{"id":1419,"date":"2025-10-28T19:04:21","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T19:04:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shp.rutgers.edu\/annual-report\/?page_id=1419"},"modified":"2026-01-27T18:54:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T18:54:18","slug":"rutgers-physician-assistant-program-turns-50","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/shp.rutgers.edu\/community-impact-report\/rutgers-physician-assistant-program-turns-50\/","title":{"rendered":"RUTGERS PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROGRAM TURNS 50"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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From Modest Beginnings to National Acclaim: Rutgers\u2019 Physician Assistant Program\nTurns 50 <\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Fifty years ago, Rutgers School of Health Professions\u2019 Physician Assistant (PA) program launched as New Jersey\u2019s only one of its kind\u2014with just a dozen students who couldn\u2019t even practice in-state due to outdated\nlaws.\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Today, our program is a nationally ranked powerhouse, producing top-tier PAs who shape health care in New Jersey and beyond.<\/p>

Ranked among the nation\u2019s Top Ten by U.S. News & World Report<\/em>, our PA program admits just 3 percent of applicants. But the journey wasn\u2019t easy. While other states licensed PAs as early as the 1970s to address physician shortages, New Jersey held out until 1992\u2014 after a march on the statehouse attended by faculty and graduates who fought to push legislation through.<\/p>

Today, PAs are essential to primary care, and our graduates make their mark across public health and enjoy prestigious careers\u2014one even cared for Hillary Clinton when she was secretary of state, according to Department Chair Matthew McQuillan.\u00a0 The program boasts a 99 percent first-time pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE), the second highest among U.S. News\u2019s<\/em> top 20 programs.<\/p>

But for McQuillan, the program\u2019s culture and emphasis on humanistic care matter most. “Our students apply for many reasons\u2014our history, exceptional pass rates, and dedicated faculty\u2014but they also connect with our mission and the supportive community they hear about from alumni,” he said.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

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Over the past decade, the department shifted the admissions process to value life experiences alongside academic achievements. Since shifting to holistic admissions \u2014and earning a national award for the effort in 2018 \u2014the program has attracted students from all walks of life. Among them: an Olympic Trials long jumper, a former stand-up comedian, and a musician who pivoted to health care.<\/p>

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\u201cWe believe strongly that a diverse workforce leads to better patient care,\u201d said Lori Palfreyman, the former program director who led the change and who retired in the spring of 2025. \u201cPeople are more than just a GPA, and we\u2019ve seen the proof of that over and over again\u201d<\/p>

Behind our program successes are faculty whose dedication and scholarship have helped propel it to national prominence.<\/p>

As of 2024, every full-time faculty member holds a doctoral degree, bringing a wealth of expertise that ensures the program\u2019s continued excellence. Faculty members have earned state and national recognition for their leadership, teaching, research, and innovation.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

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A cornerstone of our program\u2019s commitment to service is the Health Outreach Practice Experience (HOPE) clinic<\/a>, which provides free care to uninsured and underinsured patients in Plainfield, N.J. For years, Rutgers PA students and faculty collaborated with other organizations to support the clinic, but after the pandemic, the program took full ownership.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Last year alone, faculty, staff, and supervised students logged a record-breaking 700 patient visits. Beyond honing their clinical skills, students gain firsthand insight into health care disparities\u2014sparking a desire to bring about change.\u00a0<\/p>

\u201cThe work we do at HOPE clinic is about more than just providing care\u2014it\u2019s about building trust, understanding systemic barriers, and training future providers who will make a real difference,\u201d Palfreyman said.<\/strong><\/p>

That spirit of service extends beyond the clinic. In a testament to the program\u2019s mission-driven culture, three students from the Class of 2021 received full scholarships from the National Health Service Corps in exchange for a commitment to work in underserved areas for at least two years after graduation. And the tradition continues \u2013 every year since, at least one student has received the prestigious award.<\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s an incredibly competitive scholarship, and having recipients year after year speaks volumes about the dedication and caliber of our students,\u201d said Palfreyman.<\/p>

Our PA graduates are visible in all aspects of health care. Beyond providing patient care, some serve in public health leadership roles, while others innovate new ways to improve patient outcomes.<\/p>

Recognizing that strong aftercare reduces hospital readmissions, two alumni recently launched a virtual support service that provides round-the-clock check-ins to aid recovery.<\/p>

\u201cOur graduates aren\u2019t just excelling in their careers\u2014they\u2019re reshaping the future of care,\u201d said McQuillan.<\/strong><\/p>

Fifty years in, Rutgers SHP\u2019s PA program isn\u2019t just surviving\u2014it\u2019s thriving.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From Modest Beginnings to National Acclaim: Rutgers\u2019 Physician Assistant Program Turns 50 Fifty years ago, Rutgers School of Health Professions\u2019 Physician Assistant (PA) program launched as New Jersey\u2019s only one<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1419","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shp.rutgers.edu\/community-impact-report\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1419","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shp.rutgers.edu\/community-impact-report\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shp.rutgers.edu\/community-impact-report\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shp.rutgers.edu\/community-impact-report\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shp.rutgers.edu\/community-impact-report\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1419"}],"version-history":[{"count":88,"href":"https:\/\/shp.rutgers.edu\/community-impact-report\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1419\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4565,"href":"https:\/\/shp.rutgers.edu\/community-impact-report\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1419\/revisions\/4565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shp.rutgers.edu\/community-impact-report\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1419"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}