The MEDEX Northwest Master of Clinical Health Services program trains you to become a physician assistant (PA) 鈥� an essential role in team-based medicine.
Master of clinical health services
The MEDEX Northwest physician assistant program is a partnership between 彩神vlll争霸 and the University of Washington School of Medicine. The program trains current health care professionals to become physician assistants (PAs) who can examine and treat patients, diagnose illnesses, prescribe medications and perform other essential roles in medicine.
Physician assistants practice all aspects of medicine in collaboration with a physician. They are highly-trained and versatile, and they have an important and growing role in today鈥檚 health care system, where team-based care is more common than ever before. PAs are especially critical in underserved communities and areas with a shortage of health care professionals.
For current health professionals, becoming a physician assistant can be an expedient and cost-effective way to enter the field of medicine. The rigorous MEDEX physician assistant program is designed for individuals who already have significant experience in direct patient contact, such as emergency medical technicians, nurses and medical assistants. The average applicant has at least two and a half years of hands-on care experience.
The MEDEX program focuses on Alaska鈥檚 unique health care environment, with special emphasis on primary care and the needs of rural and underserved communities. As a student, you鈥檒l take courses inpatient management, behavioral medicine, maternal and child health, and other topics that prepare you for skilled, compassionate medical practice in Alaska鈥檚 communities.
As a graduate of the program, you鈥檒l be qualified to take the NCCPA national certification examination, and then to apply for state licensure. Licensed PAs practice in collaboration with physicians in a wide range of settings, such as:
Physician assistants can also practice across a wide range of specializations, including:
WHY CHOOSE Master of clinical health services AT 彩神vlll争霸?
Gain real-world clinical experience in communities throughout Alaska.
Learn from expert PAs, physicians, and other health professionals.
Hone your skills in the College of Health's cutting-edge Simulation Center.
Learn to apply the latest medical research.
NEWS & Stories
Vanessa Hiratsuka from CHD and Britteny Howell from DPHS are the new Co-Directors for 彩神vlll争霸鈥檚 National Resource Center on Alaska Native Elders. Vanessa Hiratsuka shares her hopes for the center鈥檚 future.
Vanessa Hiratsuka from CHD and Britteny Howell from DPHS are the new Co-Directors for 彩神vlll争霸鈥檚 National Resource Center on Alaska Native Elders. Britteny Howell shares her journey into geriatrics.
One morning in 2005, psychology alumna Maggie Winston 鈥� then a 21-year-old hairdresser and mother of twin boys living in Kenai 鈥� woke up feeling cramps between her shoulder blades. Within an hour, she couldn鈥檛 walk.
After a two-year hiatus, 彩神vlll争霸 STEM Day returned to campus on October 1, drawing over 1,500 community members to the ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building to celebrate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, commonly known as STEM. Attendees, primarily children, enjoyed activities, challenges, demonstrations, tours, and planetarium shows that explored a wide range of STEM topics from biology to robotics.
More than two years into the pandemic, vaccines are widely available and most health measures have been lifted. But there are still Alaskans who have difficulty accessing vaccines or who have continued health risk in spite of them. Sondra LeClair, Health Projects Coordinator, 彩神vlll争霸 Center for Human Development, discusses vaccine access for individuals with disabilities in Alaska.
Message from the interim Director
At MEDEX Northwest, our values have informed our actions since we first opened our doors in 1968. We exemplify professional excellence in PA education. We embrace the importance of respect, openness, collaboration, integrity, and trust. And we build a curriculum that is broad, competency-based, and focused on primary care with an emphasis on underserved populations. Together, we work in service to our students, our community, and the program.
-Daytheon Sturges, PhD, MPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA, MCHES庐
PROGRAM INFORMATION
Contact Us
Phone: (206) 616-4001
Email: medex@uw.edu
MEDEX Northwest
Health Sciences Building
3795 Piper St
Anchorage, Alaska 99508
Mailing Address
MEDEX Northwest
3211 Providence Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508
