Information about how to become a Navy PA
Are you a civilian looking at the Navy as a career option? Or are you already in the Navy? The categories below can help provide the information you need.
- Civilian Physician Assistant Students: The Navy can help you pay for PA school tuition, and even provide a salary and benefits during school. On graduation, you will commission as a Naval officer! Please see HPSP and HSCP below for more information.
- Active Duty Enlisted: Enlisted active duty Sailors or Marines (E-5 through E-9) who are career-minded, motivated, and interested can apply for the Navy Medical Service Corp Inservice Procurement Program (IPP). Please see IPP below for more information.
- Already a Physician Assistant? Let the Navy help you pay back your student loans for PA School! Even if you have already paid this down, the Navy is still a GREAT career option with competitive salaries. What's more, you'll be caring for the men and women who protect our great nation. Please see HPLRP information below.
- Additional scholarships for veterans may be available through the Veterans' Caucus of the AAPA
- Medical Programs Recruiter looking for PA Interview Point of Contact? Contact us
Please click on the tabs below to expand for more info.
Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP)
CIVILIAN?
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDENT?
WANT TO GET PAID WHILE ATTENDING SCHOOL?
CONSIDER JOINING THE US NAVY MEDICAL TEAM!
You will become part of a skilled, well-equipped team with an established practice, where you will get the opportunity to put your training to work. You’ll work with top health care professionals from across the country. Your equipment and malpractice insurance are covered by the Navy, and you’ll get the chance to provide clinical care, teach, perform research or explore new fields of health care.
After graduation, participants in this program join the Navy Medical Team as Officers, with the opportunity to earn a competitive salary, regular promotions, comprehensive medical and dental coverage, low cost travel opportunities, excellent retirement and educational benefits, further training, and a rewarding clinical practice. Additional benefits include 30 days of paid vacation a year, use of military recreational facilities around the world, the opportunity to serve around the world in a variety of facilities, and be a part of supportive team of highly trained professionals.
The United States Navy is looking for motivated PA students to join an exciting career in Navy Medicine and have a very rewarding future while enjoying the many benefits that no other company could offer such as:
- Yearly Bonus - $15,000 per year for a maximum of 3 years or $20,000 per year for a maximum of 4 years
- 30 days paid vacation per year
- Full medical/dental insurance (for member and family)
- State-of-the-art equipment
- Opportunities worldwide
- Opportunity to enhance Leadership and Management skills
- Continuing education
- Increased opportunity and challenge
- Have access to military shopping at reduced prices with no sales tax
The best time to apply is after receipt of a letter of acceptance from an accredited PA program.
Basic Requirements:
- Physician Assistant Student
- Baccalaureate degree in any field from an accredited college or university
- Applicants must have or be working towards a Master's Degree in Physician Assistant Studies from any physician assistant school fully accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA)
- Certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) will be required
General Information: Physician Assistants practice medicine under the guidelines of a supervising physician and work as an integral part of the Navy’s Health Care Team. PAs utilize their skills, knowledge, and experience to obtain complete medical histories, perform comprehensive exams, order and initially interpret diagnostic laboratory and X-ray studies, to plan and initiate thorough treatment regimens encountered in all areas of primary care medicine. Navy PAs, known as “Gatekeepers to Navy Medicine”, are assigned to all types of medical treatment facilities in the United States, overseas, and numerous operational units (sea tours are part of the PA career progression and are 2 years in length). Financial assistance for continuing medical education and re-certification exams is available. Navy PAs may apply for post-graduate specialty training in Emergency Medicine, Orthopedic Surgery, or General Surgery.
For more details, please see the Navy Medical Accessions page which has the Navy's official instructions regarding the HPSP program.
Commander Brett Chamberlin, MD has also put together a helpful unofficial FAQ document for HPSP. Please note that this is oriented toward MD/DO applicants, but still has information which would be useful for PAs considering HPSP application. HPSP FAQ Booklet
It is important to talk with a recruiter who specializes in Medical Programs.
