Physician Assistant Degree Options and Curriculum
Two-Year Track
The first three semesters consist of coursework in the basic and clinical sciences. Students transition into the clinical phase of the program by attending the National Physician Assistant Conference, with the cost of attending this conference included in the tuition.
The clinical phase consists of seven required rotations, including Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Women's Health, Emergency Medicine, Geriatrics/Psychiatry and Surgery, plus twelve weeks of clinical electives. During the clinical rotations, the students are visited by a faculty member to ensure they are getting an appropriate learning experience. Every twelve weeks, the students return to campus for exams and professional practice lectures. For each required rotation, the students complete a researched case study. One of these case studies is presented as part of the Senior Colloquium at the end of the clinical phase.
Dual Degree Options
The dual degree option in Public Health allows PA students to do their PA coursework during the day while taking the Public Health degree requirements in the evening.
Master of Science in Public Health prepares graduate Physician Assistants for leadership roles in meeting community healthcare needs. The Master of Public Health degree focuses on population health and includes the disciplines of epidemiology and biostatistics with an in-depth fieldwork thesis project oriented toward a student’s primary area of research interest.
Student Work Policy
Due to the intensity of our program, students are discouraged from working in the 2-year and dual-degree programs. Employment during these programs makes it difficult to have time for social activities, hobbies and recreational activities and rest. Students are discouraged from working more than 20 hours per week in the 3-year program. Students in the 3-year program must seek employment that will fit within the curriculum of the program. Students are also prohibited from applying compensated clinical experience toward academic credit. Additionally, students may not provide services within a preceptor's practice apart from those rendered as part of the clinical phase(s) of the program. Students may not receive compensation for any work performed within the preceptor's clinical site or practice.
