Pfeiffer introduces Physician Assistant Class of 2028

Published 10:22 am Friday, February 13, 2026

MISENHEIMER — Pfeiffer University announced its Physician Assistant Class of 2028 on Wednesday in a press release, honoring a group of 28 students enrolled in the university’s Master of Science program.

The full-time program is housed at Pfeiffer’s Center for Health Sciences in downtown Albemarle. The curriculum includes 116 credit hours divided between classroom instruction and clinical training.

“This class reflects the academic strength, depth of character, clinical readiness and commitment to service that defines Pfeiffer’s Physician Assistant Program,” said Dr. Christopher Boe, Dean of the Graduate School. “We are proud to welcome these students and look forward to supporting them as they prepare to serve patients in and around the community.”

According to university data, students in the Class of 2028 enter the program with an average of 3,125 hours of direct patient care experience. Many previously worked as medical assistants, emergency medical technicians, certified nursing assistants, scribes, phlebotomists, patient care technicians and athletic trainers.

The cohort also averaged 180 hours of physician assistant shadowing experience prior to admission.

Students range in age from 22 to 31, with an average age of 25. The class is composed of 72% women and 28% men, including six first-generation college students.

One member of the cohort is a Pfeiffer graduate.

Twenty-three of the 28 students are North Carolina residents. Others come from California, Florida, Illinois and Michigan. Twenty students earned undergraduate degrees from North Carolina institutions, including UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State University, UNC Charlotte, East Carolina University and UNC Wilmington.

“I chose Pfeiffer University’s Physician Assistant program for its strong community and excellence in PA education, and I look forward to expanding my clinical knowledge as I grow to become a capable and compassionate provider for my future patients,” said Caylee Clayton, a Norwood resident and recent UNC-Chapel Hill graduate.

The program begins with a didactic phase covering medical sciences, pharmacology, physical diagnosis and clinical medicine.

Students then complete supervised clinical rotations in areas including family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, pediatrics, women’s health, behavioral health and orthopedics.

The Center for Health Sciences, which opened in 2020, includes simulation spaces designed to replicate intensive care, surgical and emergency settings, along with a cadaver-based gross anatomy lab used for instruction.

Additional information about the facility and the university’s 28-month Physician Assistant program is available at pfeiffer.edu.