The Interservice Physician Assistant Program, also known as IPAP, is a currently accredited program dedicated to those serving in the United States military to further their medical education and become a physician assistant (PA). IPAP’s mission statement is “Providing the uniformed services with highly competent, and caring providers who model integrity, strive for leadership excellence, and are committed to lifelong learning.” Their vision is “Recognition as the world-class leader in physician assistant education” and their core values are “Integrity, Persistence, Attitude and Professionalism.”
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the interservice PA program sponsored by Army Medical Center of Excellence. Accreditation-Continued refers to an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program remains in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards. IPAP is affiliated with the University of Nebraska Medical Center. This University conders a bachelor’s degree upon completion of the 16-month didactic phase and a master’s degree after successful completion of the 13-month clinical training phase. The IPAP program starts in August and has a full-time program duration of 29 months. The class size is 80 students, and the campus is located in Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The program consists of a 12 month clinical rotation and the location of the rotations depend on the institution you serve. For example, Navy clinical rotations are located in San Diego. Applications are submitted to the school directly; they do not use the CASPA admission portal. A prior bachelor’s degree is not required to apply to the program. However, all interservice physician assistant (ipap) applicants must have completed a minimum of 60 semester hours, with an emphasis in science coursework, the SAT within the past 5 years, Basic Life Support, and the service unique applicant package.
Additional admissions requirements include a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 and minimum science GPA of 3.0. The PA-CAT exam is required for application. You may include a maximum of 5 letters of recommendation with your application but there MUST be one from your first line supervisor, commander and a PA. The PA must document that you have completed at least 80 shadowing hours with them. A “Letter of Intent” of about one page must be submitted with your application to “tell the board why you want to be a PA and why you would be good at the job.”
PAs are medical professionals who help diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, assist in surgery, and may serve as a patient's primary health care services provider under the supervision of a licensed physician. To become eligible, during the application process, applicants are expected to prove sustained superior performance, dedication to the job, and a special interest in health sciences.
Physician assistant job opportunities
Successful completion of the IPAP program guarantees job placement. IPAP states “Our students are fully employed by the Department of Defense or Department of Homeland Security throughout their 29-month educational journey at IPAP, and enjoy guaranteed PA positions within the same organizations upon successful program completion and NCCPA PANCE certification.” They also state the many leadership positions available to graduates around the world, such as Squadron PA, Public Health Commanders, Clinic Chief, White House Medical Unit, and much more. This accredited program remains one of the most sought-after certification programs in USA.
If you are interested in this Interservice PA program and you are looking to become a licensed physician assistant after graduation, here are some words from the former IPAP Director, CDR Perry: “We are looking for military applicants who possess a genuine passion to help others, are committed to excellence, have maturity, integrity, intellectual curiosity, and a strong desire for lifelong learning. If you fit the bill, then you have a wonderful opportunity to join the PA profession. Complete your prerequisite coursework, submit your application through your respective Service, get selected, and join us here at the world’s largest & best Physician Assistant program!”
For additional information, visit the Interservice Physician Assistant Program website and check out the Student Handbook. Contact us if you have specific questions about the PA programs.