Methodist PA program enrolled its first four students in 1996, becoming the third established PA program in North Carolina. In 1998, the first graduates of the program gained Methodist full accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Originally started as a bachelor’s level program, Methodist has since transitioned to a full master’s level program. The program boasts a 161-seat lecture hall with multiple breakout rooms for didactic instruction, a fully functional anatomy lab, and monitored exam rooms for clinical experience. Currently, Methodist admits 40 students per cohort and maintains three cohorts in their respective phases: First didactic year, second didactic year/clinical prep, and clinical rotations cohort. Methodist has graduated over 600 PAs from their program since its inauguration.
The train has left the station and the newly accepted class of 2024 is on board and ready to learn. They have graciously accepted the chance to become future clinicians and believe they are ready and fully capable of tackling the daunting task of completing the two-year program.
Our class is nearly done with didactic training and will begin clinical prep in about a month. Shortly after clinical prep we will begin our clinical rotations in many locations across North Carolina. We are excited and extremely proud of what we’ve learned and accomplished thus far and look forward to our future as an integral part of the care team. We are also proud of the fact that the 40 students that started the program are still here and part of the Methodist PA program family.
Clinical rotations are coming to an end soon and the Class of 2022 is ready for graduation. It has been a tough two years, but they have been very rewarding. They have learned so much more than they expected during clinical rotations and are anxiously awaiting graduation. The Class of 2022 is ready to join their peers in the PA profession and perform their role as providers of expert medical care.
