12 Best Physician Assistant Programs In Worcester, MA (2022 Updated)

I'll preface this review by saying I am a parent of a student nearing completion of 2 years at Assumption. The campus and facilities are well kept, safe, clean and relatively modern. Like any institution, the staff is a mixed bag. We've had several instances of communications going unanswered, requiring follow up before a response is given or otherwise not rising to the level of what you'd wish for, when committing your child and a high level of financial support to any business. I'll also say that in the time of covid, things are more complicated for all businesses and families, not just Assumption. That said, when circumstances are difficult, authentic character is revealed. After returning to campus for a 'hybrid' semester, the kids who chose to try and have a semblance of normal college life, have been gravely disappointed. The protocols are strictly enforced, and most people (including me) understand they are a necessary fact of life today. Abiding by social distancing, masks, twice weekly testing and other processes must be embraced and I have no qualms with that stance. That said, Assumption has a policy disallowing all resident students from leaving campus, except in the most narrow of circumstances. Even doctor visits have been challenging for students and have required parental intervention before being approved. The mental health of many are suffering due to this policy. All the while, staff, administrators, vendors, security and all commuting students are allowed to come and go at will on a daily basis. The school professed in a recent letter that "commuting students have not led to an increase in virus transmission". If that is true, why then aren't the remainder of the students allowed to follow those same policies as long as they abide by standard protocols? As we have all experienced, human interaction and cautious freedom of movement are all part of a human being's wellness. Our child and many others, are being made to suffer by the university's, inflexible, extreme policy. If that policy were uniformly enforced for everyone attending Assumption, it might be easier to accept. Seeing hundreds of people come and go on a daily basis, while others are literally suffering in silence is devastating as a parent and as a human being with empathy. The school and its president are not available and open to communicate on this subject either. A recent post I submitted to the Facebook group, written respectfully and thoughtfully was disallowed. A recent Zoom call was held to address student concerns and the administrators kept attendees muted, disallowed cameras and didn't provide the ability to interact and genuinely communicate two ways. College is supposed to teach kids how to think for themselves, form opinions and demonstrate their independence. It's part of the educational package, which is not purely an exercise in passing tests. Assumption continually follows a pattern of carefully controlled communications instead of embracing a diversity of thought. I am a working professional and have been impacted by covid same as everyone in the world. My company has changed its policies and the situation is ever evolving. That said, I am not aware of any other walk of life, where coming/going is all but disallowed. Even prisoners are allowed familial visits, with safety protocols followed. If a student had a toothache, nobody would prevent him/her from seeking relief, but for anyone suffering depression, anxiety and mental anguish in part because they cannot simply blow off steam by meeting their parents for breakfast is told to 'stay resilient'. Shameful and draconian.Jonathan Jacobs

