Marquette on Wednesday, May 9, will officially break ground for its new Physician Assistant program facility, which the university announced in March. The ceremony is open to the Marquette community and will take place at the project site at 11 a.m.
The 44,000-square-foot, $18.5 million building at the northwest corner of West Clybourn Street and North 17th Street, is being constructed to help Marquette’s nationally ranked, in-demand program grow to help meet provider shortages in primary care delivery.
Demand for enrollment in Marquette’s PA program has grown, putting it in a unique position to address provider shortages. The program received nearly 1,400 applications for the available seats in the current cycle, and interest continues to grow by approximately 10 percent per year.
The program is ranked No. 40 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report and boasts a 100-percent pass rate on national board exams for the past nine consecutive years, as well as a 100-percent job placement rate for graduates within six months of completion.
Speaking at the event will be President Michael R. Lovell; Dr. Bill Cullinan, dean of the College of Health Sciences; MaryJo Wiemiller, PA-C, M.S., clinical associate professor, program director and chair of Physician Assistant Studies; and Kristina Sit, a graduating PA student. Rev. Nicky Santos, S.J., will provide a blessing; Owen Sullivan, chair of the Board of Trustees, will serve as emcee.
Watch Marquette Today for updates on the project.