Why PA Educators & Students Love Aquifer

Supporting PA Programs

With so much to cover in so little time, today’s PA program directors and faculty need clinical learning tools they can trust.

Over 90 PA programs, 96% of US allopathic medical schools, and a growing number of osteopathic & international medical schools trust Aquifer to standardize clinical experiences and develop clinical reasoning skills.

With 15 million virtual patient cases completed since our founding in 2006, Aquifer is the leader in developing clinical learning tools for medical and health professions education.

Find out how to access Aquifer

Our Proven Pedagogy

Complete Encounters with Patients & Preceptors

Aquifer cases walk students through all of the steps of a patient encounter.

Aquifer Case Patient Encounter Experience

Realistic Clinical Experiences

Cases include results of diagnostic testing, videos, audio, and images to provide a deep and realistic patient scenario.

Written by Experts & Aligned with National Curricula

Aquifer cases are written and maintained by the Aquifer Consortium of leading health professions educators, and developed to provide comprehensive coverage of national organization curriculum.

Modeling Communication

Each case includes detailed dialog that models effective communication with both patients and preceptors—an ideal way to prepare students for clinic.

Embedded Self-Assessment Throughout Cases

Cases include built-in questions for self-assessment with detailed answer explanations, opportunities for students to practice writing summary statements, and additional self-assessment questions at the end to reinforce key concepts and extend learning beyond a single scenario.

Just-In-Time Coverage of Clinical Excellence Topics

Brief, just-in-time coverage of Palliative Care, Trauma-Informed Care, Social Determinants of Health, High Value Care, Diagnostic Excellence and Telemedicine is included in select cases - a great way to ensure consistent coverage of these often orphaned topics without adding faculty time.

Integration of Basic Science and Clinical Education

40+ Integrated Illness Scripts are available on core conditions to promote cognitive integration and provide a framework for learners to link basic science and clinical knowledge.

Formative Assessment Tools build Self-Directed Learners

Calibrate formative assessments for Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Radiology drive self-directed learning in clinical students, helping them build higher order thinking and problem solving skills, and provides a common tool and objective data to align students and faculty and leverage mid-clerkship feedback.

PA programs across the country are using Aquifer to:

  • Standardize clinical rotations

    Realistic scenarios walk through a complete patient encounter

  • Develop clinical decision-making skills

    A safe space to practice before EOR’s or OSCE’s

  • Ensure coverage of key competencies

    Fill educational gaps and level the playing field with trusted tools

  • Provide structured remediation

    Rich case library for individualized learning targeted skills development

  • Support faculty with trusted tools

    Ready-to-use teaching resources and classroom activities

  • Enhance their curriculum

    Upgrade lectures, build electives, or supplement courses

Meet the Consortium

The Aquifer Educators Consortium forms the bedrock of Aquifer, bringing together more than 100 MD, DO, PA, and NP educators across disciplines—experts from the national leadership of organizations like AAIM, COMSEP, STFM, AGS, IAMSE, and AUR/AMSER—to collaborate, innovate, and make advances in health professions education.

Aquifer Delivers

  • Standardized clinical experiences

  • Evidence-based, peer-reviewed content

  • Access to expert medical educators

  • Coverage of national curricular standards

  • Easy to use platform with reporting

Our Subscribers

Aquifer serves faculty and students in a total of 384 subscribing programs across a range of health professions. Our subscribers include PA programs, in addition to allopathic, osteopathic, nursing, and residency programs across the US and beyond.

Our current physician assistant subscribers include:

AdventHealth University Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program
Albany Medical College Center for Physician Assistant Studies
Alderson Broaddus University Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program
Baylor College of Medicine Physician Assistant Program
Boston University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program
Bryant University Physician Assistant Studies Program
Butler University Physician Assistant Program
California Baptist University Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program
Campbell University Master of Physician Assistant Practice Program
Case Western Reserve University Physician Assistant Program
Chapman University Physician Assistant Program
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science Physician Assistant Program
Christian Brothers University Physician Assistant Program
City University of New York School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program
City University of New York York College Physician Assistant Program
Des Moines University Physician Assistant Program
DeSales University Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies
Dominican University of California Physician Assistant Program
Duke University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program
Duquesne University Physician Assistant Studies Program
East Carolina University Department of Physician Assistant Studies
Eastern Michigan University Physician Assistant Program
Emory and Henry College Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program
Florida Gulf Coast University Physician Assistant Program
Florida State University School of Physician Assistant Practice
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University Physician Assistant Program
Franklin College Physician Assistant Program
Gannon University Erie Campus Physician Assistant Program
Gannon University Ruskin Campus Physician Assistant Program
Gardner-Webb University Physician Assistant Studies Program
George Washington University Department of Physician Assistant Studies
Hardin Simmons University Physician Assistant Program
Hofstra Northwell Department of Physician Assistant Studies
Johnson and Wales University Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program
Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California Physician Assistant Program
Keiser University Physician Assistant Program
Kettering College Physician Assistant Program
Lake Erie College Physician Assistant Program
Lincoln Memorial University School of Medical Sciences Harrogate Tennessee Physician Assistant Program
Marietta College Physician Assistant Program
Marshall B. Ketchum University School for Physician Assistant Studies
Medical University of South Carolina Physician Assistant Studies Program
MGH Institute of Health Professions Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program
Midwestern University Downers Grove Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies
Midwestern University Glendale Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies
Missouri State University Physician Assistant Studies Program
Monmouth University Master of Science in Physician Assistant
Morehouse School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program
Mount St. Joseph University Physician Assistant Program
New York Institute of Technology Physician Assistant Studies Program
Northeastern University Physician Assistant Program
Northern Arizona University Physician Assistant Program
Ohio University Physician Assistant Program
Oregon Health Science University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program
Pace University Lenox Hill Hospital Department of Physician Assistant Studies

Pace University Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Pleasantville
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine Physician Assistant Program
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Philadelphia Campus Physician Assistant Studies Program
Radford University Carilion Physician Assistant Program
Rocky Mountain College Physician Assistant Program
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science Physician Assistant Program
Rutgers University Physician Assistant Program
Sacred Heart University Physician Assistant Program
Saint Louis University Physician Assistant Program
Salus University Physician Assistant Program
Seton Hall University Physician Assistant Program
South College Knoxville Master of Science in Physician Assistant Program
South College Nashville Master of Science in Physician Assistant Program
Southern California University of Health Sciences Physician Assistant Program
Springfield College Physician Assistant Program
Stanford School of Medicine Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program
State University of New York Upstate Medical University Physician Assistant Program
The Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University Physician Assistant Program
The University of Toledo Physician Assistant Program
Thomas Jefferson University Center City Campus Physician Assistant Studies Program
Touro University California Joint MSPAS/MPH Program
Tufts University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program
University of Alabama at Birmingham Physician Assistant Studies Program
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Physician Assistant Program
University of Bridgeport Physician Assistant Program
University of Colorado School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program
University of Dayton Physician Assistant Program
University of Detroit Mercy Physician Assistant Master of Science Program
University of Evansville Physician Assistant Program
University of Florida Physician Assistant Program
University of Iowa Physician Assistant Program
University of La Verne Physician Assistant Program
University of Maryland Baltimore/Anne Arundel Community College Physician Assistant Program
University of Michigan Flint Master of Science Physician Assistant Program
University of Missouri Kansas City Master of Medical Science Physician Assistant Program
University of New Mexico Physician Assistant Program
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Physician Assistant Program
University of North Dakota Physician Assistant Program
University of North Texas Health Science Center Physician Assistant Program
University of Oklahoma Tulsa School of Community Medicine Physician Assistant Program
University of South Carolina at Columbia Physician Assistant Program
University of South Dakota Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Physician Assistant Program
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Physician Assistant Studies Program
University of Wisconsin La Crosse Physician Assistant Program
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Physician Assistant Program
Valparaiso University Physician Assistant Program
Wake Forest School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program
Wayne State University Physician Assistant Studies Program
Western University of the Health Sciences Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies
Westfield State University Physician Assistant Program
Wingate University Department of Physician Assistant Studies
Yale School of Medicine Physician Associate Program