Year 1: Required Preclinical Courses

This course covers broad anatomical themes organized into four units: back and upper extremity, thorax and abdomen, pelvis and lower extremity, and head and neck. Students will develop three-dimensional anatomical knowledge that is required for allied health training. Case studies will be used to foster familiarity with typical clinical presentations, and how to approach diagnoses from a basic anatomical perspective. Curriculum delivery is through lectures, laboratory-based dissection workshops, ultrasound workshops, small group activities, and online resources. Student progress is evaluated through written and practical examinations.

Credits: 7

Biochemistry is concerned with the functioning of cellular constituents at the molecular level in health and how functions are altered in disease. Biochemistry is fundamental to understanding all branches of the life sciences. Topics include cellular energy metabolism, signal transduction, cell biology, medical genetics, complete blood count, anemia, diabetes, and hemostasis tests.

Credits: 4

The Interprofessional Healthcare course involves the Colleges of Dental Medicine, Health Sciences, Optometry, Osteopathic Medicine, Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine. The course is designed to teach all clinically based students about each other's clinical programs, how to interact as part of an interprofessional healthcare team,and the importance of an interprofessional approach to patient care. The class consists primarily of online presentations that are delivered by interprofessional team members from each of the clinical programs. Associated quizzes will also be completed online. Occasional lectures, panel presentations, or group assignments may also be incorporated.

Credits: Each course 0.5

The object of this course is to train physician assistant students to a high level of proficiency in infectious diseases through the presentation of scientific and clinically relevant concepts. The course is organized by organ systems, and the major infectious diseases affecting each of these are discussed. The focus of the lectures will be on etiologies, pathogeneses, clinical manifestations, diagnostic tools and methods, and treatment options of these selected diseases. Upon completion of this course, students will understand the connection between the science of microbiology and the clinical manifestations associated with the disease process in order to apply the principles of health promotion and disease prevention.

Credits: 3

The purpose of this course is to provide the student with an understanding and a perspective of the physician assistant (PA) profession. There will be discussion of various topics that illustrate the challenges faced by physician assistants in clinical practice. The material will be presented in a lecture and case-based format.

Credits: 0.5

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to health promotion, wellness, screening, and disease prevention across the lifespan, as well as to guide clinical interventions and education in patient care. Students will learn about the role of nutrition, immunizations, pediatric and adult health screening and management, dental health, and modifiable risk factors in preventative medicine. The information delivered in this course will be further expanded upon in Clinical Medicine courses throughout the didactic year and reinforced on clinical rotations.

Credits: 1.5

The purpose of this course is to create an awareness and understanding of the "art" of interviewing and proper documentation. The focus will be on obtaining a patient history, communicating with patients in different age groups, learning appropriate use of medical terms and abbreviations and understanding general principles of communication. The skill of interviewing a patient to obtain a history is one of the foundational skills a physician assistant should possess. Additionally, the student will be introduced to legal considerations of documentation and various forms of documentation including hospital notes.

Credits: 1.5

The purpose of the Preparation for the Clinical Phase (PCP) course series is to introduce students to the twelve-month clinical training phase of the Physician Assistant Program. The course series will focus on reviewing clinical rotation objectives, introducing students to Clinical Year guidelines and expectations of professionalism, and enhancing the transition from the didactic to clinical phase of education.

Credits: PASSG 555 0.5, PASSG 579 0.5, PASSG 589 1

The Clinical Medicine series is a sequence of three courses. The courses introduce students to clinical conditions commonly encountered in practicing primary care medicine in pediatric and adult populations. Lectures will emphasize the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation and course, as well as diagnostic and treatment modalities of each disease topic. Students will participate in case group sessions, standardized patient encounters, and high-fidelity simulations. During the encounters, students will have the opportunity to develop competencies in history taking, performing physical exams, developing differential diagnoses, ordering and interpreting laboratory and diagnostic studies, and formulating an assessment and plan. Additionally, students will gain experience in prescription writing and medical documentation.

