The Army has implemented a competitive program for enlisted servicemembers who want to become physician assistants.
According to Army Times, this new training will be extremely long and demanding, even by Army standards. It will consist of two phases over the course of 116 weeks. Successful completion of the course will result in a master's degree in medical care, courtesy of the University of Nebraska.
According to the United States Army Recruiting Command, well-qualified officers, enlisted soldiers and warrant officers are welcome to apply to receive the PA degree. Soldiers with more than 13 years of federal active service and officers with more than seven years of federal active service as of 2016 are not eligible. Regular Army servicemembers who intend to participate must be set to complete the training before their 42nd birthday. Members of the Army Reserves must do so before their 47th birthday.
If accepted, servicemembers will spend 64 weeks at the Army Medical Department Center and School in Houston, Texas, for classes. They will then be placed at an Army medical facility for a year-long clinical, reported Army Times.
Graduates of the PA program will have a 54-month service obligation if they are regular Army servicemembers and eight year obligation if they are from the Army Reserves.