100% Employment Rate for Physician Assistant Grads

Reports from the inaugural graduating class for Bethel’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant program indicate a 100% employment rate, with most graduates saying they chose from a minimum of two or three job options. The new physician assistants (PAs), who graduated in 2015, landed jobs in a number of states, from Minnesota and Wisconsin to Pennsylvania and the Carolinas. Approximately 40% of the graduates work in primary care, including family medicine, internal medicine, women’s health, and pediatrics. About 60% work in specialties like emergency medicine, urgent care, ear/nose/throat, surgical subspecialties, and behavioral health. Program faculty comment that they “enjoy staying connected with a number of our alumni, and are so proud of the impact our graduates are having as an extension of their Bethel training and experiences. They are representing the Bethel family very well in their work as PAs.”

Besides preparing its graduates for the job market, Bethel’s Physician Assistant (PA) program has earned the approval of the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, which recently approved the program for the maximum 10 years. The process speaks highly about several distinctives of the program, says Wallace Boeve, program director, including:

• the commitment, dedication, and quality of program faculty, staff, and students
• the support of Bethel’s administration at multiple levels, across campus, and their commitment to excellence in developing and launching the new PA program
• the program’s strong network of partners, including multiple healthcare agencies where providers such as PAs and MDs mentor and shepherd students, as well as state and national professional organizations along with the other Minnesota PA programs

“Without the support of so many dedicated people at multiple levels,” says Boeve, “we would not be enjoying such prosperity in this initial launch. God has blessed a true team effort.” Boeve also noted the strong work of Bethel’s admissions team in partnering with the program to secure top-quality applicants and students. The most recent cohort drew nearly 500 applicants for just 32 available seats in the program.