Physician Assistant
Courses
PA 540 Clinical Anatomy 5.0 Credits
This five (5) credit lecture and laboratory course is tailored to the specific needs of physician assistant students. It reviews the fundamentals of gross anatomy, and discusses the relationships between structure and function in a regional anatomy approach and major clinical applications of anatomic relationships. Material is coordinated with the PA 544 Clinical Assessment course.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 542 [Min Grade: B] (Can be taken Concurrently)
Corequisite: PA 544
PA 542 Patient Communication 2.0 Credits
This lecture and seminar course provides instruction in communication skills for the effective exchange of information with patients. Addressed in the course are patient-provider collaboration, health literacy, and communication techniques for patients across cultural and generational groups, and counseling techniques for patient education, treatment adherence, and health promotion.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
PA 543 Ethical Issues in Physician Assistant Practice 2.0 Credits
This is a lecture and seminar course addressing ethical and professional issues in Physician Assistant practice. Topics include medical ethics, ethical decision-making, professional responsibility, and commitment to patients' welfare. The link between health as a human right and medical ethics is explored.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
PA 544 Clinical Assessment 5.0 Credits
This course provides the PA student with the knowledge, demeanor, and motor skills required to professionally and proficiently elicit thorough medical histories and perform precise physical examination techniques for each body system. Accurate, organized recordings of clinical findings from patient encounters in the hospital setting are required.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Corequisite: PA 540
PA 545 Physician Assistant Practice 1.0 Credit
Physician Assistant Practice is a one (1) credit lecture course that introduces the concept, history, and future directions of the PA profession, and discusses professional practice issues and theories of leadership applicable to PA practice. Stewardship and strategies for effecting change as a leader are discussed in the context of cases applicable to PA professional settings.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
PA 546 Health Policy for Physician Assistant Practice 2.0 Credits
This course explores the US health care system and health policy issues related to the costs of health care, inequities in quality and access to care, and current US policies. The role of Physician Assistants in the health care system are examined along with issues related to malpractice, reimbursement, and quality assurance.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
PA 547 Evidence Based Medicine for Physician Assistants 3.0 Credits
This is a three (3) quarter credit course designed to introduce PA students to evidence-based medicine, epidemiologic principles and research methodologies for application to primary care clinical practice. The course content includes an overview of epidemiologic and research concepts, ethics and the roles of politics and culture in research, quantitative and qualitative research methods and designs; and levels of scientific evidence for clinical practice. Through evaluation of published research and national practice guidelines, the skills of evidence-based practice are introduced. The course is lecture-based and utilizes cooperative learning strategies to engage students in individual and group inquiry learning outside the classroom.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
PA 548 Principles of Medical Science I 2.0 Credits
This course is the first of three courses which provide the physiologic foundation for clinical courses. Emphasizing the complex nature of bodily functions, the course reviews normal physiology and provides a bridge to the concepts of pathophysiology that underlie dysfunction and disease. Clinical applications enhance understanding and introduce the skill of clinical reasoning.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 540 [Min Grade: B]
Corequisites: PA 551, PA 556, PA 559
PA 549 Principles of Medical Science II 2.0 Credits
This course is the second of three courses which provide the physiologic foundation for clinical courses. Emphasizing the complex nature of bodily functions, the course reviews normal physiology and provides a bridge to the concepts of pathophysiology that underlie dysfunction and disease. Clinical applications enhance understanding and introduce the skill of clinical reasoning.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 548 [Min Grade: B]
Corequisites: PA 552, PA 557, PA 560
PA 550 Principles of Medical Science III 2.0 Credits
This course is the last of three courses which provide the physiologic foundation for clinical courses. Emphasizing the complex nature of bodily functions, the course reviews normal physiology and provides a bridge to the concepts of pathophysiology that underlie dysfunction and disease in geriatrics, women's health, pediatrics, emergency medicine, and surgery while refining clinical reasoning skills.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 548 [Min Grade: B] and PA 549 [Min Grade: B]
Corequisites: PA 553, PA 558, PA 561
PA 551 Pharmacology and Therapeutics I 3.0 Credits
