Our DMSc Program

Without a doubt.  The skills we learned in PA training make us excellent providers.  PAs are critical to the provision of safe, effective, and accessible healthcare in the United States and beyond.  Yet, there can be more to being a PA. 

• Interested in a deeper dive into the mechanics of healthcare delivery? The College of Idaho's DMSc program offers a tailored pathway.
• Looking to mirror the leadership qualities you admire? The College of Idaho’s DMSc program equips you with essential tools for transformational leadership.
• Passionate about educating future healthcare leaders? From the clinic to the classroom, our DMSc program carves out the path for clinical educators.

Our curriculum is tailor-made to create PA career expansion.  Our program is rigorous and flexible, and delivered in a supportive and affordable online environment.

For more information about our curriculum, review our DMSc Curriculum Overview.

A Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) degree is the preferred doctorate for PAs wanting to advance their careers.  This degree goes beyond adding initials after your name; it equips you with evidence-based tools for clinical improvement, leadership skills, and specialized knowledge in health system leadership or education.

What You’ll Gain:

• Professionalism: Ability to foster a collaborative and inclusive professional environment and promote the role of the PA in advancing population health and healthcare delivery.
• Advocacy: Enhanced dedication to steadfast advocacy for patients and populations.
• Accountability: Commitment to personal well-being and to the growth and resilience of others.
• Scholarly Knowledge: Skillful analysis, design, execution, and dissemination of scholarship.
• Leadership: Enhanced communication, organizational management, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.

PLUS, we offer unique tracks for:

• New PA Graduates within two years of graduation to support their transition into the provider role.
• Fellowship-Trained PAs currently in or within two years of completion of a fellowship that complements their fellowship training.
• Experienced PA Faculty who have been teaching for at least five years with a focus on academic leadership and transformative student engagement.

Our Approach: The DMSc program is rigorous yet flexible, designed for career expansion, and delivered online for convenience and affordability.

For a detailed look at our curriculum, see our DMSc Curriculum Overview.

Our flexible and rigorous curriculum is delivered in a supportive and affordable online environment that meets you where you are:

• Expert-Designed Curriculum: Our high-quality curriculum is crafted by PAs who are leaders in their fields, ensuring you receive education that’s both relevant and geared towards doctorate-level career advancement.
• Flexible Learning: Asynchronous coursework delivered by expert faculty who understand the challenges of pursuing doctorate education while working full-time.
• Personalized Support: From day one until graduation, our doctoral-trained PA advisors provide guidance, ensuring you have the mentorship needed to navigate your program successfully.
• Value for Investment: Affordable tuition and fees that fund high-quality learning content and technology, engaging and talented faculty, and supportive health programs, like TimelyCare.

The College of Idaho is a better DMSc program for you, without question. 

For more information about our curriculum, review our DMSc Curriculum Overview.

Founding PA

Kari S. Bernard, PhD, PA-C, Program Director

Dr. Kari Bernard has practiced medicine as a physician assistant/associate (PA) since 2004 in the areas of cardiology, emergency medicine, and psychiatry.  In 2020, she completed a doctoral program in Industrial and Organizational Psychology with a focus on the professional well-being of the healthcare workforce.  Between 2022 and 2023, she developed a staff wellness program for 2,000 clinical and nonclinical staff members at the Alaska Native Medical Center.  Dr. Bernard is an award-winning author and has published on the topic of healthcare worker and student well-being.  She regularly presents at national, regional, and state conferences.  She is currently the founding program director for the Doctor of Medical Science program for PAs at The College of Idaho in Caldwell, Idaho.  Dr. Bernard lives in Anchorage, Alaska, with her husband and two energetic dogs.

Curriculum Design Expert

Sara Swenson, PhD, Instructional Designer

Sara Swenson is an instructional designer with the DMSc program at The College of Idaho.  She has a PhD in educational psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a Master of Education in higher education administration from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  She has worked as an educator and instructional designer for over a decade at various universities and corporations.  Dr. Swenson's work is focused on designing courses with an engaging student learning experience in mind.

