Our outcomes are guided by the Competencies for the Physician Assistant Profession document published by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. The purpose of that document is to communicate to the PA profession and to the public a set of competencies that all physician assistants, regardless of specialty or setting, are expected to acquire and maintain throughout their careers. The competencies provide a road map for the individual PA, the physician-PA team and PA-related professional organizations.
Physician Assistant Program Competencies
Patient-Centered Practice Knowledge (PCPK)
- PCPK 1: Demonstrate an understanding of common disease processes, integrating clinical, laboratory, radiologic, and epidemiologic data. (MK)
- PCPK 2: Apply foundational medical knowledge to diagnose, manage, and prevent disease (MK)
- PCPK 3: Obtain an accurate history and perform a focused physical exam (CTS)
- PCPK 4: Perform essential clinical and technical skills required for PA practice (CTS)
- PCPK 5: Implement pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions tailored to individual patient needs (CRPS)
- PCPK 6: Integrate clinical data and evidence to develop and justify differential diagnoses and management plans. (CRPS)
Society & Population Health (SPH)
- SPH 1: Apply principles of epidemiology to identify health problems, risk factors, treatment strategies, resources, and disease prevention/health promotion efforts for individuals and populations (CRPS)
- SPH 2: Demonstrate cultural humility and responsiveness to diversity and global health perspectives.
- SPH 3/ ICPL 1: Provide appropriate referral for secondary evaluation, as well as community-based resources. (IS, CRPS)
Interprofessional Collaborative Practice & Leadership (ICPL)
- SPH 3/ ICPL 1: Provide appropriate referral for secondary evaluation, as well as community-based resources. (IS, CRPS)
- ICPL 2: Work and communicate effectively with other health professionals to provide collaborative, patient-centered care (IS)
Health Literacy & Communication (HLC)
- HLC 1: Provide patient education that is accurate, empathetic, and tailored to the patient’s level of health literacy, supporting shared decision-making. (IS)
Professional & Legal Aspects of Healthcare (PLAH) → (ARC-PA Professionalism and Ethics)
- PLAH 1: Demonstrate respect for the dignity and privacy of patients while providing a standard of care (PB)
- PLAH 2: Exhibit behaviors that are ethical, compassionate, patient-centered, maximize patient safety, critically recognize and prevent medical errors, and acknowledge limitations and mistakes (PB)
Healthcare Finance & Systems (HFS) → (ARC-PA Practice-based Learning)
- HFS 1: Apply principles of cost-effective and evidence-based care to clinical decision-making in order to provide high-quality, equitable, and sustainable healthcare. (PB, CRPS)
*Key for ARC-PA defined Competency Domains: Medical knowledge (MK), Interpersonal skills (IS), Clinical and Technical skills (CTS), Professional behaviors (PB), Clinical reasoning and problem-solving (CRPS)
**Key for Competencies: Patient Centered Practice knowledge (PCPK), Society & Population Health (SPH), Health Literacy & Communication (HLC), Interprofessional Collaborative Practice and Leadership (ICPL), Professional & Legal Aspects of Healthcare (PLAH), Healthcare finance & systems (HFS).
