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Magazine | Master of Science Physician Assistant Program
Central California’s underserved communities lack access to quality healthcare. CSUMB launched a new Masters of Science Physician Assistant (MSPA) Program in 2019 to help fill the gaps.
The program is the first of its kind in the CSU, and only one of three in the country to teach in Spanish, according to Director Christopher Forest.
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Physician assistants provide many of the same services as doctors, including performing physical exams, diagnosing illnesses, and prescribing medications, but less training and certification are required.
More than 1,600 people applied for the 32 spots available in the program’s inaugural cohort which started classes in January 2019.
Read about the MSPA Program’s first White Coat Ceremony on Page 46.
Physician assistant program holds first White Coat Ceremony
CSU Monterey Bay’s Master of Science Physician Assistant (MSPA) Program honored its inaugural cohort of 29 students with a White Coat Ceremony in December 2019.
The event celebrated the successful completion of firstyear studies for the students. According to medical tradition, the students donned white coats to signify their transition from book-learning to supervised clinical practice.
CSUMB President Eduardo M. Ochoa gave the welcome address. Program Director Christopher Forest presided as master of ceremonies. Britt Rios-Ellis, dean of the College of Health Sciences and Human Services, spoke about the journey of bringing the program to fruition, the first of its kind in the 23-campus California State University system.
More than 300 people attended the ceremony, including university leadership, families, friends, preceptors, and leaders from multiple local hospitals and medical groups where students had been invited to complete their clinical rotations over the next 16 months.
The program focuses on providing primary care to underserved patient populations, in keeping with the CSUMB Vision Statement. It serves a critical regional need and will strengthen the health of the communities the physician assistants will serve.