Chief Program Navigator

Carol Hang Nguyen, M.Ed., Program Manager

Carol Nguyen holds an M. Ed. in Higher Education from the University of Arkansas and is the Program Manager for the DMSc program at The College of Idaho.  Most recently, Nguyen worked at Southern Methodist University in the Cox School of Business as the Associate Director of Master of Science Programs, leading enrollment and engagement in the business analytics and accounting programs.  Before that, she worked in various positions in the Dallas College system where she served as a Senior Manager/Interim Director of Academic Advising at Richland College and as a Dallas College Success Coach.  Nguyen brings more than 20 years of experience in academic advising and higher education administration. 

Expert Course Designers

Jennifer Barnett, MPAS, PA-C, DFAAPA, CAQ-HM, CPHQ, SFHM

Jennifer Barnett is an experienced Physician Assistant with over two decades of clinical practice, specializing in Hospital Medicine and more recently serving at a Federally Qualified Health Center in Rural Maryland.  She is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) and has received esteemed recognition as a Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Physician Associates.  As a local and national speaker, Barnett demonstrates a fervent dedication to advancing quality improvement, enhancing patient safety, and fostering improved communication within healthcare.  She is an instrumental team member in developing competencies in PA Healthcare Administration and is currently enrolled in the A.T. Still University Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) program (set to graduate on June 2, 2024).

Sondra DePalma, DHSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, CLS, CHC, FNLA, AACC

Dr. Sondra DePalma is the Senior Director of Regulatory and Professional Practice at the American Academy of Physician Associates where she is a national expert on healthcare policy, reimbursement, and the professional practice of healthcare practitioners.  Dr. DePalma is a researcher, educator, regular speaker at national conferences, and an author of peer-reviewed articles, clinical guidelines, textbook chapters, and books.  She has a Doctor of Health Sciences degree with dual concentrations in Leadership & Organizational Behavior and Fundamentals of Education from A.T. Still University and a graduate certificate in the Science of Healthcare Delivery from Arizona State University.  She graduated with a Master of Health Science degree from Lock Haven University’s Physician Assistant Program, received a post-baccalaureate premedical certificate from Pennsylvania State University, and graduated summa cum laude with a BA from Mercyhurst University.

Jerica Derr, DMSc, PA-C

Dr. Jerica N. Derr, DMSc, PA-C, is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana.  She completed a Master of Physician Assistant Studies from Chatham University and a Doctor of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Education along with a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Administration & Management from the University of Lynchburg.  She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration at Liberty University.  Since 2018, she has been a full-time PA educator, holding various roles in program leadership, research, and teaching at the Master’s and Doctoral levels.  Dr. Derr’s clinical background is in integrative pain management, urogynecology, and hospital medicine.  Her educational and research focus is on transforming the student experience through innovative curriculum design and development and experiential learning.  Dr. Derr lives in beautiful Charleston, South Carolina with her daughter, Charlotte, and fur babies Gus and Olli.

Michelle McMoon, PhD, PA-C

Dr. Michelle McMoon has been practicing as a PA since graduating from Marquette University’s PA program in 2005.  She has practiced in Surgical, Medical Critical care for the majority of her career, and has now transitioned to the new Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery team at WakeMed Health and Hospitals in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Dr. McMoon is the Director of Education and Professional Development for WakeMed Physician Practices (WPP).  In this role, she oversees all the Advanced Practice Providers (APP) fellowship tracks; creates on-boarding structures for new APP’s throughout the health system; and manages the on-site APP student presence. Throughout her career, she has focused on balancing clinical and leadership responsibilities. 

In 2019, her research interests led her to pursuit of a PhD in public policy.  In addition to her clinical and leadership roles, she is also the Co-Chair of the North Carolina Medical Society’s Ethical and Judicial Affairs Committee, co-chair of the WPP Well-Being Committee and is a member of the WakeMed Ethics Committee. 