The Navy provides an email address that should be able to connect you with an Officer Medical Programs Recruiter:
Email and you should be connected to a Medical Officer Programs Recruiter near you.
The Navy's website also has a tool to find and contact your local Navy Recruiter (but this is not often a Medical Programs Recruiter).
If there are additional questions, please use the contact us form on this website us form on this website and we can direct you to a Medical Programs Recruiter.
Navy Health Services Collegiate Program (HSCP)
CIVILIAN?
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDENT?
WANT TO GET PAID WHILE ATTENDING SCHOOL?
MAKE PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDIES EASY ON YOUR BUDGET!
Attend a fully accredited PA school of your choosing, and know that the Navy can help you ease the financial burden.
Navy Health Services Collegiate Program (HSCP) – Receive anywhere from $143,000 to $240,000 while attending Physician Assistant School. This program is exclusive to the Navy – covers last TWO years of PA School. Benefits:
- Excellent program for low tuition schools.
- Monthly salary and tax-free allowances of over $3000 during school.
- (actual benefit varies depending on marital status and school location – salary ranges from approximately $40,000 to $55,000/year.)
- Full active duty medical and dental benefits for you and your dependents.
- Economical shopping at military grocery stores and department stores.
- 30 days of paid vacation each year.
- Free worldwide travel on military aircraft on a space available basis.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Citizenship - Must be a U.S. Citizen.
- Age - At least 21 and not more than 42 years of age.
- Health - Must meet the Navy's physical requirements.
- Education - Applicants must have or be working towards a Master's Degree in Physician Assistant Studies from any physician assistant school fully accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).
- Certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) will be required
The best time to apply is after receipt of a letter of acceptance from an accredited PA program.
Please see the Navy Medical Accessions page for more information.
It is important to talk with a recruiter who specializes in Medical Programs. The Navy's website has a tool to find and contact your local Navy Recruiter (but this is not often a Medical Programs Recruiter).
If there are additional questions, please use the contact us form on this website us form on this website and we can direct you to a Medical Recruiter.
Health Professions Loan Repayment Program (HPLRP)
ALREADY A PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT?
PAY OFF YOUR STUDENT LOANS!
JOIN THE NAVY HEALTHCARE TEAM.
The Navy's Health Professions Loan Repayment Program (HPLRP) provides an incentive to new accessions to enter the Navy, and current active duty medical personnel to extend their active duty commitment through the payment of professional educational loans. The maximum yearly loan repayment is $40,000, minus ~25% federal income taxes, which are taken out prior to lender repayment. Payments are sent directly to the lending institution on behalf of the HPLRP participant. BUMED Note 1110 is published each year and provides guidance for active duty professionals who want to apply for the HPLRP.
Please seethe Navy Medical Accessions page for more information.
Medical Service Corps In-Service Procurement Program (MSC IPP)
ENLISTED IN THE US NAVY AND WANT TO BECOME A PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT?
MAINTAIN YOUR ACTIVE DUTY PAY AND BENEFITS WHILE IN SCHOOL.
SUBMIT YOUR PACKAGE TO BECOME A MEDICAL SERVICE CORPS OFFICER.
The MSC IPP provides a pathway to an officer commission for career motivated active duty enlisted personnel who meet the eligibility criteria. Some of these programs provide opportunities to complete either a baccalaureate, master's, or other professional degree, including a Physician Assistant degree through the Interservice PA Program.
Please see this document for information about this very helpful program.
To learn more about the requirements, and view Frequently Asked Questions about the process, go to MSC IPP Frequently Asked Questions.
The MSC IPP webpage is at the Navy Medicine Professional Development Center site. Links change often, try here for the NMPD PA Page or use a web search.
If you have additional questions specifically related to MSC-IPP for PAs, please reach out to the Navy's PA points of contact for the MSC IPP at this email address.
Interservice Physician Assistant Program
THE IPAP IS A GREAT OPTION FOR PERSONS ALREADY ENLISTED IN THE US NAVY, MARINES, ARMY, AIR FORCE, OR COAST GUARD.
