Physician Assistant Studies
A page within Physician Assistant Studies
Become a Physician Assistant with UW-La Crosse!
Program partnerships
The UWL PA program represents a unique collaboration with our clinical partners:
Students benefit from the expertise of dedicated academic and clinical instructors each of the four institutions. In the first year, didactic instruction is completed at the UWL Health Science Center. Second year clinical instruction occurs within the healthcare systems represented by our three clinical partners.

Accolades for graduate preparation
- Program accreditation
- Accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) since 1997.
- Exceptional pass rate
- 100% five-year pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certification Examination (PANCE)
- Impressive job placement
- Most graduates are now employed in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.

What is a physician assistant?
Physician assistants (PAs) are licensed, certified healthcare professionals who practice medicine in partnership with physicians. PAs work in a variety of practice settings, including hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and research centers. Duties include:
- Take medical history
- Conduct physical exams
- Diagnose & treat illness
- Order & interpret tests
- Develop treatment plans
- Provide preventive care
- Assist in surgery
- Write prescriptions
- Make rounds
- Perform clinical research

A day in the life of a grad student
Our students were challenged to describe their graduate experience with one image and six words. Below are the 2021 "Say it in 6" entries from the Physician Assistant Studies program.
Contact our program
PROGRAM INQUIRIES & APPLICATION QUESTIONS
Application Review Specialist
4033 Health Science Center
pamann@uwlax.edu