Welcome to the Master Physician Assistant Program

The physician assistant program at Samuel Merritt College serves the community by preparing graduate practitioners who are interdependent medical providers that possess the educational foundations for continued intellectual growth, in a changing world of diverse cultures. Graduates demonstrate commitment to the community and the profession through active leadership, critical and creative thinking, and effective communication skills.



Why Choose the Physician Assistant Program at Samuel Merritt College…

• 98 % first attempt pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certification Exam for all graduates between 2001-2006; compared to the national average of 90.6%.
  
• National Certification Exam scores are in the top 3-5% of Physician Assistant programs nationally.
• Accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant; next review May 2007
• Small class sizes.
• Campus Location: Oakland, CA with clinical placement sites in the greater Bay Area.
• The MPA program is committed to the education of highly skilled, knowledgeable physician assistants who contribute to the provision of high quality health care to all individuals in a wide variety of clinical settings.

Application Deadline:
The MPA program at Samuel Merritt College participates in the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). Applicants apply online at www.caspaonline.org [1]

Applications for Fall are available on the CASPA website beginning May 1st. First consideration will be given to applicants who have submitted all required documents to CASPA by Dec 1st. Applications submitted to CASPA after Dec. 1st will be considered on a space-available basis and admission will be closed after a suitable cohort has been identified.


Why did you choose Samuel Merritt College?

"I was very impressed that for a young program, they had very good numbers, so I knew they were doing a good job teaching their students. For me though, it was the faculty. They were very approachable. They seemed to be not only there for the Program, but also, very much there for the students."
--Aaron Peters, graduate Class of 2005

Contact Information

Please review this website for details regarding admission to the MPA program at Samuel Merritt College. If you have specific questions, please contact us and we will be happy to help you. The Admission Counselor who works most closely with the MPA program is Pam Harrison, Associate Director of Admission.
Email: pharrison@samuelmerritt.edu [2]
Phone: 510-869-6608