These guidelines state that the Physician Assistant is academically and clinically prepared to provide health care services with the direction and supervision of a licensed Physician. The role of the Physician Assistant demands intelligence, sound judgment, intellectual honesty, appropriate interpersonal skills, and the capacity to react to emergencies in a calm and reasoned manner. Additionally it requires an attitude of respect for self and others, adherence to the concepts of privilege and confidentiality in communicating with patients, and a commitment to the patient’s welfare are essential attributes.

As of 2009, South College is one of the 145 Physician Assistant educational programs accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc (ARC-PA). The ARC-PA is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as the official accrediting agency for Physician Assistant educational programs. The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. has granted continuing accreditation status to the South College Masters of Health Science Physician Assistant Studies Program.

All students completing study in an accredited programare eligible to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) administered by the NCCPA and for obtaining a state license. For more information on the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc., please visit their website.