Harrison Reed, MMSc, PA-C

Harrison Reed is a clinician, writer, editor, and educator with a focus on academic writing and publication.  He holds a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Science from the University of South Florida and a Master’s degree in Medical Science from Yale University.  He has over a decade of clinical experience in critical care medicine and emergency medicine.  His professional editorial experience includes senior editorial positions at the Journal of the American Academy of PAs (JAAPA) and the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine.  His writing has garnered national recognition, including awards from the American Society of Healthcare Publication Editors, Society of Critical Care Medicine, and American Academy of Physician Associates.

Skylar Stewart-Clark, Ph.D., MSPAS, PA-C

Dr. Clark is a native of Charleston, South Carolina. She left South Carolina to attend Louisiana Tech University, where she earned a B.S. and a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering. As part of her doctoral training, she completed a 4-year teaching fellowship sponsored by the National Science Foundation. After completion of her Ph.D., she spent several years as a postdoctoral research fellow in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine at the Clemson/Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Joint Bioengineering Program, where she worked on various projects with clinician scientists to find solutions for implantable device drug delivery in orthopedic, dental, and cardiac applications. After several years in research, she pursed a MS in physician assistant studies from MUSC. After graduation, she practiced adult urology and urologic oncology for several years before moving into academia as adjunct faculty in the MUSC PA program before joining the Charleston Southern University PA program as a founding faculty for nearly five years. She has clinical experience as an extensivist and hospitalist PA, and is recognized as a leader at the local, state and national levels within the PA profession. In June 2022, Dr. Clark joined the faculty of Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) as Division Head and Program Director of Physician Assistant Education.  In her free time she teaches as a fitness instructor, travels, and spends time with her husband and four children, planning for new adventures in the Pacific Northwest.

Timothy Thompson, MBA, PA-C

Timothy Thompson, PA-C, MBA, is a board-certified Physician Associate/Assistant, graduating from A.T. Still University in 2004.  After 7 years in clinical practice (orthopedic and sports medicine surgery) in New England, he pivoted into a non-traditional 12-year career in medical education and business development with a global medical device manufacturer.  During this time, he published four peer-reviewed articles on shoulder pathology and biomechanics, received two patents for innovative medical devices and obtained his MBA from Quantic School of Business & Technology.  Recently, he accepted a leadership position with a regenerative medicine company and launched Pathfinders Healthcare Career Advisors, helping healthcare providers navigate their careers.  Thompson is uniquely experienced in the business of medicine and the role technology will play in the future of healthcare.

Our DMSc program offers 5 unique concentrations/pathways:

• Health System Leadership Concentration (18 Months)
• Health Professions Education Concentration (18 Months)
• Early Career PA Accelerated Pathway (12 Months)
• Experienced Educator Accelerated Pathway (12 Months)
• PA Fellow Accelerated Pathway (9 Months)

For more information about our curriculum, review our DMSc Curriculum Overview.

Earning a DMSc from our program can take as little as 9-12 months with our accelerated pathways or 18 months through our traditional pathway. Designed with working PAs in mind, our program tailors to your professional journey, offering critical tools for becoming an implementation expert and allowing you to select a concentration that aligns with your goals.

• Accelerated Pathway: Complete in 9-12 months, open to early career PAs (within two years of PA training graduation), fellow-trained PA (currently in a fellowship or within two years of fellowship completion), and experienced PA educators (principal faculty at an accredited PA program for at least five years).
• Traditional Pathway: 18-month program, providing a comprehensive learning experience.

For more information about our curriculum, review our DMSc Curriculum Overview.

Absolutely. Our DMSc program is specifically designed for full-time working PAs, offering a rigorous yet flexible curriculum that accommodates your professional and personal commitments.

Program Highlights:

• Optimized Timeline: The program can be completed in two or three semesters, with each semester divided into two 10-week blocks.
• Manageable Course Load: You'll take two courses per block, totaling four courses per semester. This structure allows for deep learning without overwhelming your schedule.
• Designed by Experts: Our DMSc program leaders and faculty have earned advanced degrees while also maintaining other personal and professional commitments – they know what it’s like and have designed the curriculum accordingly. They have crafted an online environment that's both easy to navigate and rich in high-impact content.

