Barry Universitys School of Graduate Medical Sciences has announced the expansion of the BU Physician Assistant Program to St. Petersburg, FL that will bring the BUPAP to Floridas west coast for the first time. Barry will partner with St. Petersburg College to seat the first class of the BUPAP expansion at SPC in August, 2005.
(l to r) Dr. Charles Culver, Barry University Physician Assistant Program professor of medical education; Lars Hafner, associate vice president in charge of St. Petersburg Colleges University Partnership Center; and Dr. Doreen C. Parkhurst (standing in front of Hafner), assistant dean and BUPAP medical director.
Students from Pinellas County will attend first year didactic lectures in the two-way interactive classroom at St. Petersburg Colleges University Partnership Center transmitted live via video-link and web-based programs at Barry Universitys main campus in Miami Shores. The synchronous classes will enable students in St. Petersburg to complete the same Master of Clinical Medical Science Degree with the Physician Assistant Certificate as students in the program at BUs Miami Shores campus. Over the next year, faculty members will be trained in techniques, technology, and presentation of lectures to students in two locations synchronously. Clinical rotations required for the second year of the program will be offered at clinics, hospitals, doctors offices and other health facilities on Floridas West Coast as well as other locations across Florida and the nation.
“Pinellas County in which St. Petersburg is located in the most densely populated county south of Atlanta, Georgia,” explained Dr. Doreen Parkhurst, director and medical director for Barrys PA Program. “The area demonstrates serious health care needs for underserved and high risk populations as well as a critical under-representation of physician assistants to serve these populations. Since no baccalaureate or graduate degree programs were available for physician assistant training in the area, Barry took the lead to partner with St. Petersburg College to bring the PA program to place-bound students in Pinellas and surrounding counties.”
“We are extremely pleased to be working in collaboration with Barry University on this highly innovative program,” said Lars Hafner, associate vice president in charge of St. Petersburg Colleges University Partnership Center. “We feel that together we will bring an enriched learning experience to area students that will increase PAs in the workforce in our medically underserved communities.”
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