This is the first in a series of three courses to provide Physician Assistant students with basic knowledge in pharmacology and therapeutics. Principles of pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and clinical therapeutics are discussed for applications to primary care practice.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Corequisites: PA 548, PA 556, PA 559
PA 552 Pharmacology and Therapeutics II 2.0 Credits
This is the second in a series of three courses to provide Physician Assistant students with basic knowledge in pharmacology and therapeutics. Principles of pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and clinical therapeutics are discussed for applications to primary care practice.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 551 [Min Grade: B]
Corequisites: PA 549, PA 557, PA 560
PA 553 Pharmacology and Therapeutics III 2.0 Credits
The third in a series of three courses, this course provides Physician Assistant students with basic knowledge in pharmacology and therapeutics for specific patient populations. Principles of pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and clinical therapeutics across the lifespan are discussed for applications to primary care practice.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 551 [Min Grade: B] and PA 552 [Min Grade: B]
Corequisites: PA 550, PA 558, PA 561
PA 554 Biopsychosocial Issues in Patient Care 5.0 Credits
This course introduces the PA student to the biopsychosocial model of patient care. Covering topics ranging from normal psychological development and human sexuality across the lifespan to responses to stress, injury, illness, and death, the course also introduces psychiatric disorders common to primary care practice.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
PA 556 Clinical Medicine I 5.0 Credits
This is the first of two courses designed to prepare the PA student with a body-system, problem-oriented approach to diseases encountered in primary care. Discussion of the etiology, epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnostic studies for common disorders allows the PA student to problem solve through clinical reasoning.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Corequisites: PA 548, PA 551, PA 559
PA 557 Clinical Medicine II 5.0 Credits
This is the second of two courses designed to prepare the PA student with a body-system, problem-oriented approach to diseases encountered in primary care. Discussion of the etiology, epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnostic studies for common disorders allows the PA student to problem solve through clinical reasoning.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 556 [Min Grade: B]
Corequisites: PA 549, PA 552, PA 560
PA 558 Topics in Clinical Practice 5.0 Credits
The course prepares the PA student for clinical rotations though lecture and a problem-oriented approach to disorders in geriatrics, women's health, pediatrics, emergency medicine, and surgery.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 556 [Min Grade: B] and PA 557 [Min Grade: B]
Corequisites: PA 550, PA 553, PA 561
PA 559 Clinical Skills I 2.0 Credits
This is the first of three courses designed to prepare the PA student with a problem-oriented, clinical approach to the evaluation, diagnosis, and management of common primary care disorders. The course uses clinical reasoning and clinical skills application laboratories based on clinical scenarios to facilitate skill development.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 544 [Min Grade: B]
Corequisites: PA 548, PA 551, PA 556
PA 560 Clinical Skills II 2.0 Credits
This is the second in a series of three courses designed to prepare the PA student with a problem-oriented, clinical approach to the evaluation, diagnosis, and management of common primary care disorders. The course uses clinical reasoning and clinical skills application laboratories based on clinical scenarios to facilitate skill development.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 559 [Min Grade: B]
Corequisites: PA 549, PA 552, PA 557
PA 561 Clinical Skills III 4.0 Credits
This is the third in series of three courses designed to prepare the PA student with a problem oriented, clinical approach to the evaluation, diagnosis, and management of common primary care disorders. The course uses clinical reasoning and clinical skills laboratories based on clinical scenarios to facilitate skill development.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 559 [Min Grade: B] and PA 560 [Min Grade: B]
Corequisites: PA 550, PA 553, PA 558
PA 570 Clinical Assessment Competency 1.0 Credit
Clinical Assessment Competency is a required course for any PA student who experiences an interruption in the usual sequence of didactic and clinical training. The course provides the forum for the student to demonstrate competencies in knowledge and skills germane to clinical assessment requisite to patient evaluation and clinical practice.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 544 [Min Grade: B]
PA 571 Competency for Clinical Training 1.0 Credit
Competency for Clinical Training is a one-credit pass/fail course required for any physician assistant student who experiences an interruption in the usual sequence of didactic or clinical training in the program after the second quarter. The course provides the forum for the student to demonstrate competencies requisite for continued didactic and/or clinical training. The PA student undertakes supervised, independent study guided by identified areas of individual need to meet the course competencies.
Repeat Status: Can be repeated 1 times for 2 credits
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
PA 581 Research Methods and Designs 5.0 Credits
The course introduces the knowledge and skills necessary to evaluate published research for clinical practice. Topics in this web-based course are research concepts, hypotheses and questions; literature searches and reviews; ethics in research; qualitative and quantitative research methods and designs including sampling, data collection and interpretation; and levels of scientific evidence.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
PA 582 Principles of Evidence-Based Practice 5.0 Credits
With an emphasis on developing skills for clinicians to critically appraise the validity of medial literature, this online course offers a critical analysis of several types of research studies for use in clinical practice. The course requires knowledge and application of basic research and statistical concepts, and online searching skills.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 581 [Min Grade: C]
PA 583 Clinical Application of Epidemiology 5.0 Credits
This online course introduces basic terminology and concepts in epidemiology and develops knowledge for application of evidence-based health promotion strategies to clinical practice. The leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States are discussed in conjunction with recommendations for health promotion across the lifespan and population groups.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
PA 584 Health Policy 5.0 Credits
This web-based course explores health policy issues relating to the cost of health care and disparities in access and quality of care, and strategies to address the deficiencies in the US health care system. Each student critiques a health policy imperative and proposes solutions to remedy the issues identified in the critique.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
PA 585 Leadership and Stewardship 5.0 Credits
Key concepts of leadership with a focus on servant and visionary leadership are discussed in this online course. Stewardship and strategies for effecting change as a leader are explored through cases applicable to professional settings. Synthesis of course content is evidenced in the compilation of a professional leadership portfolio.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
PA 629 Internal Medicine Rotation 5.0 Credits
The Internal Medicine Rotation is a clinical course that provides the PA student with adult patient care experience under the supervision of a licensed medical practitioner. Students apply knowledge and skills learned in the didactic year to patient evaluation, and begin to apply patient management strategies to patients in an assigned clinical setting.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 550 [Min Grade: B] and PA 553 [Min Grade: B] and PA 558 [Min Grade: B] and PA 561 [Min Grade: B] and PA 546 [Min Grade: B]
PA 630 Pediatrics Rotation 5.0 Credits
The Pediatrics Rotation is a clinical course that provides the PA student with pediatric patient care experience under the supervision of a licensed medical practitioner. Students apply knowledge and skills learned in the didactic year to patient evaluation, and begin to apply patient management strategies to patients in an assigned clinical setting.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 550 [Min Grade: B] and PA 553 [Min Grade: B] and PA 558 [Min Grade: B] and PA 561 [Min Grade: B] and PA 546 [Min Grade: B]
PA 631 Women's Health Rotation 5.0 Credits
The Women’s Health rotation is a clinical course that provides the student with prenatal and gynecological patient care experience under the supervision of a licensed medical provider. Students apply knowledge and skills leaned in the didactic year to patient evaluation and begin to apply patient management strategies to patients in an assigned clinical setting.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 550 [Min Grade: B] and PA 553 [Min Grade: B] and PA 558 [Min Grade: B] and PA 561 [Min Grade: B] and PA 546 [Min Grade: B]
PA 632 Behavioral Medicine Rotation 5.0 Credits
