Physician Assistant Mission Statement and History
PA Program Mission Statement
To develop citizens with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and
commitment necessary to enter the practice of medicine as physician
assistants and assume responsibility, with physician supervision,
for the primary health care needs of their patients.
PA Program History
In the early 1990s, the report of the Indiana Health Care
Commission noted that many areas of Indiana were medically
underserved. During this same period, Methodist Hospital expanded
its mission of "curing disease and rescuing from disaster" to
include "delivering primary care services" and the Butler
University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences recognized
an educational void in Indiana. The creation of a physician
assistant program, co-sponsored by Methodist Hospital and Butler
University, was recognized as a way to address all of these issues
and program development commenced in 1992.
The PA program admitted its first professional phase class
of nine students in January 1995 and this class graduated in
August 1996 with a BS in Health Sciences. Today, the PA program is
operated solely by Butler University and administers all aspects of
didactic training on Butler University's campus. Students now
complete a three-year professional phase of training in classes of
about 50 students each. Graduates are awarded a Master of
Physician Assistant Studies degree.