MBKU's Doctor of Medical Science program is where the next generation of physician associate health care leaders and educators are trained. Prepare for success in your education, leadership, and scholarly career with the innovative DMSc program.

Meeting a Critical Need

By the end of 2023 there were more than 178,000 board-certified physician associates (PAs) in the United States, and although 20% report they have full or part-time faculty positions, and 22.4% have medical administration roles, fewer than 2.4% of all PAs are trained for these roles at the doctoral level. The MBKU Doctor of Medical Science program is designed to prepare working PAs and recent graduates and for advanced professional practice in PA education and healthcare administration and leadership roles through an state-of-the-art 100% online, asynchronous and intensive course of study. 

Experienced working PAs will be able to complete a course of study in PA education or Healthcare Administration and Leadership in 12 months, and recent PA-School graduates may complete a program in Advanced Professional Practice focused on administration and leadership in six. 

Demand for and Benefits of Earning a DMSc

There is an increasing desire among PAs for doctoral training. The proportion of PAs planning to seek an advanced degree related to the PA profession increased by 46% between 2020 and 2023, and the those planning to pursue an advanced degree in education increased by 141%.¹ The need for doctorally trained PA educators is particularly acute. A review of want-ads for PA faculty between 2014 and 2020 from 232 PA programs found 38.9% of ads for faculty, and nearly half those for program directors preferred doctorally trained applicants.² This is consistent with the fact that the actual number of PA program directors and faculty with doctoral degrees increased 27% and 36% respectively between 2019 and 2022 to 23.5% and 57.8% respectively.³ A recent survey of graduates from an early DMSc program found 80% reported higher salaries and 76% reported promotions attributable to attainment of a Doctor of Medical Science degree,⁴ which is consistent with another survey that found doctorally trained PAs out-earned their Masters-trained colleagues by an average of $9,000 a year.⁵ As a result, the number of Doctor of Medical Science programs have doubled between 2022 and 2024.⁶ MBKU is proud to offer a new option for those PAs seeking a post-professional doctorate to further their career.

Innovative Cutting-Edge Education for PAs in All Stages of Their Career

By applying universal design for learning concepts to the online environment MBKU provides options for PAs in all stages of their career. For those who have graduated within the last 24 months we offer an Advanced Professional Practice bridge from PA school that will build on the work the students just completed. Applicants eligible for the bridge program will begin the DMSc program within two years of completing their PA master’s degree.  

For experienced working PAs who are further from PA school we offer two concentrations; one focused on PA education to train our students to more effectively prepare the next generation of PAs for clinical practice, and the other will focus on Healthcare Administration and Leadership for those currently in, or who aspire to positions of greater responsibility within their current institutions.  

¹National Commission on the Certification of Physician Assistants. 2023 Statistical Profile of Recently
Certified Physician Assistants Annual Report. NCCPA Website. Accessed February 24, 2025.
https://www.nccpa.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2023-Recently-certified_10_29_24.pdf

²Kayingo G, Kibe L, Venzon A, et al. Assessing demand for doctoral-prepared PA faculty: a five-year
longitudinal study. BMC Med Educ. 2022;22:331. doi:10.1186/s12909-022-03375-x

³Physician Assistant Education Association. By the Numbers: Faculty Report 5: Data From the 2022 Faculty &
Directors Survey. Washington, DC: PAEA; 2024. https://paeaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/PAEAFR5-5_Final-Updated-12-3-2024.pdf.

⁴Kilgore JR, et al. Characteristics and career e^ect on PA graduates of a doctor of medical science program.
JAAPA. 2024;38(1). DOI:10.1097/01.JAA.0000000000000170. 

⁵Robbins R. Medscape Physician Assistant Compensation Report 2022. Medscape website. Updated June 3,
2022. Accessed November 21, 2022. https://www.medscape.com/slideshow/2022-compensation-physicianassist-6015298#1

⁶McKenna RE, Hooker RS. The PA Post-Professional Doctorate. 2025. JAAPA. In press.