The Behavioral Medicine Rotation is a clinical course that provides the PA student with psychiatric/behavioral health patient care experience under the supervision of a licensed medical practitioner. Students apply knowledge and skills learned in the didactic year to patient evaluation, and begin to apply patient management strategies to patients in an assigned clinical setting.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 550 [Min Grade: B] and (PA 553 [Min Grade: B] and PA 558 [Min Grade: B] and PA 561 [Min Grade: B] and PA 546 [Min Grade: B])
PA 633 Surgery Rotation 5.0 Credits
The Surgery Rotation is a clinical course that provides the PA student with surgical patient care experience under the supervision of a licensed medical practitioner. Students apply knowledge and skills learned in the didactic year to patient evaluation, and begin to apply patient management strategies to patients in an assigned clinical setting.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 550 [Min Grade: B] and (PA 553 [Min Grade: B] and PA 558 [Min Grade: B] and PA 561 [Min Grade: B] and PA 546 [Min Grade: B])
PA 634 Emergency Medicine Rotation 5.0 Credits
The Emergency Medicine Rotation for the clinical phase PA student provides experiential learning opportunities to a wide variety of emergency health care problems in an emergency department setting and to understand the principles of emergency medicine. Students are introduced to medical and surgical problems commonly encountered in the emergency department setting. The emphasis is on gaining outpatient procedural skills, triage patients, and learning to recognize and begin treatment of emergent medical and surgical problems.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 550 [Min Grade: B] and PA 553 [Min Grade: B] and PA 558 [Min Grade: B] and PA 561 [Min Grade: B] and PA 546 [Min Grade: B]
PA 635 Primary Care Practicum I 10.0 Credits
The Primary Care Practicum I is a clinical course that provides the PA student with patient care experience in an ambulatory medicine setting under the supervision of a licensed medical practitioner. Students refine clinical skills learned in preparation for practice and increase knowledge of disease mechanisms and patient management for common primary care disorders.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 629 [Min Grade: B] and PA 630 [Min Grade: B] and PA 631 [Min Grade: B] and PA 632 [Min Grade: B] and PA 633 [Min Grade: B] and PA 634 [Min Grade: B]
PA 636 Graduate Project I 3.0 Credits
Graduate Project I is a three (3) credit course intended to prepare the graduate candidate for the development of a project that is related to the candidate’s research interests. The Graduate Project provides students with the opportunity to creatively address a proven deficiency in the realms of clinical medicine, educational medicine (patient or medical provider material), or any other area that will further the student’s and the profession’s knowledge and/or resource base.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 547 [Min Grade: B] (Can be taken Concurrently)
PA 637 Primary Care Practicum II 10.0 Credits
The Primary Care Practicum II is a clinical course in which PA students continue to progress to higher levels of clinical responsibility for patient evaluation and management as clinical skills, medical knowledge, and professional confidence coalesce under the supervision of licensed medical providers. This course is the final clinical experience in the PA professional training program.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 635 [Min Grade: B]
PA 638 Graduate Project II 3.0 Credits
Graduate Project II is a three (3) credit course sequenced after the Graduate Project I course in which the graduate student further develops and implements the project proposed in the Graduate Project I course. Continued review and critique of the literature related to the topic area are required to expound the project. The student works with a faculty advisor who will provide guidance and feedback.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 636 [Min Grade: B]
PA 640 Clinical Practicum 5.0-10.0 Credits
Clinical Practicum is an elective clinical course that provides a forum for a PA student to acquire knowledge and clinical experience in a clinical specialty after completion of the required entry-level Physician Assistant Program curriculum. Through supervised clinical practice and review of current related literature, the PA student will develop foundational clinical skills and knowledge in the subspecialty studied.
