Physician Assistant Entry Level Masters Program: Semester Course Descriptions

PA Curriculum Course Descriptions:

SEMESTER COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

PA 310: Physical Diagnosis
This is a lecture and laboratory course that provides theoretical knowledge and psychomotor skills related to performing comprehensive, integrated clinical assessments.  Eliciting and documenting medical histories and physical examinations on patients throughout the life cycle are required competencies for the course.
Credits: 5.00                     Co-requisite: History Taking

PA 346: Ethical Issues in Physician Assistant Practice
This is a lecture and seminar course addresses principles of medical ethics and topics in bioethics related to the PA profession, patient care, and the health care delivery system.
Cultural competence and professional ethics are highlighted.
Credits: 2.00

PA 429: Emergency Medicine Primary Care
Comprised of lecture and laboratory, this course focuses on common emergent and urgent clinical problems confronting primary care providers and provides a forum for hands-on skills training for procedures such as casting, suturing, injections, and IVs.
Credits: 3:00              Co-requisite: Clinical Medicine

PA 432: Preceptorship 
The preceptorship provides the PA student an extended, supervised, clinical experience in a designated primary care setting in which the   principles of patient-centered, evidence-based practice are applied to the clinical evaluation and management of patients with primary care problems.
Credit: 12.00

PA 520: Health Care Policy
This course explores the US health care system, health expenditures and health care policy issues relating to allocation of resources and alternatives for managing disparities in the health care system. Critique of a health policy and its outcomes is required.
Credits: 3.00

PA 523: Epidemiology and Health Promotion
In this web-enabled lecture course, the principles of epidemiology and health promotion are discussed in the context of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the US. Student assignments and online discussions focus on preventable risk factors, and resources and strategies for health promotion across the lifespan.
Credits: 3.00                 Pre-requisites: Research Methods and Research Outcomes

PA 525: Advanced Physiology
Building on knowledge of basic human anatomy and physiology, this lecture course emphasizes the complex nature of bodily function from molecular to systems levels as an integrated functional whole.
Credits: 3:00

PA 526: Research Methods and Designs
This lecture and cooperative learning course provides an in-depth examination of research methods and study designs, and an overview of statistical principles. Principles for the critical appraisal of research data are introduced.
Credits: 3.00

PA 527: Research Outcomes Assessment
This lecture and on-line seminar course offers a critical analysis of several types of research studies for validity of findings with an emphasis on developing skills in the critical appraisal of the medical literature for clinical practice. Knowledge and application of basic statistical principles and online literature searching skills are required.
Credits: 3.00                    Pre-requisite: Research Methods and Designs

PA 528:  Advanced Anatomy
A lecture and laboratory course, Advanced Anatomy provides an in-depth study of the human body including gross and microscopic examination of cells, tissues, and organs that comprise each bodily system.  Special emphasis is placed on the clinical relevance and functional relationships of the anatomic structures.
Credits: 5.00

PA 529: Principles of Medical Science
This lecture and seminar course reviews normal human physiology and introduces the concepts of pathophysiology that underlie bodily dysfunction and disease. Seminar component is problem-based and incorporates use of the medical literature.
Credits: 4:00          Pre-requisites: Advanced Physiology and Advanced Anatomy

PA 531: Pharmacology I
This lecture courses examines the actions and effects of drugs on the human organ systems across the life cycle. Students study the pharmacological mechanisms of action, routes of administration, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic uses, considerations related to age and physiologic state, adverse reactions, contraindications, and interactions of drugs.
Credits: 2.00

PA 532: History Taking
This lecture and seminar course focuses on the elements of the clinical interview and history-taking techniques with discussion of common developmental and psychosocial issues and appropriate modifications to the clinical interview for these issues.
Credits: 2:00             Co-requisite: Physical Diagnosis

PA 534: Pharmacology II
The second course builds on the knowledge gained in the Pharmacology I course, as it continues to examine the actions and effects of drugs on human organ systems across the life cycle.  Special emphasis is placed on clinical applications and pharmacotherapeutics.
Credits: 2.00            Pre-requisite: Pharmacology I

PA 535: Clinical Medicine
In this lecture and seminar course clinical entities common to primary care practice are discussed in terms of pathophysiology, symptoms, signs, and pertinent diagnostic studies. In the seminar, students apply clinical reasoning skills to begin to solve clinical problems and formulate therapeutic interventions.
Credits: 7:00           Co-requisite: Emergency Medicine in Primary Care

PA 538: Biopsychosocial Issues in Patient Care
This lecture and seminar course reviews stages of and issues related to human development throughout the life cycle. Biopsychosocial milestones, transition issues, and the effects of stress are discussed and manifestations of major categories of psychopathology are introduced.
Credit: 3.00

PA 540: Leadership and Stewardship
In this lecture and seminar course key concepts and theories of leadership are discussed. Strategies for effecting change as a leader are discussed in the context of cases applicable to the physician assistant student and future professional roles.
Credits: 3:00

PA 628: Foundations of Clinical Medicine
A five-week pre-clinical didactic course, Foundations of Clinical Medicine is designed to prepare the PA student to enter the clinical phase of training through lectures, workshops, case-based learning, and clinical scenarios in Pediatrics, Women’s Health, Psychiatry, Inpatient Medicine, and Surgery.
Credits: 5.00

PA 421: Medicine Rotation
The Medicine Rotation offers five weeks of experience, emphasizing refinement of clinical thinking and skills learned during the didactic phase through exposure to patient care in the clinical setting.
Credits: 5.00

PA 422: Pediatrics Rotation
The Pediatrics Rotation exposes the PA student to five weeks of clinical experience with a pediatric population and provides the opportunity to participate in pediatric health assessments, and the evaluation and treatment common pediatric conditions.
Credits: 5.00
 
PA 423: Surgery Rotation
The Surgery Rotation offers five weeks of clinical exposure to a variety of acute surgical conditions, emphasizing pre- and post-operative evaluation and management, and intra-operative assisting.
Credits: 5.00

PA 424: OB-GYN Rotation
The Obstetrics and Gynecology Rotation provides five weeks of clinical experience and exposure to women’s health care and prenatal care.
Credits: 5.00

PA 425: Psychiatry Rotation
The Psychiatry Rotation affords the PA student with five weeks of experience assessing and counseling patients with a variety of behavioral and psychological conditions, as well as the opportunity to participate in treatment-plan formulation and exploration of social/ community resources.
Credits: 5.00

PA 426: Emergency Medicine Rotation
Within an emergency department setting, the Emergency Medicine Rotation offers five weeks of clinical exposure to a variety of urgent and emergent conditions with the opportunity to participate in patient evaluation and treatment.
Credits: 5.00

PA 620: Graduate Project I
The Graduate Project I course is designed to prepare the student for the development of a graduate project related to an area of interest. Within the course, selection of a project topic, completion of a needs assessment, and the literature search, review, and critique are completed, and a project proposal is developed.
Credit: 6.00

PA 625: Graduate Project II
The Graduate Project II course focuses on the development of the project proposed in Graduate Project I into a paper of publishable quality, a professional presentation, patient or practitioner educational materials, or other creative products with the approval of the faculty advisor.  Implementation and evaluation of the project are required for course completion.
Credit: 6.00

PA 635: Primary Care Practicum
Practicum provides the PA student with a one-on-one learning experience with a medical practitioner in a designated primary care practice environment.  The student participates in the on-going evaluation and management of patients of all ages and disease states under the supervision and guidance of a licensed medical practitioner.
Credit: 6.00