DMS Bridge Program

Built for every PA

Built for PAs ready to move forward, the Butler DMS Bridge Program is a doctoral pathway designed for PAs at various points in their careers who are seeking a Doctor of Medical Science degree. The program brings future-focused PAs together from across the country for an engaging and accelerated program delivered entirely online, with 36 credit hours applied from PA school clinical rotations.

Program overview

The program includes three seven-week didactic courses designed to develop data-driven decision making in Biostatistics, Research Design, and Issues in Clinical Practice. Students can complete these three courses in one semester on a full-time, accelerated pathway (two semesters total, less than a year) or spread them across two or three terms on the flexible pathways, while maintaining continuous enrollment by taking at least one course per term. Importantly, the courses are mostly asynchronous, meaning work is completed when convenient for you. Each class meets synchronously by Zoom twice during the seven-week term. This means students enrolled in our flexible pathway (one to two classes a semester) will have two to four live meetings a term. Typically, the program offers options for day and evening schedules.

Capstone Project: Build your expertise your way

After completing all three seven-week courses, students move to a semester-long Capstone Project where students hone the skills of a data-informed leader by developing a highly personalized research project focused on their own area of interest, whether that means deepening expertise in their medical discipline, exploring a PA professional topic they’re passionate about, or working toward a solution for a problem they’ve encountered in practice.

The time is now

No matter if you’re building momentum right out of PA school or you’re a practicing PA ready for your next step, the Butler DMS Bridge Program offers a rigorous, doctoral-level path forward, without asking you to put your clinical career on hold.

Program goals

• Build on PA clinical training and experience to ensure PAs meet the changing demands of the healthcare environment.
• Provide a rigorous, professional doctorate curriculum that focuses on a greater understanding of medicine, research, and leadership skills for PAs.
• Demonstrate application of knowledge through a personalized capstone project addressing a clinical or operational challenge of the student’s choosing.
• Create opportunities for developing enhanced decision-making skills and upward mobility in the workplace.
• Connect with a network of clinically focused peers across the country.

Why the DMS Bridge Program may be right for you