title: The Interservice Physician Assistant Program: Education quantity and quality.
abstract: The Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP) was formed in 1996 by the assimilation of three service programs (Army, Air Force, and Navy). Applicants are selected from each service and upon successful completion of the program become commissioned officers within their respective medical corps. Clinical training takes place within military treatment facilities across the United States. Located in San Antonio, Texas, the program graduates about 169 PAs a year. Graduates are deployed to attend to service personnel, refugees, civilians, and victims of epidemics. The IPAP is unique in that it is the largest PA program in the world and its applicant pool is restricted to military personnel.
authors.affiliation: At the time of this article was written, Randolph Scott Harrison was assigned to the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) via the Army's Training with Industry Program. Katherine Justen Adamson, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, is a former academic coordinator for the Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP). Shan Michael Kroger is a retired Army major general and academic coordinator for IPAP. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
authors.forename: Randolph Scott
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: Katherine Justen
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Adamson
authors.forename: Shan Michael
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kroger
mesh_terms: D004517:Education, Professional / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000193:education*; D010823:Physician Assistants / Q000193:education*; D013781:Texas; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans / Q000193:education