The University of South Dakota

Each year, we admit 20 students in our intense, high-quality, 28-month program. Our graduates go on to successful and rewarding medical careers throughout the region.
    

Mission

Our mission is to provide a high quality education to prepare and equip students to become physician assistants who are committed to delivering high quality patient care to meet the needs of South Dakota and the region.  

Accreditation

Our program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). Graduates of our program are eligible for the national certification examination by the National Commission on the Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).  

NCCPA Physician Assistant National Certification Examination First-Time Pass Rate

Year of Graduation/Exam Year	Number of Graduates	First Time Takers	Passed First Time	Percentage Passed First Time
2004	19	19	17	89.47%
2005	19	19	18	94.74%
2006	21	21	19	90.48%
2007	19	19	16	84.21%
2008	19	19	19	100%

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions about the Physician Assistant program.

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