I drove an hour to watch the football game today. The email sent to the opposing team (us) said "All guests must be fully vaccinated, over the age of 12 years old, etc…. I am sure I was not and won't be the last person to misunderstand that statement as being "Anyone 12 and over has to be vaccinated" and not understood as "Children under 12 are not allowed". While written properly, this was extremely deceiving compared to the rules posted on your site (which I decided to search after the fact) that says CLEARLY no one under 12 will be allowed on campus. My 3 year old who is not even PERMITTED to be vaccinated and who was thoroughly looking forward to coming to the game was in tears when we had to turn around and go back home. My family has gone to almost all of the football games this season in various states and not once has there been such strict, unreasonable rules about an OUTDOOR event. Experience PART ONE. Experience PART TWO- When I pulled on to the campus, the security guard asked if I had a guest pass. I said No. He said, "OK then, pull up the hill and you'll see the main parking." I proceeded to do so. Less than 5-10 minutes after I pulled in, my father in-law pulled in and was asked the same question. Do you have a guest pass? He answered No. The exact same answer as I. Help me understand why he was told he couldn't proceed through the gate but I, who answered with the same exact answer, was allowed to pass? First of all, neither one of us should have been allowed to pass because we, again, had not been required to "register" to attend a game AT ANY OTHER SCHOOL this season. But secondly, I am a 35 year old Caucasian female and he is an older black male. You must understand that the rules that applied to him and didn't apply to me looks really, REALLY bad on behalf of your school. ALMOST DONE… These rules stated on your site which as I said I searched after the fact say, "In addition to being fully vaccinated, guests must follow current Assumption University health protocols, including the current mask wearing policy. Lastly, at this time tailgating of any sort is not allowed on campus." Since your guard so kindly allowed me to pass the gate without a guest pass, I was able to go onto the campus and see a designated parking lot FULL of Assumption tailgaters, NOT social distanced and NOT wearing masks. So basically what I understood from this is AGAIN the rules that apply to the visiting team did not apply to the Home team. And to close… "all guests must register to come to campus five days prior to arrival.." Five days prior… Is it realistic to think that the friends AND family of the visiting teams would even THINK that they'd have to go "REGISTER" to attend the next game only two days after their last game after watching games ALL season without any issue?? I can only hope and pray that you look into all of the above and not just disregard the happenings surrounding my TERRIBLE experience today at your school. Thank you! And congratulations on your Team win. I hope it was the encouragement of your home team fans that really gave your team the push. Your great efforts to keep out visiting spectators worked. Oh and I forgot to add, my father in-law and our family friend who was with him are Military Veterans so to hear on the virtual viewing of the game that you all were celebrating "Military Appreciation Day" really put the cherry on top.Bonnie Senecal

The service at Taylor's dining hall is horrible and so is the quality of food. It doesn't even deserve 1 star. In my many experiences visiting my sister and eating here, they always close early and never have any food for those who have allergies. I'm allergic to gluten and the only option I have are carrots and hamburgers, in which most of the time I can't eat with having to go up 700 time to ask for more. I paid $12 to eat at an all you can eat buffet and I get to eat not even enough to count as a snack. If you try to ask for more the first time they will say no and then if you even want to have a small conversation while eating the first helping, they will be closed and take away all the food. Also the events for the family weekends and everything suck and are a waste of money. You have more chances of having fun if you just stay home and sleep.MacKenzie

Most of the bad reviews are coming from people who had ONE bad experience at like the book store or whatever or i gEt tHiEr aDs oN hUlu, though the veteran who shared his story probably has a decent case to make. Anyway I got a business degree from this college and if you actually try you can do really really well here, with great professors and programs like the honors program which gives high level learning at bottom dollar, and wonderful faculty like the folks at PTK, disability services, or the Fuller Center. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot to work on regarding graduation rates, the food, no one card system, etc but I couldn't give this place anything less than 5 stars because of all of the wonderful people who give 110% here, especially in those departments I mentioned. If you live in Worcester don't spend 30k a year to go to Assumption, you'll save so much money to come here. Seek opportunity, study for your tests, respect your professors and faculty, and most importantly, do your damn homework; I guarantee you'll be a success at this place if you do all of these things.Clark Kent

The qcc "police" are some of the most unqualified and unempathetic people in the area. There is no doubt they have no training, no expertise in law and zero idea of what they are doing. Maybe they should take some courses while they work their jobs at qcc in criminal justice. Maybe they can get a handle on their jobs. Maybe they should take some training courses with the state police. If they do already, Maybe they should pay attention.Last First

This is an awesome school and I am so disappointed that one teacher ruined it all for me. DO NOT take Professor Jane Joyce accounting classes or any classes from her. She is awful and not a good teacher in general. You will waist your money, time, and probably want to rip your hair out when she talks. I have been at this school for about two years now and never have I come across a teacher like her.Lindsay Vigliotti

