Georgia Southern University continues to address critical health care needs with new Physician Assistant Program
Georgia Southern’s Waters College of Health Professions (WCHP) received approval from the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) to move forward with a new Master of Medical Science (MMSc) in Physician Assistant Studies degree program. The new program, approved by the USG’s governing and managing authority on Aug. 13, will add to the college’s 38 diverse health professions degrees and certificates offered at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
“The addition of a program in physician assistant studies further solidifies Georgia Southern’s leadership in preparing dedicated health care professionals who will serve our communities,” said Waters College of Health Professions Dean Scott Gordon, Ph.D., FACSM. “As Georgia faces a critical deficit in primary care providers, we are committed to improving health outcomes and fostering long-term economic stability in our region and state.”
In Georgia, an estimated 14 counties currently lack family medicine physicians, and eight counties have no physicians at all. Georgia Southern’s physician assistant (PA) program will strengthen the workforce pipeline by creating a pathway for students to receive high-level clinical training in the region, recruiting from the very communities with the greatest need. The program’s focus on evidence-based practice and quality improvement will also prepare graduates to contribute to the health care system’s efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Physician assistant employment in Georgia is projected to grow by 32% over a 10-year span through 2032, with approximately 430 annual job openings. Current annual production of PA graduates in Georgia meets only about 80% of estimated employment demand. The program will help bridge the projected deficit over the next decade by producing 35 to 40 highly skilled physician assistants annually.
The program’s economic impact will be multifaceted. Graduates will transition into high-demand clinical roles with significant earning potential, serving as vital catalysts for local economic growth. By increasing access to primary and preventive care, the program will help reduce costly emergency department utilization and address chronic disease management—factors that improve population health while reducing overall health care expenditures.
“Georgia Southern’s long-standing leadership in health professions education is rooted in a fundamental belief that a theory-to-practice model based on an optimal mix of classroom-based didactic education and hands-on clinical phase, blending scientific theory with direct patient care focused on the population we serve, creates long term impact,” said Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Avinandan Mukherjee, Ph.D. “The new PA program represents a strategic alignment of our educational expertise with our deepest responsibility to prepare graduates who not only demonstrate clinical excellence, but possess the steadfast dedication to serve communities across our region and state.”
Based at the Armstrong Campus in Savannah, the MMSc program is a 27-month, 112-credit-hour curriculum that balances 14 months of didactic learning with 13 months of supervised clinical practice. Pending final approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, the program expects to begin recruiting its inaugural cohort within the next two years.
The program’s curriculum integrates rigorous, evidence-based education with a focus on hands-on service in underserved areas, extending benefits directly to the most vulnerable populations in the region. Students will be provided multiple optional community service-learning experiences in medically underserved areas and have the opportunity to participate in clinical rotations at Federally Qualified Health Centers and community health clinics across counties in South Georgia that provide direct exposure to underserved populations. The region’s strong military presence also allows students to engage with veterans, active-duty service members and their families.
Additionally, the program’s emphasis on patient-centered care across all supervised clinical practice experiences will ensure that graduates are equipped to serve numerous distinct populations with sensitivity and responsiveness to individual patient needs and community health priorities. This approach will ensure that students receive hands-on experience in the specific settings where they are most needed, increasing the likelihood that graduates will choose to practice in underserved communities upon certification.
The Waters College of Health Professions’ demonstrated excellence in cross-disciplinary collaboration, interprofessional education and activities, faculty-led research partnerships and experiential learning creates an ideal foundation for this initiative. The PA program complements the institution’s existing nurse practitioner program, currently the largest occupation in the region, creating a comprehensive advanced practice provider pipeline. Together, these programs position WCHP as the regional leader in addressing critical health care workforce shortages across coastal and South Georgia.
WCHP is Georgia Southern’s largest college with more than 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students working toward degrees in the clinical sciences, health sciences and kinesiology, and nursing. The college confers approximately 950 undergraduate and graduate degrees each year.
“This is a strategic investment in the economic and physical health of South Georgia,” Gordon added. “By leveraging our existing simulation facilities and strengths in the health sciences and deep partnerships across the region, we are maximizing the impact of University resources.”