PA students standing in front of a UW School of Medicine and Public Health sign

PA Mission

The mission of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Physician Assistant (PA) program is to educate health care professionals committed to the delivery of comprehensive, preventative and therapeutic health care in a patient-centered manner, with an emphasis on primary health care for all populations in need.

We aspire to be leaders in the physician assistant profession through education, scholarship, technology, outreach and community-based training.

Social Impact and Belonging

We promote and encourage patient-centered practices and empathy in our students as we train them to deliver comprehensive health care for a wide variety of populations.

As a community of faculty, staff and students, we are committed to bridging gaps in health outcomes and establishing a learning environment in which every individual is an integral and valued member, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability.

We also recognize that social impact and belonging represent values that we should always strive for, through efforts aimed at our continual improvement. We will:

  • Ensure that our curriculum upholds values of social impact and belonging
  • Create safer, more empowering spaces for students from all backgrounds
  • Foster a supportive learning environment that normalizes and streamlines accommodation processes for students living with conditions that may affect their physical and/or mental health
  • Recruit, admit and graduate students from all backgrounds and perspectives, as well as recruit and retain faculty and staff from all backgrounds

Values

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Respect

We are respectful of others to build a positive and productive working environment. We appreciate and consider the opinions and ideas of others. We treat every person with dignity, recognizing individual and collective differences.

Integrity

We champion the mission of UW–Madison, the mission of the PA program, and the Wisconsin Idea. We practice uncompromising honesty, decency and trustworthiness in all we do. We make tough, educated decisions even in adverse times. We hold ourselves accountable to our commitments. We strive for clarity in all communications as part of how we work together.

Trust

We ensure open communication by sharing information routinely, soliciting input and acknowledging feedback. We practice fair treatment of all consistent with our policies, common sense and ethics. We listen and respond to concerns, discussions and questions in a timely manner.

Compassion

We behave with kindness, empathy and altruism. We listen actively and without judgment. We offer support when someone is facing hardship. We treat ourselves with the same kindness and respect we show others.

Excellence

We aim for high standards in teaching, learning and innovation. We strive to engage with others in the name of continually improving our work. We teach our learners, colleagues and collaborators to achieve and strive in all we do.