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In many fields, an advanced degree is a stepping stone to specialized knowledge, new career paths, and increased earning potential. Today, the vast majority of physician associates (PAs) graduate from PA school with a master’s degree. But the recent proliferation of doctoral programs, including PA-specific programs that culminate with a Doctor of Science in Physician Assistant Studies or Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc), has raised critical questions across the PA community.
When is it worth pursuing an advanced degree as a PA? And how do you determine whether the benefits outweigh the costs of additional schooling?
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“The military was the first to have a postprofessional doctorate for PAs — starting in 2007 — in partnership with Baylor [University]. The first civilian program started in 2016, and, in just a few years, we have about 28 of these programs specific to PAs across the country,” said Sarah Bolander, DMSc, PA-C, an assistant professor in the PA program at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, who is currently researching both the characteristics of and the motivating factors for PA doctoral degrees in partnership with the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) as a PA Education Association fellow.
In the past, PAs who were interested in teaching at the university level, or participating in research, might go for a Doctor of Education or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree. In contrast, those interested in public health or administrative roles might seek a Master of Public Health or Master of Business Administration specializing in healthcare management. Today, according to preliminary research by Bolander and the NCCPA, only 2.7% of PAs have completed any type of doctorate degree — with more than half of those achieving a DMSc degree. But the number of PAs going back to school for doctorates is slowly growing.
“The take-up has been very small overall,” said Alicia Quella, PhD, MPAS, PA-C, director of Communications and PA Relations at NCCPA. “But in that small group of people, we’ve seen a 35% increase in those who are getting doctorates between 2020 and 2024.”
Understanding Your Why
The reasons for pursuing an advanced degree vary. Currently, the American Academy of Physician Associates is debating whether a doctorate should be the entry-level degree for PAs — and what such a program should look like. Others argue that there’s no need for a doctorate for traditional clinical practice. Yet, those who pursue doctorates believe the extra schooling is helping advance their careers in different ways.
Erin Chalmers, DMSc, MSPAS, PA-C, associate program director and associate professor at Sullivan University in Louisville, Kentucky, said she was inspired to get her DMSc degree after working in PA education for a decade and wanting to “lead and not just manage, and do so with vision and clarity.” She noted that many other healthcare roles, from physical therapy to nurse practitioners, hold doctoral degrees.
“I work in a college that also has a pharmacy doctoral program. I noticed that Doctors of Pharmacy had more knowledge, not just clinically, but in terms of leadership,” she said. “And as I was at the point in my career where I wanted to help shape the future of the PA profession and mentor the next generation of PAs in a meaningful way, I needed a DMSc program to deepen my understanding of PA education and to gather more of those leadership qualities.”
Aisha Hussein, DMS, PA-C, said she not only wanted to gain more leadership skills but also wanted to hone her clinical knowledge to open up more career opportunities in academia.
“You need a doctorate degree to teach at the doctorate level — and that’s standard in academia. In the clinical realm, a doctorate also gets you access to more administrative roles,” she explained. “But each PA doctoral program out there has a slightly different flavor, and you should research them to determine which ones fit your professional goals, whether they are clinical, administrative, teaching, leadership, or business. It’s important to align your career goals with the program you choose.”
As a PA who works both in a clinical setting and as a consultant, Christopher Cannell, DMSc, MPAS, MPLC, PA-C, agreed that “understanding your why” is critical for anyone who is considering a doctorate.
“I feel like my degree has afforded me a level of respect and authority in the space of healthcare and medical-legal consulting,” he said. “It’s given me many more opportunities than I would have had with just a PA-C. When you can align your why with the opportunity, you will see your degree pay for itself…and, for me, in terms of networking and professionalism, the degree is paying out huge dividends.”
Calculating Your Cost-Benefit Ratio
Not only do existing PA doctoral programs differ in “flavor,” but they also differ in cost. Hussein said that research from 2022 to 2023 suggests that the average cost of a program is about $26,000 — but they can go up to as high as $90,000.
“If I’m in academia and I have a doctorate, I get paid more. If I’m in administration and I have a doctorate, I get paid more,” she said. “So, if you are in a program around the $26,000 range, you can get a return on that investment within a few years, depending on the program you choose and the kind of role you want to work in after.”
The length of doctoral programs can vary. Some are as few as an extra semester; others can take up to 3 years. Some programs offer studies concurrent to a traditional PA degree. Others may have a decelerated path that allows people to work full time or to maintain a good work/life balance, said Hussein.
Yet, Quella said that, when advising current PAs and PA student groups about doctoral programs, she cautions those interested to look carefully at the cost-benefit ratio based on their current student loans and future earning potential.
“What loans do you have now? What would be the cost of adding on a concurrent or an extra doctoral degree?” she said. “Are you able to practice as a PA while you are doing your doctoral studies so you can pay for it? There are a lot of things to think about, and it might make sense for many PAs to start work as a PA first and then determine whether the degree is worth it after they see the kind of environment they are practicing in and what opportunities are available to them.”
Kayt Sukel is a healthcare and science writer based outside Houston.
