medical services.
Admission to the Physician Assistant Program is a competitive process. A student (graduate) that will have a completed baccalaureate degree before enrollment applies through the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants at http://www.caspaonline.org. Graduate applicants are further evaluated by the Department of Physician Assistant Sciences and required to participate in the Physician Assistant program’s admission process. Meeting the minimum standards of admission does not guarantee acceptance. All students enrolled in the program must be able to meet the department’s student technical standards. For complete information on Physician Assistant program admission, contact the Department of Physician Assistant Sciences.
The accredited portion of the Physician Assistant program consists of a year of didactic study, followed by a year of clinical experiences.
The MPAS program didactic year (year 01) is designed on the medical model to prepare students to become primary care clinicians. The three-semester curriculum is built around medicine modules that employ a comprehensive and integrated approach to exploring disease processes covering all organ systems. Components of each medicine module will include instruction on scientific concepts, such as pertinent anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology and genetic implications as well as health maintenance. Students will develop history taking and physical examination skills, learn to order and interpret laboratory and diagnostic studies, learn to formulate a differential diagnosis and determine the most likely diagnosis. Clinical therapeutics (pharmacology) and clinical interventions (non-pharmacological) are also taught. A strong emphasis is placed on critical thinking and problem solving, as well as patient education. Gross anatomy utilizing cadavers complements lecture presentations in the medicine modules. Other areas of study include clinical skills, well child, public health, evidence-based medicine, and an introduction to U.S. health care.
During the clinical year, all students are required to complete the following rotations: eight credits of family practice or four credits of family practice and four credits of primary care, with approval by the department, and four credits each of internal medicine, emergency medicine, women’s health, pediatrics, surgery, behavioral medicine, and a four-credit elective that will allow further investigation of an area of medicine that personally interests or assists the student in furthering his/her educational goals. Any site/specialty choices for elective rotations must be approved by the department faculty. All clinical clerkships must be approved by the clinical coordinator prior to registration. Also during the clinical year, each student will complete an Ethical Issues in Practice course and the Transition to Clinical Practice course. The Transition to Clinical Practice course is designed to provide a bridge experience for the student who is completing clinical rotations by addressing issues germane to everyday PA practice. Included within this course is a capstone experience and summative evaluation which must be completed at a satisfactory level.
Students are required to provide their own transportation to clinical sites and general clerkships during the didactic and clinical years of the program. Please realize that clinical year rotations may require travel outside of Pennsylvania. Housing during clinical year is the student’s responsibility. All students are covered by malpractice insurance. Students are required to pass drug and criminal background checks to progress in or graduate from the program.
Progression within Master of Physician Assistant Science Major
Progression and continuance in the Physician Assistant program are based upon scholastic achievement, health maintenance and adherence to Saint Francis University and departmental policies. The progression and technical standards for the Master of Physician Assistant Science major can be obtained from the Department of Physician Assistant Sciences.
In addition to the academic progression standards and the degree requirements as listed below, Physician Assistant majors must adhere to the Physician Assistant program policies as stated in the current Department Policy Manual. Policy manuals may be reviewed on the department website. Please note that the program reserves the right to change, modify or amend progression standards and program policies prior to matriculation in the major as a freshman or didactic year student.
Due Process
Any student who wishes to appeal a dismissal may request in writing to the Department of Physician Assistant Sciences Chair to appear before the Physician Assistant Performance Review Committee. Appeals must be received in the department office within five business days after the student receives notification from the department regarding action as discussed above.
Advanced Placement
The program does not grant any type of advanced placement for didactic or clinical courses.
Return to: