Course Descriptions

This course presents lectures and cadaver dissection laboratories emphasizing the normal structure of the human body; the embryologic basis of adult anatomy; the relationship between structure and function; and the use of human gross anatomy in physical diagnosis.

Credits: 7

This is an integrated, interdisciplinary course in which students learn to identify and describe the basic structural components and corresponding functions of the human nervous system. Emphasis is given to correlating underlying lesions involving these structures with neurologic deficits and dysfunctions likely to be encountered in clinical practice. Integrated lectures are given by faculty in the Departments of Anatomy and Physiology, and the Speech Language Pathology Program.

Credits: 4

This course provides a foundation for basic science courses concerned with normal and pathologic human physiology, biochemistry, cytology, histology, pharmacology, and nutrition. Topics include cellular energy metabolism, signal transduction, neurotransmitter synthesis and degradation, cellular energetics, foundations of molecular biology, nutrition, and metabolism in differentiated tissues and organs.

Credits: 3

The objective of this course is to equip the physician assistant with the knowledge needed to apply nutritional principles to preventive medicine and various common pathologies. Additional topics include clinical problem solving skills, statistics in clinical decision making, blood clotting, the role of nutrition in different anemias, diabetes mellitus, the hyperlipidemias, and factors affecting blood chemistries.

Credits: 3

This course is devoted to introducing the foundations of human genetics. Topics include normal transmission of dominant and recessive genetic traits, sex-linked/autosomal-linked inheritance, common genetic defects and diseases, inheritance patterns and probabilities, genetic mapping, common risk factors in inherited/acquired genetic diseases, family counseling, and family planning issues.

Credits: 1

Changes in our healthcare delivery system are creating a growing demand for health professionals with skills in collaboration and teamwork. This course will describe the roles and responsibilities of the various healthcare disciplines. It will also provide students, from different health professions, the opportunity to interact with one another as well as simulated patients. This collaboration will promote communication using a team-based approach to the maintenance of health and management of disease.

Credits: 1

This didactic course covers infectious diseases, their etiologic agents, differential diagnoses and disease management. Through the use of diagnostic algorithms and integrative self-studies, students learn problem-solving skills. The course includes hands-on experiential laboratory sessions which augment didactic material and provide insight into clinical microbiological laboratory procedures and an evidence-based approach to diagnoses in the infectious diseases context.

Credits: 4

This didactic course introduces students to the fundamental principles of immunology and host defense mechanisms and considers them in relation to defense against common viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic agents of disease, immunologic abnormalities, immune-deficiency disorders, immunoprophylaxis, and therapy.

Credits: 2

Medical interviewing skills will be introduced through formal lectures and developed through standardized patient interviews. The skills, knowledge, and sensitivity needed to communicate and improve patient rapport in a variety of psychosocial situations will be discussed. A systems-oriented approach will introduce common diseases across the life-span, their underlying pathophysiology (including symptoms and signs), patient evaluation (history, physical examination and diagnostic studies), differential diagnosis, and basic therapeutic concepts.

Credits: 5

A systems-oriented approach will introduce common diseases and syndromes across the life-span, their underlying pathophysiology (including symptoms and signs), patient evaluation (history, physical examination, and diagnostic studies), differential diagnosis, and basic therapeutic concepts. Acute exacerbations of chronic diseases and emergency care will be integrated as appropriate. Formal lectures and interactive case-based lecture techniques will be utilized.

Credits: 5

A systems-oriented approach will introduce common diseases and syndromes across the life-span, their underlying pathophysiology (including symptoms and signs), patient evaluation (history, physical examination, and diagnostic studies), differential diagnosis, and basic therapeutic concepts. Acute exacerbations of chronic diseases and emergency care will be integrated as appropriate. Formal lectures, interactive case-based lectures and case group discussion techniques will be utilized.

Credits: 6

A systems-oriented approach will introduce common diseases and syndromes across the life-span, their underlying pathophysiology (including symptoms and signs), patient evaluation (history, physical examination, and diagnostic studies), differential diagnosis, and basic therapeutic concepts. Acute exacerbations of chronic diseases and emergency care will be integrated as appropriate. Formal lectures, interactive case-based lectures and case group discussion techniques will be utilized.

Credits: 6

This course presents and discusses the clinical practice, role, and responsibilities of physician assistants. Professional behavior, cultural and social awareness, basic concepts for quality healthcare delivery and the future of the physician assistant profession will be discussed. The interaction of healthcare providers within various clinical settings will also be examined.

Credits: 1

This course expands on the professional role of the physician assistant. Ethical issues that arise during the provision of healthcare services will be discussed. In addition, medicolegal aspects of healthcare and preparation for clinical practice will be reviewed.

Credits: 2

This course is designed to help the student create the conceptual framework and medical literature review that will lead to the development of the Capstone Project. Students will research a medical topic of interest to them and begin to develop the foundation needed for developing their Capstone Project.

