The Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP) of William Beaumont Army Medical Center held its quarterly commencement ceremony on June 9, 2023, at the Paint Dunes Desert Golf Course in El Paso, Texas.

Each year, the IPAP program offers Soldiers the chance to pursue a career as a physician assistant. Cadets who complete the program are awarded a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and are also granted a commission in the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant.

The students completed the first phase of the program at Joint Base San Antonio. The second phase was completed here at WBAMC, one of 24 locations where the students began a 57-week clinical learning period in which they completed 11 rotations and 160 hours of emergency department practice.

“The Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP) is a rigorous 29-month program ranked among the best physician assistant programs by U.S. News and World Report (27 out of 254) accredited programs,” said Maj. Melissa Young, IPAP program director at WBAMC.

Physician assistants (PAs) are crucial in providing medical care to Soldiers in battalion and division-level units. They serve as the primary medical provider, ensuring unit medical readiness and training medics. In addition to their clinical duties, physician assistants (PAs) also play several other essential roles in the military. PAs play important roles as instructors, mentors, and leaders within the military medical team. Their contributions are highly valued and essential to the success of the military mission.

“The WBAMC IPAP produces the most significant number of PA graduates of all the programs. We held the rank of 11th best PA program from 2015 until 2022,” said Young.

Upon graduation, the individual can serve at three distinguished military bases. These bases include Fort Liberty, located in North Carolina; Fort Drum, located in the northern part of New York; and Fort Bliss, located in El Paso, Texas.