Behavioral Health Physician Assistant Postgraduate Fellowship

The Pacific University Physician Assistant Postgraduate Behavioral Health Fellowship provides an intense, well-rounded, 12 months of clinical and didactic training to facilitate a successful career as a behavioral health physician assistant (PA).

The fellow will engage in advanced practice training in behavioral health in accordance with the fellowship’s mission to provide PAs with expertise in the clinical care of patients with psychiatric and substance use disorders. Upon completion of this program, the PA fellow will have the knowledge and skills necessary to make them a successful practitioner of behavioral health in a variety of clinical settings, and will have completed the prerequisites to apply for the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) Psychiatry Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ).

Curriculum Clinical Experiences & Learning Outcomes

Interprofessional faculty and medical community partners have collaborated to create an evidence-based curriculum for PAs who successfully complete an accredited physician assistant program. The behavioral health PA fellow will rotate through three to four training areas, depending on the fellow’s goals for their fellowship year and future clinical practice. At the conclusion of each clinical experiential rotation, the PA fellow should be able to:

In addition to clinical experiential rotations, the PA fellow will engage in the didactic curriculum including collaborative supervision practices, psychiatric medications, evidence-based medicine journal club, preparing and providing select lectures on behavioral health topics to Pacific University’s graduate students, and grand rounds.

Admission Requirements

Important Dates

• The Fellowship is not accepting applications for the 24-25 Academic Year.
• The postgraduate fellowship starts on September 1 each year.
• A DEA license must be obtained within the first 90 days of the start of the program.

Requirements & Eligibility

• Graduate from a PA program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on the Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA)
• Oregon PA licensure or eligibility
• Official transcripts from the applicant’s PA program (unofficial are acceptable for the application, official are required prior to the start of the fellowship)
• Current Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Three professional letters of recommendation (see application for details)
• Personal interview

Additional Information

• One fellow will be accepted for each fellowship year
• Stipend of $69,000 for the 2023-2024 one-year fellowship
• Other benefits include PTO, CME, interprofessional practice equity and inclusion training, medical and dental insurance, and licensing and other professional fees
• To begin the application process, please apply here

Why Specialize in Behavioral Health as a PA?

The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) estimated in 2018 that, out of approximately 140,000 certified PAs, only 1.5% — approximately 1,470 PAs — practice in psychiatry. At the same time, Current Psychiatry says the current number of psychiatrists is declining and expected to reach an all-time low by the year 2024.