The College of Idaho’s DMSc program is one of the most affordable DMSc degree programs in the country.  Our team took great care in crafting a rigorous, high-quality program, but with cost in mind, to ensure that its program is accessible to all PAs.  For its traditional pathway, The College of Idaho’s DMSc program, including tuition, fees and books, is roughly $26k or just over $4k per block.  As a graduate degree program, financial aid is available, and The College of Idaho offers scholarships for eligible students.

Since its founding in 1891, The College of Idaho has embodied the mantra of its founding President William Judson Boone: “Let them come, let them all come, and we will see what they can do.”  The College therefore focuses on affordability for all of its programs to ensure cost isn’t a barrier to access to an excellent education. 

For more information about our cost of attendance, review our DMSc Tuition & Fees.

Pursuing a Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) degree is a strategic investment in your future that can enhance your earning potential. Here’s why:

• Higher earning potential: In their 2023 study on the impact of doctoral degrees for PAs, Klein and colleagues found that doctoral-trained PAs typically report earnings above the median PA salary.
• Leadership opportunities: Stepping into leadership roles not only broadens your career horizons but also boosts your earning potential. Klein and colleagues also found that most PA leaders hold doctorate degrees, and those in formal leadership positions earn, on average, $17,000 more annually than their counterparts without such roles.
• Academic and promotional advantages: Earning a DMSc will make academic appointments more accessible for PAs and open the door for established PA educators to be promoted into leadership positions, and in so doing, increasing their earning potential.  According to PAEA’s 2020 Faculty and Directors Report, one-quarter of PA program faculty members and nearly half of program directors held doctorate degrees.

Changing career trajectories can be invigorating.  Moving beyond a clinical setting into education or leadership can reinspire PAs whose clinical practices may have plateaued.  Our curriculum will empower you to move beyond a clinical setting. Our program is rigorous and flexible, and delivered in a supportive and affordable online environment. Earning a DMSc affords PAs the career mobility to move into a variety of positions.

Shape the Future: Learn to teach other PAs with our Health Professions Education concentration. 

PAs entering academia for the first time are often experts in their clinical fields, but may lack formal training in education.  With courses in adult learning theory, instructional content delivery methods, curricular design and evaluation, academic leadership strategies, and transformative student engagement, our Health Professions Education track fills this gap.   

Earning a DMSc will make PAs applying for academic positions more competitive.  For established PA educators, earning a DMSc position them to be more likely to be promoted into professorial tracks and leadership positions within colleges/universities.  According to the 2020 PAEA Faculty Report, one-quarter of PA program faculty members and nearly half of program directors held doctorate degrees.

Lead the Way: Learn to be at the table and lead change with our Health System Leadership concentration.

Stepping into leadership roles increases PA autonomy, earning potential, and ability to support the development of others.  According to 2023 research done by the AAPA on PA leaders, most employers do not provide PAs with leadership training.  With courses in healthcare policy, quality improvement and patient safety, and practical and emerging healthcare administration skills, our Health System Leadership track fills this gap. 

Leading requires doctorate-level thinking – in their 2023 study on PAs with advanced degrees, Klein and colleagues found that most PA leaders had doctorate degrees.  Earning a doctorate will make you more competitive.

Our curriculum will empower you to move beyond a clinical setting.  Our program is rigorous and flexible, and delivered in a supportive and affordable online environment.

For more information about our curriculum, review our DMSc Curriculum Overview.

PAs bring unique experiences that make them invaluable in leadership roles, enhancing autonomy, earning potential, and the capacity to mentor others.  According to a 2023 AAPA report on PA leaders, most employers do not provide PAs with leadership training.  While traditional business courses might overlook the distinct qualities that PAs bring to leadership, The College of Idaho recognizes this gap. Our Health System Leadership concentration, part of the DMSc program, is specifically designed to equip PAs for management and leadership positions without needing an MBA.