Our family has had a very less than favorable experience with WPI. Certainly there are many positives and for most people this will probably be the case but in our case the negatives vastly outweigh the benefits. The quality of education is very good however grueling, with blatant disregard for mental health and stability. The end result and overall education received definitely exceeds that of many educational institutions. The students however have a very egotistical and elitist attitude both regards to those of non technical professions as well as other educational institutions at large. If you choose to not participate in this mentality you're definitely someone ostracized and looked down upon yourself. There is also a blatant disregard for the law and practices of their own policies with regard to protection to students rights. When your legal rights or your rights according to their own policies is infringed upon and enforcing them or protecting them would somehow negatively impact the school or their faculty every attempt to skirt or disregard them is attempted. I have seen in multiple circumstances this occurred to a negative end result for the actual student. Typically the only way around this is to have enough money to pay in fight the school to make it not worth their while. Those without the ability to do so face consequences that are oftentimes life-altering and the school pays no heed to this. You essentially sign yourself up for completely independent arbitration by going here and they take full advantage of this should it be necessary to protect their own reputation or revenue stream. The rate at which their development has progressed and expansion of administrative positions is also a sign of their lack of frugality and the breadth of their profit margin as opposed to consideration for the cost of the student or their family. The school could be much better it's the overall experience was improved upon by focusing on customer service, student experience, and not the kind from simply more development but through resources and protections that allow you as a customer to receive what you're paying for.Joseph

High quality education and the project-based curriculum really adds to your resume and provides much opportunity to study abroad. I chose a project site at NASA's Johnson Space Center for my MQP. How many undergrads get the chance to work at NASA? Not many. I had friends who went to project sites in Italy, Thailand, etc. I have also attended the University of Florida and Clemson University (for 2 graduate degrees) and would rate WPI on par with UF as fantastic experiences, and above Clemson. There are certainly trade-offs between large and small universities, with larger universities typically able to offer many more opportunities (greater course selection, greater selection of minors/concentrations/certificate programs to enhance your degree, sports, clubs, study-abroads, career fairs with heavy-hitting employers) and WPI makes up for its diminutive size with a strong emphasis on enhancing student life and opportunities that you won't find elsewhere like their project sites around the globe. Part of the reason WPI costs what it does is because of the value added to the student experience. Clemson, in contrast, offers what you would expect for its size- noticeably less than both WPI and UF. If a student simply wants to take classes and graduate doing the bare minimum, WPI would be wasted on them. But if you really want to make the most of your 4 years of undergrad, WPI offers a lot.Stacey Dolan

WPI the approach to instruction is to be close to the material so that students can apply it in real life applications. The student body was thoughtful and thankfully the hype associated with higher education and technical areas of mastery was not found. People are straightforward and honest here. I did not continue after freshman year because I had a low thyroid condition and really was not prepared to speed through the concepts presented to me at the time. My energy level has increased now. I have not given up on myself, however, I intend to learn at my own pace. I appreciate the friendships I was able to make here and being treated fairly and objectively. I was more suited for some world travel and personal discovery exploration rather than starting at WPI so soon after high school. Too many options for one lifetime. I was glad I went here.Kelly Moy

Could not purchase any medication for recreational use. (just kidding). have 2 friends attending here and have received nothing but positive feedback. __ My primary care doctor always has a student intern in his office, from the school, and i'm impressed by, though being students, their level of confidence and knowledge is top notch.Christopher Johns

Financial Aid office is extremely unhelpful and ruined my overall experience of this school. They’re always trying to siphon more money away from you instead of actually helping you. Absolutely terrible, avoid this school at all costs.Jenn Lynn

WSU is a fantastic place. It has so much to offer. The campus is well maintained. It's perfectly located within the city. Walking distance to many restaurants and shops. Perfect choice for students next step after high school!Lisa Marie Berthel

Professors are extremely phony and do NOT care about your mental health. Was told by a professor my self harm scars were unprofessional and to hide them.jillian burns

I applied as a transfer student to this university, had a gpa above 3.5, had excellent recommendations, members of phi thetta kappa, went to the transfer interview and got mysteriously denied. Admission officer on the phone and in person kept focusing on how I was too old to attend College of the Holy Cross. This university discriminated against my age instead of focusing on what I brought to the table! Im Brown skinned.Summer Time