Credits: Each course 5.5

The purpose of this course is to provide the PA student with 1) an overview of basic epidemiologic principles, 2) an introduction to evidence-based medicine (EBM), and 3) an opportunity to explore a variety of issues and themes central to the ethical dimensions of medicine. Class time will entail a mixture of didactic lectures, case presentations, small group activities, and interactive discussion.

Credits: 2

This course emphasizes skill development in performing routine therapeutic procedures and competence in managing therapeutic interventions. Areas of skill development include (at a minimum) injections, suturing and wound care, casting, splinting, venipuncture, and intravenous therapy.

Credits: 2.5

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to reading and interpreting the findings on rhythm strips and twelve-lead electrocardiograms. Students will learn how to determine heart rate, intervals, axis, chamber enlargement or hypertrophy, signs of ischemia and infarcts, and the effects electrolyte abnormalities and medications can have on the myocardium. Additionally, students will learn to recognize various arrhythmias, including atrial dysrhythmias, junctional dysrhythmias, ventricular dysrhythmias, and heart block.

Credits: 1.5

The purpose of this course is to introduce the first-year physician assistant (PA) student to the principles of women's health, including topics such as sexually transmitted infections, menstrual abnormalities, health maintenance, gynecologic oncology, prenatal care and normal and abnormal labor and delivery. This course will provide the PA student with fundamental knowledge and skills critical for success in the second year and relevant to a PA in a variety of practice settings, including obstetrics/gynecology, primary care, emergency medicine and surgery.

Credits: 2

The Emergency Medicine and Surgical Principles course is designed to develop an approach to problems frequently encountered in the emergency department and to expose students to the role of the PA in surgical practice. Course goals related to emergency care also include review of the triage process and recognition of principles of intervention for life threatening emergencies as well as management and disposition of non-emergent patients. Elements of surgical care will include the pre-, intra- and post-operative care of the patient.

Credits: 3

This course presents a two-fold approach to issues in behavioral medicine and psychiatry. 1) A biopsychosocial and family systems model of the individual and family developmental stages present throughout the life cycle, and 2) an introduction to the major psychopathologies encountered in clinical practice. Emphasis is placed on medical assessment, diagnostic criteria, clinical management, and first-line treatments. Topics in behavioral medicine include problems of childhood, domestic violence, clinician well-being, stress management, and normal and abnormal sexuality. The psychopathologies include anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, personality disorders, substance-related disorders, trauma, chronic illness, aging, and end of life care. Case histories and audio-visual presentations will enhance the student's understanding.

Credits: 2

This course is designed to teach the student the art and technique of physical assessment. Course content includes lectures and reading assignments covering normal and abnormal physical findings. In addition, there are weekly physical exam laboratory sessions designed to provide the student with hands-on practice in exam techniques. At the conclusion of the course the student will be expected to pass a written final exam and satisfactorily perform a complete physical examination.

Credits: 3

The overall instructional goal of pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics courses is to provide the physician assistant with a firm understanding of the effects of therapeutically important drugs, from a molecular to a behavioral level of organization. These courses discuss therapeutic strategies, and new types of drugs, as well as the clinical implications and contraindications. Lectures are designed on an organ system basis with emphasis on distinctive uses of drugs. Although large numbers of drugs are available on the market, only a few prototype agents have been selected for intensive study for this course.

Credits: Each course 3

In this two-quarter series, students are introduced through didactic instruction, workshops, and clinical case discussions to the basic physiologic principles that underlie the normal function of the various organs and organ systems. These core principles provide the foundation through which the student develops an understanding of the physiologic adaptations and transitions that occur in commonly occurring disease states. Emphasis is given to developing an understanding of health in physiologic terms and appreciation of the diverse regulatory processes that maintain the homeostasis of the human body.

Credits: Each course 4