A Degree for PA Leaders
What Is a Doctor of Medical Science?
As healthcare providers face greater demands, physician assistants continue to fulfill pivotal roles in managing physician caseloads, improving practice efficiencies and ensuring quality patient care.
A DMSc degree is a doctoral degree that elevates physician assistants to new levels of care and leadership. Designed specifically for PAs, a MS degree will build on your professional experience and provide a vital credential you need to step into leadership roles, advance your career and make a greater impact on improving patient outcomes.
High Point University’s DMSc program is designed with flexibility for working PAs with staggered start dates throughout the year and asynchronous classes that can be fully completed within 2 years.
Why a Doctor of Medical Science degree?
The healthcare landscape is increasingly complex and more focused on ensuring quality patient outcomes. With this comes higher demand for healthcare providers and administrators to have a greater understanding of medicine as well as improved leadership and research skills.
Through courses that build on your existing evidence-based training, a DMSc medical degree will expand your scholarly knowledge base, enhance your problem-solving and critical-thinking skills and further develop your leadership abilities. This expanded background and understanding will open doors to key positions in areas related to healthcare administration and education.
Evidence-based medical expertise coupled with a Doctor of Medical Science degree can help to differentiate you as a PA professional of today from the PA candidates of tomorrow. It also will enable you to get a jump start competing with new grads.
Doctor of Medical Science: Key Benefits
- Provide the advanced training to ensure quality patient outcomes.
- Create opportunities for increased decision-making and upward mobility in the workplace.
- Enhance your marketability in a field where doctorates are just starting to grow.
- Create opportunities (as a doctoral degree holder) to teach future providers as part of a university’s faculty.
- Build the business acumen and leadership skills needed for today’s healthcare delivery approaches.
Earn a DMSc Degree to Stay Ahead of the Industry Curve
The field of medicine is constantly innovating and adapting to meet the changing demands of a complex healthcare environment. There is a growing need for practice-trained PAs in leadership and in education, and those who expand their knowledge with a DMSc will also expand their opportunities to serve. Not sure where these shifts leave you and your future as a PA? Consider the facts:
- Among the biggest trends in healthcare is a push toward value- and evidence-based care — quality over quantity. With a DMSc degree, you can play a direct role in filling this need.
- There is an increased reliance on data-driven processes to guide decisions regarding patient care. A DMSc degree will provide the education to best understand how to use data to improve patient care.
- With this additional training, your Doctor of Medical Science degree will provide you the background and credentials to play a more influential role with the future of patient care in mind.
What Can You Do With a Doctor of Medical Science Degree?
As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, it is expected that team-based healthcare provision models will become more commonly used. This means greater roles for you, including expanded medical procedures and insurance coverage of PA services.
Sample job titles for professionals with a DMSc degree include:
- Healthcare administrator
- clinical researcher
- University faculty member
- Lab director
- Healthcare consultant
- Private practice director
Doctor of Medical Science Salary: How Much Can You Earn With a DMSc Degree?
A DMSc degree provides a greater focus on the understanding of medicine and also helps program graduates develop the leadership, scholarship and research skills to flourish as a healthcare practitioner and administrator. While a DMSc doesn't guarantee an increase in wages, consider these reports related to PA Doctor of Medical Science salary:
- • According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May 2020 the median annual wage for physician assistants was $115,390.
- • The 2021 PA Salary Survey from Medscape reported that PAs with doctoral degrees out-earned their professional colleagues with an average annual salary of $138,000.
An Online Program for Your Flexibility
Flexible DMSc Medical Degrees for Working Professionals
Many Doctor of Medical Science programs are offered entirely online to allow for balance in your life as a working professional. Asynchronous classes and flexible program entry options promote further flexibility. While some classes are held at specific times, others are developed as asynchronous offerings to be offered at any time of the day. You can also begin taking classes at a time that works for you, whether it’s at the beginning of the traditional semester or as soon as a current class concludes.
Grow Your Career With a Doctor of Medical Science Degree From High Point University
What is a DMSc degree? At High Point University, we believe it’s about advancing your career as a patient-centered clinician and healthcare leader to position yourself for continued success.
You will focus on patient care, but we won’t teach you what you already know. No master’s degree or GRE required.
The High Point University DMSc degree is offered entirely online. You can choose from six start dates throughout the year and work at your own pace to earn a credential that puts you ahead of the industry curve. Specialize your degree in one of two concentration options:
- Health educator
- Health administrator