College of Health and Human Services
When Jessica Hoeffler set her sights on a career as a physician assistant, she doubled her challenge with a plan to specialize in cardiovascular surgery.
Not once did the determined student from Plymouth, Indiana, find reason to doubt a start-up Master of Physician Assistant Studies program at a small university in Davenport, Iowa, could help her achieve those goals.
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"I walked in here the first day and said, 'This is what I want to do: I want a career in cardiovascular surgery and I want a residency,'" Hoeffler recalled of her introduction to St. Ambrose University. "And they said, ‘OK. Let's do it.'"
Do it, Hoeffler and the St. Ambrose faculty most definitely did. In December, Hoeffler was one of 29 members of SAU's first graduating class of future physician assistants. In April, she will begin a one-year surgical residency in a new program for physician assistants at the highly regarded Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.
Hoeffler and her classmates are joining one of the fastest growing professions in the United States, and one of the most fulfilling as well.
Physician assistant ranked fifth among "The Best 100 Jobs" in a recent edition of US News & World Reports. A growing shortage of medical doctors has created a need for physician assistants to affordably fill a significant gap in patient care. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the field will experience 38.4 percent job growth through 2022.
Given the demand, it's not surprising that many of the first St. Ambrose MPAS graduates received multiple job offers, most with starting salaries of $80,000 or more. A handful also received signing bonuses and a few received tuition compensation from their new employers.
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