Physician Assistant Program—MS
Th
The PA Program is designed as an intensive, full-time program; students who need additional time to complete the program may be accommodated under very limited circumstances. All of the curriculum elements listed below are required for successful completion of the program. While we have many elective clerkships from which to choose, all students must complete five electives in order to graduate from the program. Consistent with physician assistant programs in the United States accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education of the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), students who successfully complete the program are eligible to sit for the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) national licensing examination.
Program Requirements
The First Year
During the first three semesters, the PA student learns basic science foundations, pathophysiology, and therapy in a systems-based approach similar to and integrated with the medical school. Assessment of PA students’ medical knowledge and development of clinical reasoning is made using multiple choice examinations, journal club assignments, objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE), and preceptor evaluations. Clinical skills such as history-taking, physical examination, oral presentation, and medical record-writing is taught and assessed using preceptor and faculty observation. The curriculum of the first year has been developed so that each topic builds on a previous concept.
Spring
- GMS PS 700 Anatomy (5 cr)
- GMS PS 701 Basic Medical Sciences (3 cr)
- GMS PS 702 Physiology (4 cr)
- GMS PS 703 Introduction to Research (2 cr)
- GMS PS 704 Introduction to Clinical Medicine (2 cr)
Fall
- GMS PS 720 Disease and Therapy I (4 cr)
- GMS PS 721 Disease and Therapy II (4 cr)
- GMS PS 722 Disease and Therapy III (4 cr)
- GMS PS 742 Clinical Practicum I (2 cr)
- GMS PS 744 Preventive Medicine (1 cr)
Spring
- GMS PS 723 Disease and Therapy IV (4 cr)
- GMS PS 724 Disease and Therapy V (4 cr)
- GMS PS 725 Disease and Therapy VI (4 cr)
- GMS PS 743 Clinical Practicum II (2 cr)
Clinical Training
Th
Variable (four semesters)
- GMS PS 800 Internal Medicine I (4 cr)
- GMS PS 801 Advanced Clinical Medicine (4 cr)
- GMS PS 802 Internal Medicine II (4 cr)
- GMS PS 803 Primary Care I (4 cr)
- GMS PS 804 Primary Care II (4 cr)
- GMS PS 805 Emergency Medicine (4 cr)
- GMS PS 806 Pediatrics (4 cr)
- GMS PS 807 Psychiatry (4 cr)
- GMS PS 808 Obstetrics and Gynecology (4 cr)
- GMS PS 809 Surgery (4 cr)
- GMS PS 870 PA Professional Practice (2 cr)
- GMS PS 901 Elective I (4 cr)*
- GMS PS 902 Elective II (4 cr)*
- GMS PS 903 Elective III (4 cr)*
- GMS PS 904 Elective IV (4 cr)*
- GMS PS 905 Elective V (4 cr)*
*Elective rotation course numbers listed above are examples and will vary for each student based on the electives they choose.
Thesis
Students in the PA Program are required to complete a research thesis proposal that demonstrates the student’s ability to interpret the medical literature, develop a hypothesis-driven project, and analyze the significance of the project. They will be mentored by an advisor from the School of Medicine or Public Health to develop their project related to clinical medicine, PA education, or health workforce. Each student is provided two dedicated months during their clinical phase for completing their project. Once the final draft is signed by the thesis advisor, the manuscript will be graded by two members of the Thesis Committee. There is no oral defense.