Went here for a campus tour; the guides, staff and organization were tremendous and very helpful. So good, in fact, that my son applied and went for the interview – which was insightful and very professional. My son was so blown away by the experience that he ended up bypassing the "expected" schools to attend The CHC. We are so glad he did – he loves it and we, as parents, love it for him.Garey Hensley

Hard. Wonderful. Life-changing. Inspirational. Supportive. Challenging. Beautiful. Hilly (hard to navigate on crutches for months on end with a knee injury.) Enlightening. Things I learned here many years ago are still essentials in my life. Thank you, Holy Cross. There has to be bike racks here somewhere. It is accessible by public transit. It is 39 miles from the MacColl Field YMCA.Esther Paris

A sham and a total waste of time. I was not given either the free teeth cleaning or x ray when I mentioned that I would not be coming back for additional evaluation and service. Don't bother yourself with this sales come-on.Albert Gallagher

Clark is a place where people with many different interests are connected by a common passion for positive social change. Undergraduates are provided with ample opportunities for meaningful engagement with various communities on campus, in the city of Worcester and throughout the world. It's a small place with a lot of quirks (Keep Clark Weird!), but you'll never find a more mindful lot. I know it's probably attributed to a bit of self-selection and a whole bunch of confirmation bias, but I owe a lot to this place, and there's no other place I would have rather gone for my study. Once a Clarkie, always a Clarkie. CLARKIE DIEM. – graduate in biology, student-athlete, former employeeDavid Opp

To be fair, this is the best school I've ever got to know well, and I've known quite a few schools, including some highly regarded ones that get their stellar ranking by focusing on growing endowments and grabbing the hottest research fellows whilst ignoring students' needs. Clark is the opposite of that; most professors are focused on providing the best education experience as well as providing undergrads with opportunities to engage in research. This is the school that has absolutely exceeded all my expectations.Alex Li

From my visit there and by observing my daughter's growth, I think Clark is achieving the excellence to which they aspire. My daughter applied for an internship at my agency this summer. After her bi-lingual interview, the section manager said that she was one of the most poised and confident candidates that they had ever met of any age. Clark has given her the opportunities to grow, not just in the class room, but also in the extracurricular activities and community work programs.Jim Dickinson

Located on Worcester it’s a big spread out complex with multiple buildings. A bit confusing to navigate their way for newcomers. That’s understandable since it’s a huge complex. Well maintained hospital. Doctors nurses and the staff are helpful and professional. Though it could be a little more neater especially the elevators leading to the building that had the CCU. It is dusty and looks like nobody cleans it. Apart from couple of things here and there overall it is a pretty good place.Sarada

If i could rate 0 i would my mother got open heart surgery 5 days ago and got sent home but today she had symptoms of a heart attack and was told by her surgeon to go to the ER because she was going to be sent to a room when we arrived we sat there for 9 hours while she had swollen legs slurred speech and still we have 40 people ahead of us because her case is not high priority. Ive seen only 2 people get called since 3pm when we arrived and this is insanityAna Rodriguez

My father who has dementia was brought into the ER on Sunday 08/08/21. His nurse Jesse was very attentive, kind and informative. Benjamin and Louisa were exceptional. They cared for my father, talking and entertaining him. I would also like to mention the folks that work out in the lobby, the receptionist and security. They were organized, patient and caring. Thank youCarolyn Logan

Start to finish a great experience. Meghan was very considerate, informative, competent & kind. Really happy that with this clinic!Deborah Koziak

John has always been professional and competent. I have seen him for several issues. My after visit notes are so thorough. I never have to wait long. He goes through my X-rays and always explains things in laymen’s terms.Katie A

Megan was friendly, answered all of my questions, and addressed all of my concerns with respect and care. I felt very safe and trusting of her expertise and treatment. I also had a great experience with all of the admin staff and nurses at Reliant. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. The clinic was very clean and organized well.Imaani Ali