Intro from Dr. Schwinn: PBA is dedicated to equipping tomorrow’s leaders with the skills, knowledge, and integrity needed to fulfill their calling. This fall, we are taking an ambitious step forward in our School of Health Professions, blending rigorous health care training and service with a Christ-first focus. As the demand for skilled health care workers surges, our new Physician Associate program not only meets growing industry needs—but also equips future clinicians to serve with excellence, humility, and deep respect for the dignity of every patient. Learn more in this article written by Dr. Phil Tobin, dean of the School of Health Professions and founding director of the program.
The PBA School of Health Professions will launch its Master of Medical Science in Physician Associate Medicine program this fall—a transformative initiative that blends rigorous academics with a deeply rooted Christian mission while filling critical gaps in today’s health care system.
The program received provisional accreditation in June 2025 from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) and will welcome its first cohort of 56 students this October.
PBA continues to grow its health professions programs—combining the university’s focus on servant leadership with health care excellence. The program gives students more opportunities to strengthen community well-being by providing people-first services. For decades, PBA health professions students have impacted others around the world, providing critical services through the Gregory Center for Medical Missions (which has served 17,300 individuals since 2003), the School of Nursing, and Workship, PBA’s flagship community service program. Through the PA program, students will learn about underserved patients throughout the curriculum, specifically in a course called “The Vulnerable and Medically Underserved.” In the students’ clinical year, they’ll put those concepts to practice in a required clinical experience called “Community Medicine”—addressing the urgent need to serve the public in both clinical and community settings such as mobile health units and domestic violence shelters.
Led by experienced faculty members—including PBA President Dr. Debra A. Schwinn, who was instrumental in bringing this program to life—each patient will be treated as a whole person—body, mind, and spirit.
PBA’s Physician Associate Medicine Program is part of PBA’s strategic efforts to help health care professionals across the United States. According to the outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the field is expected to grow by 28 percent between 2023 to 2033, with approximately 12,900 job openings annually. According to experts, this demand is being driven by an aging population and increased emphasis on preventive care.
PBA’s integrated model—combining hands-on training, interprofessional collaboration, and a commitment to lifelong learning—ensures that graduates can make a meaningful impact and contribute to a healthier world from day one.
Statement from ARC-PA on PBA’s accreditation Status:
The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the Palm Beach Atlantic Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Palm Beach Atlantic 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. The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at https://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-palm-beach-atlantic-university/