Baylor’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program is offered through an innovative hybrid format that combines online learning experiences, intensive on-site lab immersions, research curriculum, and Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences (SCPEs). 

The curriculum prepares students to provide patient-centered care and collegially work on collaborative medical teams in an interprofessional environment, establishing a strong foundation in health information technology and evidence-based medicine and emphasizing the importance of remaining current with the changing nature of clinical practice.  

Didactic Phase

The didactic phase of the Baylor Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program is comprised of two formats: 

• Synchronous and asynchronous online educational instruction facilitated through Canvas, Baylor’s current learning management system, and videoconferencing platforms (i.e., Zoom and Teams).
• In-person lab immersions on campus in Waco, Texas 

Online Educational Instruction 

Through synchronous and asynchronous online educational instruction, Baylor PA program students are provided with flexible, interactive, and active learning opportunities of both medical content and professional behaviors. Asynchronous video lectures and podcasts, patient-provider simulations, academic learning resources, and discussion and case-based forums can be accessed and completed by students at a self-directed pace within the guidelines of the course. Synchronous educational experiences allow for real-time, online interaction with both faculty and other students that enhance the asynchronous educational content, allow for case-based discussions, and promote the development of clinical reasoning. 

In-Person Lab Immersions 

Reinforcement, refinement, and in-person tactile educational experiences take place through on-campus, in-person, immersive sessions that are scheduled throughout the course of the program. Lab immersions provide students with the in-person instructional opportunity to develop the clinical knowledge, psychomotor skills, and personal attitudes required for the appropriate assessment and clinical management of patients. This includes simulated experiences in obtaining a history, physical examination techniques, appropriate clinical skills, counseling, and pertinent medical documentation. 

Lab immersions are scheduled during each trimester and serve both as exercises designed to enhance critical thinking through psychomotor application of previously learned content and as assessment components for knowledge and skills through Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) or simulations. These sessions range from five to seven days based on the content and experiences within each immersion.

Clinical Phase

After completing the didactic phase of Baylor’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies program, students participate in the clinical phase of the program, during which they complete rotations in varied healthcare settings while precepted by licensed medical professionals.  

These rotations, called Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences (SCPEs) enable students to apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes learned during the didactic phase of the programs within actual healthcare settings. Student experiences involve preventive, acute, and chronic patient encounters that include women's health and care across the life span, resulting in acquiring the competencies needed for entry-level practice as a physician assistant.