Katz PA Program Cancels Incoming Cohort 10 Days Before Start of Semester

10 days before the start of the semester, on Aug. 16, incoming freshmen in the Katz School for Science and Health’s Physician Assistant (PA) program were notified by the administration that their cohort had been canceled.

The cancellation was due to the sudden departure of two core first-year professors right before the semester was set to begin. This cancellation did not affect upperclassmen, who continued their semester as planned, Dean of Katz and Vice Provost Paul Russo told The Commentator. The PA program is also no longer accepting applicants for the fall of 2025.

Russo confirmed that the administration made “significant efforts” to encourage the professors to stay, clarifying that the university did not fire them. According to Russo, the PA program has been assisting students find new schools by providing recommendation letters and reaching out to nearby PA programs about open seats, with some offering help. The program is also helping students individually and consulting with the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), doing “anything we could do to help.” 

The Katz PA program, which began in 2021 with a class size of 30 students, had been set to welcome a class of 53 students for the fall. The program has held “Accredited-Provisional” status since its establishment, which is the first level of accreditation for new PA programs. In March, however, the program was placed on “Accreditation-Probation” for not complying with 36 standards from the ARC-PA Handbook. While PA programs under probation can continue operating as usual, they are subject to having their accreditation withdrawn if they do not meet standards promptly. The next ARC-PA review of Katz’s compliance is scheduled for March 2026. Regarding the Accreditation-Probation status, Russo stated that the program “continues to work with a team of consultants and experts” to comply with ARC-PA standards.

According to an affected student who wishes to remain anonymous, incoming freshmen were devastated, having already left jobs, moved from out of state and signed rental leases in preparation for attending the PA program this fall. 

According to another student, some freshmen planned to sue Katz and tried to get refunds for various expenses such as housing, travel and equipment. While students did not pay tuition for the PA program before the start of the semester, Katz agreed to refund related expenses on the condition that the requesting students sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and cease all legal action, to which the students agreed, according to the student.

In response to a Commentator inquiry, Russo confirmed that Professors Dwayne Williams and Tom Balga left the program. Neither professors responded to requests for comment.

Russo added, “we are heartbroken about this situation for the cohort of students who would have otherwise started this fall. So much good has come from the Katz School in its short seven-year history, and we are committed that the same will be true for PA.”

“We are working to restructure and address the ARC-PA's feedback,” he added. “Our sincerest thanks to everyone for their support throughout the process.”

Photo Caption: The PA program's first graduating class in 2023 

Photo Credit: Yeshiva University