ACCREDITATION STATUS: ARC-PA has accepted the voluntary withdrawal of the Christian Brothers PA Program from the ARC-PA accreditation process. Effective August 31, 2025, ARC- PA shall withdraw accreditation from the Christian Brothers PA Program. Subject to fulfillment of various obligations, the Christian Brothers PA Program will remain accredited on probation through August 31, 2025. The Christian Brothers PA Program will not accept any new students for enrollment. Specific questions regarding the Christian Brothers PA Program and its plans should be directed to the Program Director.

The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program at Christian Brothers University trains physician assistants (PAs) to better serve patients in the community, region, state, and nation. We’ve partnered with nationally-renowned medical facilities to offer exceptional clinical experiences during both phases of the program, with an orthopedic thread.

Our emphasis is on evidence-based primary care and preventive medicine, the provision of health care to the medically underserved, and the use of information technology in medicine. The program promotes interdisciplinary team care, patient advocacy, and the delivery of primary health care for all patients.

Your training will provide you with the knowledge and experience to examine patients, diagnose injuries and illnesses, and provide treatment as a general practitioner. After graduation, you must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) and apply for state medical licensure to work with a supervising physician or surgeon.

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Contact the CBU PA Program

Email: pas@cbu.edu 
Phone: (901) 321-3388
Mailing Address: Physician Assistant Studies, Christian Brothers University • 650 East Parkway South • Memphis, TN 38104 

KAREN CHAFFIN, Program Administrative Coordinator: kchaffi1@cbu.edu(901) 321-3388
TODD SMITH, Director, psmith21@cbu.edu

Why Become a Physician Assistant?

Physician assistants enjoy a great work-life balance and a high level of job satisfaction. PAs perform services the supervising physician might provide, and can work with a relatively high degree of autonomy. Also, PAs are the only medical care provider who can change their area of practice from one medical specialty to another without additional formal training or certification.

Career & Salary Outlook

The PA profession is seeing tremendous growth. U.S. News & World Report ranked physician assistant (PA) as the 3rd best job overall and the 2nd best healthcare job in 2020. Salaries have been rising with demand – the median PA salary has gone from $104,131 in 2016 to $115,000 in 2018, according to the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) 2018 Statistical Profile of Certified Physician Assistants Annual Report.

PA Program Structure

The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program is based on active-learning, student engagement, and an integrative approach.

  • Coursework: 15 months
  • Clinical rotations: 14 months
View the Physician Assistant Curriculum

Applying

Applications are accepted between May 1 and October 1 each year for cohorts who begin the program in January of the following year. Applications are only accepted through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) portal. We encourage all interested applicants to visit the CASPA website for additional details.

Program Mission

In keeping with the university’s institutional goals, the program embraces educating minds, touching hearts, and remembering the presence of God.

Our mission is to educate and prepare diverse and exemplary individuals to become caring, competent, ethical, and professional physician assistants who can practice clinically in a wide variety of settings and positively affect their patients, the community, and the health care system through evidence-based and preventive medicine, leadership, life-long learning, utilization of information technology, the provision of health care to the medically underserved, interdisciplinary team care, patient advocacy, and the delivery of primary health care for all patients.

PA Program Goals

Accreditation

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), 12000 Findley Road, Suite 150, Johns Creek, GA 30079 accredits Physician Assistant programs in the United States.

At its 2021 March meeting, the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) placed the Christian Brothers University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Christian Brothers University on Accreditation Probation status until its next review in 2023 March.
 
Probation accreditation is a temporary accreditation status initially of not less than two years. However, that period may be extended by the ARC-PA for up to an additional two years if the ARC-PA finds that the program is making substantial progress toward meeting all applicable standards but requires additional time to come into full compliance. Probation accreditation status is granted, at the sole discretion of the ARC-PA, when a program holding an accreditation status of Accreditation – Provisional or Accreditation – Continued does not, in the judgment of the ARC-PA, meet the Standards or when the capability of the program to provide an acceptable educational experience for its students is threatened.
 
Once placed on probation, a program that fails to comply with accreditation requirements in a timely manner, as specified by the ARC-PA, may be scheduled for a focused site visit and is subject to having its accreditation withdrawn.
 
Specific questions regarding the Program and its plans should be directed to the Program Director and/or the appropriate institutional official(s).
 
The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-christian-brothers-university

Additional Information

PA Resources and Links

Location

CBU is located on a 75-acre wooded campus in midtown Memphis, Tennessee — about four miles east of downtown and close to major medical centers. The Physician Assistant Program is a graduate program in the CBU School of Sciences.

The Physician Assistant Studies Program offices are located on the upper level of Barry Hall.