#11-RANKED PA SCHOOL, AND LARGEST PA PROGRAM IN THE NATION.
The Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP) has been in operation since May 1996. Prior to that time, the Navy, Army, and Air Force and ran their own similar, but separate programs. The IPAP is part of the Graduate School, AMEDDC&S Health Readiness Center of Excellence, Joint Base San Antonio, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The IPAP has a university affiliation contract with the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). The UNMC has agreed to provide administrative support to the IPAP and award academic credit to students completing the IPAP requirements. Students who successfully complete the IPAP are granted a Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
The Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security have entrusted the IPAP with their most outstanding service members. The IPAP faculty and staff continue to enhance the educational mission in producing the finest military PAs and officers. All IPAP graduates meet National Commission on the Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) eligibility for certification. As a result of the Phase 1 (didactic) curriculum and Phase 2 (clinical) experience, students have a 99% pass rate with a mean PANCE score consistently above the national average. Graduate success is directly related to an educational process that continuously incorporates advances in medical information, instructional methods, and technology.
The IPAP students complete their first 16 months of education at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. During Phase 1, students complete a challenging curriculum, including 101 written examinations, numerous lab practical assessments, and over 2,640 contact hours of expert instruction. A master's thesis paper is due prior to Phase 1 completion. The curricula is developed and implemented in accordance with the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), the NCCPA blueprint, and service requirements. Competencies stressed are medical knowledge, interpersonal and communication skills, patient care, professionalism, practice-based learning and improvement, and systems-based practice.
Phase 2 is completed at various military installations throughout the United States, with Navy students completing clinical rotations in San Diego. These rotations include: surgery, orthopedics, dermatology, obstetrics/gynecology, psychiatry, internal medicine, ENT, pediatrics, emergency medicine, family medicine, and clinical electives such as radiology, trauma, or anesthesiology. Additionally, there are weekly journal club meetings with student presentations, and small group activities.
The IPAP is accredited via ARC-PA. All indicators point to a highly successful multi-service program graduating outstanding Officer Clinicians every four months. Feedback from the respective services continues to be positive in nature. The IPAP is also highly regarded among other PA programs, receiving a US News and World Reports ranking of # 11 out of all programs in the United States. For perspective, there were 196 accredited programs in the U.S. at the time of this ranking. The IPAP also continues to be designated as the largest PA program in the world.
IPAP graduates serve in Navy MTFs, outpatient clinics, aircraft carriers, with the Marines, CONUS and OCONUS. Most Navy PAs provide primary medical care in a family medicine/outpatient medicine environment when not deployed. This can be in a military medicine clinic, urgent care clinic, internal medicine, pediatrics, etc. There are also positions available at the White House, BUMED, NPC, and instructor duty at the IPAP and SWMI San Diego. Many Navy PAs go on to orthopedic, general surgery or emergency medicine specialty training or pursue other graduate studies, either via DUINS or other programs. There are numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth as a Navy PA, and more leadership and clinical opportunities open up every year.
If you or someone you know has strong desire, dedication, commitment, and is willing to devote their career to helping others, please visit the MSC IPP website.
The most recent Navy Administrative document ("NAVADMIN") offers some requirements in the section on PAs. Confer here.
The IPAP web site is http://www.cs.amedd.army.mil/ipap/
Interservice PA Program information tri-fold brochure is available here.
Interservice PA Program (IPAP) requirements are available here.
This document may offer some assistance with regard to which credits are acceptable to transfer in as pre-requisites.
We would like to have as many applicants as possible. This is a tremendous opportunity for a hard-charging Sailor or Marine. Someone who has a complete IPP package, good grades, solid evaluations, good SAT, and positive attitude has an excellent shot at getting selected for a seat in an upcoming class. When selected, you will become an Officer Candidate, attend the IPAP for 29 months, graduate with a Master's of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree, and then join the Medical Service Corps as a LTJG. This is a great deal - spread the word!