Would anyone know of any online/distance learning Physician Assistant programs? This would be an entrance program versus a bridge program for currently licensed PAs.
Hmm, at one time East Carolina University offered a DL option for the didactic portion of the training. You still had to come in to Greenville to complete the clinical portion. According to their website, ECU apparently no longer offers a DL option. There are several other PA programs that offer a master's via DL, but those are only for people already working as a PA. Given that any healthcare training program requires significant amounts of hands-on patient care as preparation, I doubt if there are any DL or online only training programs for PAs seeking entry in to the field.
I have found the University of Wisconsin-Madison offers a distance learning option for students in the Wisconsin area. It is a partial distance leraning program extending the normal program from 24-36 mos. It also requires an initial campus requirement of 10 weeks during the first summer followed by 2-3 day campus requirements per semester. See more here http://www.physicianassistant.wisc.edu Just wondering if there are any other programs similar for students in the South East.
Speaking as someone who has worked in healthcare for the past 29 years, it is important to remember that you will find some programs in which you can do some or all of the didactic (classroom) learning via DL. However, every accredited PA program requires proctored clinical experience done through externships or the like. That has to be done onsite or through a cooperating hospital or clinic. I am sure you already know this, and I apologize if I am stating the obvious, but there is no PA program that in which you can complete both the didactic and clinical components online or via distance learning.