Tabitha VanDyke-Thomas graduates from Marietta College's Physician Assistant Studies Program

2012 Jul 16

Tabitha VanDyke-Thomas of Marietta, OH, graduated from Marietta College's Physician Assistant Studies Program on July 14, 2012. In all, 35 students were part of the eighth graduating class that completed the 26-month program.

The Physician's Assistant Program began in 2002 after receiving a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).

The master's program is designed to help meet the need for qualified health care providers, by choosing individuals who have the academic, clinical, and interpersonal aptitudes necessary for education as physician assistants.

The program is broken into two phases - didactic and clinical. The didactic phase begins with classroom and lab experiences in the basic medical sciences and clinical medicine. It is scheduled for the first 12 months. The clinical phase, which includes the capstone project, is designed to provide instruction in the clinical setting by physicians and PA preceptors. It is scheduled for the final 14 months.

Students who wish to enter the program must have already obtained a bachelor's degree, having earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all prerequisites and their GRE scores.

Located in Marietta, Ohio, at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers, Marietta College is a four-year liberal arts college. Tracing its roots to the Muskingum Academy begun in 1797, the College was officially chartered in 1835. Today Marietta College serves a body of 1,400 full-time students. The College offers more than 40 majors and has been listed among Barron's Best Buys in College Education and Peterson's Competitive Colleges, and has been recognized as one of the top regional comprehensive colleges by U.S. News and World Report and The Princeton Review.

Student's hometown ZIP code: 45750

To obtain a photo of Tabitha VanDyke-Thomas, please go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/mariettacollege/sets/72157630533974044/