Credits: 1

This course is designed to provide an overview of the scientific method including quantitative and qualitative analyses, research techniques and research design methods. Elementary statistical techniques will be reviewed including an introduction to probability, measurement theory, correlation, regression analysis, sampling, significance tests and statistical inference. Active learning opportunities to foster the development of skills to implement evidence-based medicine principles in Physician Assistant practice will be utilized.

Credits: 3

This course is designed to allow the physician assistant student to obtain the knowledge and skills required to assess a patient's medical and health status as part of the focused adult history and problem-oriented physical examination. Students will also develop patient-management skills by ordering and interpreting laboratory and diagnostic studies and appropriate therapeutics. The course is designed to build upon the medical history knowledge gained in Clinical Medicine I and the screening adult physical exam skills learned in Physical Diagnosis.

Credits: 2

This course presents the concepts and practices related to a review of the symptoms, signs, diagnosis and management of psychiatric conditions across the lifespan.

Credits: 2

Physical examination techniques will be introduced during formal lectures and practiced during partner-paired laboratory sessions in this course. Normal physical findings and examination techniques will be emphasized. Common normal variants and classic physical abnormalities will be introduced and discussed. Lectures, laboratory sessions, and interactive case-based lecture techniques will be employed.

Credits: 3

Six-week clinical rotation in an Internal Medicine setting.

Credits: 6

Six-week clinical rotation in a Behavioral Medicine setting.

Credits: 6

Six-week clinical rotation in a General Surgery setting.

Credits: 6

Six-week clinical rotation in an Emergency Medicine setting.

Credits: 6

Six-week clinical rotation in a Family Medicine setting.

Credits: 6

Six-week clinical rotation in an Obstetrics/Gynecology setting.

Credits: 6

Six-week clinical rotation in a Pediatric Medicine setting.

Credits: 6

Six-week clinical rotation in a General Clinical Medicine setting.

Credits: 6

This course is designed to facilitate the completion of an independent medical research project as the culmination of the master's degree for the physician assistant student. The project entails scholarly inquiry into a clinical medicine topic and application of evidence-based medicine techniques to facilitate completion of the required components of the Capstone Project.

Credits: 0.5

This course is designed to facilitate the completion of an independent medical research project as the culmination of the master's degree for the physician assistant student. The project entails scholarly inquiry into a clinical medicine topic and application of evidence-based medicine techniques to facilitate completion of the required components of the Capstone Project.

Credits: 0.5

This course is designed to facilitate the completion of an independent medical research project as the culmination of the master's degree for the physician assistant student. The project entails scholarly inquiry into a clinical medicine topic and application of evidence-based medicine techniques to facilitate completion of the required components of the Capstone Project.

Credits: 1

This course is designed to build upon the student's foundation of clinical medicine knowledge and to prepare the student to begin clinical year rotations. Lectures will provide advanced information and instruction covering a range of medical topics including interpretation of electrocardiograms, and topics that will facilitate the student's continuing development of knowledge and therapeutic skills in patient assessment, medical decision-making, and clinical management.

Credits: 3

This course is designed to build upon the student's foundation of clinical medicine knowledge and to continue to develop critical thinking and medical decision making skills. Lectures will provide advanced information and instruction covering a range of medical topics.

Credits: 3

Four-week clinical rotation in a discipline of the student's choosing (subject to approval by the Program).

Credits: 4

Four-week clinical rotation in a discipline of the student's choosing (subject to approval by the Program).

Credits: 4

This course is designed to facilitate the completion of an independent medical research project as the culmination of the master's degree for the physician assistant student. The project entails scholarly inquiry into a clinical medicine topic and application of evidence-based medicine techniques to facilitate completion of the required components of the Capstone Project.

Credits: 1

This course is designed to focus on professional issues in preparation for graduation and clinical practice. In addition, students will receive an intensive week of lecture topics to help them prepare for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE).

Credits: 4

This course sequence introduces students to the general principles of drug action and the therapeutic uses and toxicities of drugs commonly used in humans. A drug's action is considered on an organ-system basis. Specific topics include drugs acting on the: autonomic and central nervous systems, cardiovascular and renal systems, gastrointestinal and genitourinary systems. In addition, discussions on chemotherapy of microbial and parasitic organisms, chemotherapy of neoplastic diseases, drugs acting on blood-forming organs, and hormones are presented. The course also includes discussions of environmental toxic agents and antidotes.

Credits: Each course 3

Students are introduced to the physiological principles and regulatory processes that underlie the normal function of the human body, and develop an understanding of the physiologic responses to perturbations of homeostasis and of pathophysiologic alterations that occur in disease. Didactic lectures are supplemented with workshops that focus on application of physiological concepts. Topics include the biophysical properties of membrane excitability and the function of the neuromuscular, cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, acid-base, digestive, endocrine and reproductive systems.

Credits: Each course 3.5