Addressing the PA Profession’s Gaps: Why Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE) Developed the Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) Foundational Pathway

Jenna Rolfs, DMSc, MBA, PA-C, DFAAPA

Dean & Founding Program Director, Physician Associate Program (Developing Program), Arkansas Colleges of Health Education

The Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE) developed the Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) Foundational Pathway in response to a clear and growing need within the Physician Associate (PA) profession and Post Professional Doctoral Programs (PPDPs). As healthcare systems evolve in complexity, PAs are increasingly stepping into roles that extend beyond direct patient care.  PAs are serving as clinical leaders, administrators, educators, quality improvement champions, and policy advocates. Yet the academic preparation traditionally available to PAs has not always fully aligned with the scope of responsibility many already carry.

The DMSc Foundational Pathway was designed to close that structural gap and answer the question “Why should I pursue a post-professional doctoral degree as a PA?”

Addressing the Profession’s Structural Gaps

Modern healthcare demands more than clinical competence alone. It requires systems thinking, policy fluency, research literacy, financial awareness, interprofessional leadership, and advanced clinical decision-making applied at scale. While PA education has long prepared graduates to provide high-quality patient care, the profession’s growth has outpaced the academic infrastructure available to support its expanding leadership footprint.

The ACHE DMSc Foundational Pathway was created to serve as the doctoral-level academic framework to meet this call to action around supporting the expanding leadership footprint PAs are taking on. It is not a niche specialty doctorate, nor is it another certificate layered onto existing credentials. Instead, a post-professional doctorate is the academic foundation that strengthens the entire PA workforce, equipping clinicians with the knowledge and skills necessary to influence healthcare delivery at organizational and systems levels.

Identity, Purpose, and Differentiation

The DMSc Foundational Pathway at ACHE is positioned as a degree, specifically for PAs, to advance clinical leadership, systems-based practice, and healthcare influence. Its purpose is clear: we want to elevate clinical practice, expand advocacy, and prepare PAs for the leadership, administrative, and educational roles they already occupy.

Unlike specialty-specific pathways in the DMSc, the Foundational Pathway is not limited to one clinical domain. It serves as a baseline professional doctorate that enhances advanced clinical reasoning while integrating policy, research methodology, quality improvement, and organizational leadership. It strengthens not just the individual graduate, but the PA profession as a whole.

The development of the DMSc Foundational Pathway rests on several key messaging pillars that reflect the realities of contemporary PA practice:

Professional Legitimacy

The doctorate aligns PA training with the responsibilities PAs already carry. In many health systems, PAs lead teams, manage service lines, oversee quality initiatives, and contribute to institutional strategy. Doctoral preparation provides the academic depth and credibility that matches these expectations.

Leadership Readiness

The DMSc is built for PAs who shape policy, influence clinical outcomes, and direct teams. It moves beyond task-based leadership toward strategic leadership grounded in systems analysis and evidence-based decision-making.

Systems Fluency

Healthcare is increasing in complexity.  Characterized by regulatory changes, reimbursement pressures, quality metrics, and interprofessional collaboration, PAs deserve doctoral-level preparation that equips them to navigate and influence these systems rather than merely operate within them.

Career Acceleration

The ACHE DMSc Foundational Pathway provides a direct route to advanced roles in administration, academia, quality improvement, and clinical leadership. It allows PAs to grow into expanded responsibilities without leaving clinical practice.

Accessible Advancement

Designed for working professionals, the DMSc Foundational Pathway at ACHE is flexible, affordable, and immediately applicable. It recognizes that advancement must be attainable to meaningfully impact the workforce.

Strengthening the Profession’s Voice

One of the most compelling reasons for developing the DMSc Foundational Pathway is its potential to strengthen the PA profession’s collective voice. As healthcare policy evolves and reimbursement models shift toward value-based care, representation in decision-making spaces becomes increasingly critical.

Doctorly prepared PAs are positioned to contribute to policy discussions, reimbursement reform, and healthcare innovation with greater authority and academic grounding. A DMSc provides structured, evidence-based preparation that enhances credibility in interprofessional leadership environments.

It also prepares the profession for potential shifts toward doctoral-level expectations within health professions education. The DMSc offers a proactive rather than reactive framework for professional advancement and leadership continuity.