Bridging the gap in leadership training: Despite the lack of formal leadership training from most employers, our program offers specialized courses in healthcare policy, quality improvement, patient safety, and healthcare administration skills. This curriculum is crafted by PAs who have held leadership roles nationally, within major health systems, and even in non-healthcare industries, ensuring a comprehensive education in leadership tailored for PAs.

Lead with confidence: Our program prepares PAs to lead with confidence, competence, empathy, and ingenuity, providing the tools and knowledge necessary to make a significant impact in healthcare leadership.

Explore more about how we can support your goal to lead within the PA profession by reviewing our DMSc Curriculum Overview.

Transitioning from clinical practice to academia is a rewarding path for PAs. If you're considering this move, you might find yourself well-versed in clinical expertise but less familiar with the educational strategies necessary for effective teaching. With courses in adult learning theory, instructional content delivery methods, curricular design and evaluation, academic leadership strategies, and transformative student engagement, The College of Idaho’s Health Professions Education track fills this gap.   

Earning a DMSc will make PA program applicants more competitive and established PA educators more likely to promote into professorial tracks and leadership positions.  According to PAEA’s 2020 Faculty and Directors Report, one-quarter of PA program faculty members and nearly half of program directors held doctorate degrees. 

Our curriculum will prepare you to teach the next generation of PAs.  Our program is rigorous, practical, and flexible, and delivered in a supportive and affordable online environment.

Explore more about how we can support your goal to teach by reviewing our DMSc Curriculum Overview

Online programs can feel isolating but not ours!  We have gone the extra virtual mile to create a sense of community and connection that will bridge the geographic distances between students, their classmates, and program faculty.  Here’s how:

• Individualized support by PAs who’ve been on the doctorate journey before – Every DMSc student is assigned a doctoral-trained PA as an advisor on the first day of the program.  Advisors are PAs who have also earned a doctorate degree, and therefore understand what it takes to juggle graduate school and a PA career with other vital life commitments. Advisors provide meaningful advice on leveraging coursework to gain real-time career advancement and maintaining balance between work, life, and school endeavors. Advisors remain with students for the duration of their program enrollment. 
• Centralized administrative and academic support – The DMSc Program Manager provides centralized navigation of all academic requirements and College student services.  DMSc students will not be alone navigating through the administrative requirements related to completing their application, enrolling in courses, submitting required payments, and eventually qualifying for graduation! The Program Manager will bridge the distance between students and the various departments at The College of Idaho.  The Program Manager will also provide academic support by monitoring student academic progress and intervening to support students demonstrating signs of struggle.
• Virtual student community – Our students are connected through Microsoft Teams and a virtual student community.  Each cohort of students will also elect a liaison to interface with program leadership, share student perspectives, and advocate for student resources.

The College of Idaho recommends not waiting to pursue your Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) degree. Here’s why diving in early is beneficial: 

• A dedicated path for Early Career PAs – The College of Idaho offers an accelerated pathway for certified PAs who are within two years of graduation from an accredited PA program.  The Early Career PA Pathway is tailored to support PAs in developing their professional identities, healthcare delivery system acumen, and career trajectories. The fully on-line program was built with flexibility in mind and allows PAs to work while completing their DMSc degree in just 12-months.
• Advanced standing – Students enrolled in the Early Career PA Pathway are given 12-credit hours of advanced standing for recent coursework in research methods and evidence-based practices and for clinical reasoning development incurred during supervised clinical practice experiences.
• Support from a doctoral-trained PA advisor - Every DMSc student is assigned a doctoral-trained PA as an advisor on the first day of the program.  Advisors are PAs who have also earned a doctorate degree, and therefore understand what it takes to juggle graduate school and a PA career with other vital life commitments.  Advisors provide meaningful advice on leveraging coursework to gain real-time career advancement and maintaining balance between work, life, and school endeavors.  Advisors remain with students for the duration of their program enrollment. 
• Cohort-based learning format – Similar to the didactic phase of PA training, the Early Career PA Pathway at The College of Idaho is cohort-based.  Students who start together advance through their coursework together, provide peer support to one another, and enjoy camaraderie through engagement in student government and joint advising course.