Repeat Status: Can be repeated 2 times for 20 credits
Prerequisites: PA 637 [Min Grade: C] and PA 638 [Min Grade: C]
PA 641 Clinical Update 5.0 Credits
This web-based course explores recent advances in clinical knowledge and recommendations for clinical practice, and develops the student's lifelong learning skills. The student undertakes a broad review of clinical medicine and identifies areas for enhancement of clinical knowledge and skills through the use of reputable electronic information sources.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 582 [Min Grade: C]
PA 642 Clinical Colloquium 5.0 Credits
In this online didactic course the student explores a clinical specialty through use of current, reputable information sources. The student identifies a clinical topics for in-depth study, and with faculty guidance uses critical appraisal of current literature for enhancement of knowledge in the topic, and application to the capstone project.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 641 [Min Grade: C]
PA 643 Clinical Practice Project Research 5.0 Credits
Working with an assigned advisor, the student reviews and catalogues the published literature related to the clinical practice project topic. The student composes a literature review and gap analysis, and critically appraises articles as the foundation for the design and outline of the capstone project proposal within this course.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 642 [Min Grade: C]
PA 661 Tenets of Health Promotion 5.0 Credits
College/Department: College of Nursing & Health Professions
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 583 [Min Grade: C]
PA 662 Health Promotion Materials 5.0 Credits
In this online course, knowledge from the Health Promotion course is applied to the review of national health promotion campaigns, and the design of a theory-driven, audience-centered health promotion proposal. Topics essential to the design of effective health promotion campaigns such as health literacy, cultural competency, and the challenges presented by special population groups are explored.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 661 [Min Grade: C]
PA 663 Health Promotion Project Research 5.0 Credits
Working with an assigned advisor, the student reviews and catalogues the published literature related to the health promotion project topic. The student composes a literature review and gap analysis, and critically appraises articles as the foundation for the design and outline of the capstone project proposal within this course.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 582 [Min Grade: C] and PA 662 [Min Grade: C]
PA 680 Summative Remediation 1.0 Credit
Summative Remediation is one credit course which provides an intensive review of major topics covered in the didactic and clinical phases of the PA program for any PA student who has not achieved minimum passing grades on two administrations of the Summative Examination /OSCE.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 637 [Min Grade: C]
PA 695 Portfolio Preparation 1.0 Credit
Working with an assigned advisor, this course assists the student document significant professional experience as a clinician, researcher, leader, and/or advocate in the preparation of a professional portfolio. Approval of the Program Director is required for course registration.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 581 [Min Grade: C] and PA 582 [Min Grade: C] and PA 583 [Min Grade: C] and PA 584 [Min Grade: C] and PA 585 [Min Grade: C]
Corequisite: PA 696
PA 696 Portfolio Review 5.0-10.0 Credits
The Portfolio Review is conducted by a multi-disciplinary Portfolio Review Committee to award 5-10 academic credits for learning substantiated in the professional portfolio and matched to the educational competencies and outcomes of the Program. The portfolio must demonstrate analysis, synthesis, and interpretation of the professional experiential learning and be substantiated by documentation.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Corequisite: PA 695
PA 697 Independent Study 3.0-6.0 Credits
Independent Study is a variable (3-6) credit course in which the student works with in assigned advisor to review and catalogue the published literature related to the cognate topic of interest. The student composes a literature review and gap analysis, and critically appraises articles as the basis for the design and outline of the capstone project proposal within this course.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 582 [Min Grade: C]
PA 698 Capstone Project 5.0 Credits
Working with an assigned advisor, the student develops, implements, and evaluates the literature-based capstone project designed within the cognate courses. Continued critical analysis of the literature related to the project is required to fulfill the goals of the project to advance dissemination of medical knowledge and quality of care.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Restrictions: Can enroll if major is PA.
Prerequisites: PA 643 [Min Grade: C] or PA 663 [Min Grade: C] or PA 697 [Min Grade: C]
PA 810 Clinical Applications of Geriatric Physiology 5.0 Credits
College/Department: College of Nursing & Health Professions
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
PA 811 Geriatrics I 5.0 Credits
College/Department: College of Nursing & Health Professions
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: PA 810 [Min Grade: B]
PA 812 Geriatrics II 5.0 Credits
College/Department: College of Nursing & Health Professions
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: PA 811 [Min Grade: B]
PA 819 Geriatrics Clinical Practicum 3.0-10.0 Credits
College/Department: College of Nursing & Health Professions
Repeat Status: Can be repeated 2 times for 30 credits
Prerequisites: PA 812 [Min Grade: B]