The College of Idaho Early Career DMSc pathway allows PAs to expand their skillset, build a scholarly community, and gain confidence as they grow into their provider roles.

The College of Idaho is a better DMSc program for you, without question.  

The College of Idaho is matriculating its first cohort of Doctor of Medical Science students in July 2024. 

Despite being relatively new to the DMSc arena, The College of Idaho is an established and respected educational institution with a track record of academic excellence and unparalleled student support.  For more than a century, The College of Idaho has produced graduates who have become leaders in business, science, medicine, law, education, the arts, and government. Alumni include three former governors, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, an Academy Award-winning musician, the co-discoverer of vitamin B-12, and the co-founder of Patagonia Outerwear.  Additionally, it has been instrumental in PA education for over a decade through its Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program, which operates through a unique collaboration with Idaho State University and is the only MPAS program in the state of Idaho.

The College of Idaho’s DMSc program was developed by talented academic leaders who have created prevailing educational programs at other institutions.  Two doctoral-trained PAs lead the DMSc program and designed the high impact curriculum alongside six other PAs, all talented subject matter experts and influential players in the PA profession.

For more information about our program leaders and faculty, see “Who Are the Leaders & Faculty of This Program?”

For more information about The College of Idaho and its history, see “Where is The College of Idaho?” or review our website.

Simply put, “Yote” is short for the longtime College of Idaho mascot, the Coyote, Canis latrans.  The coyote is known for its scrappy and resilient nature, managing to be remarkably successful despite facing determined extermination efforts and thriving even in the midst of pressure and adversity.

One of the College’s long-serving faculty members put it this way: “The Coyote is perhaps the most fitting mascot of the plucky, durable, liberal arts school that trains its pack to develop creative, innovative, tough-minded solutions in a world of rapidly changing challenges.”

The Yote Family (YoteFam, for short) embodies key traits shared by coyotes: tenacious, clever, vocal, adventurous, social, resourceful, curious and focused.  The founding generation wisely chose an excellent mascot for our school, and we proudly embrace those characteristics today.

The College of Idaho is a private liberal arts college that prepares students to lead productive and fulfilling lives. Founded in 1891, the College is home to around 1100 undergraduate and graduate students and is the state's oldest four-year undergraduate institution of higher learning.

The College has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities since 1922. Our teacher education program has been approved by the Idaho State Department of Education since 1913, and our graduates are eligible for certification in all states participating in the Interstate Certification Compact.

The College of Idaho is located on a beautiful, residential campus in Caldwell, the address of which is 2112 Cleveland Boulevard. Tree-lined paths connect historic academic buildings, seven residence halls and the Village apartments, athletics facilities, scenic Morrison Quadrangle and McCain Student Center. In recent years, the College has completed major renovations to Simplot Dining Hall, Boone Science Hall, Jewett Auditorium, West Hall: Center for Physician Assistant Studies, and Simplot Stadium, which is home to the Coyote football, soccer and lacrosse teams. In addition, the Cruzen-Murray Library, a national award-winning, state-of-the-art learning center for the campus, opened in spring 2018. Our location in Caldwell, a city of more than 60,000 people, is 30 minutes from Boise, Idaho's rapidly growing capital and home to museums, shopping, concerts, fine arts events, restaurants, and high-tech industries. Our distinctive location on the western Snake River plain between the foothills of the Boise Ridge and the Owyhee Mountains means that we are a short drive from ski resorts, high plains deserts, mountains, hiking and biking trails, and whitewater rivers.

Students at The College of Idaho learn through our unique graduate curriculum that unites liberal arts learning with professional perspectives. We offer a living and learning experience that engages students and equips them with the skills and understanding necessary to flourish in a rapidly changing, diverse, and technologically informed world. Whether enrolled in our online or in-person graduate programs, we emphasize frequent and meaningful interaction with faculty, staff, and administration, the exploration of challenging ideas, and a well-rounded course of study in the liberal arts disciplines enriched by professional and interdisciplinary programs in tandem with co-curricular student life experiences. We are committed to excellence in academic instruction and scholarship, and to the values of community, integrity, leadership, and service.