MS in Physician Assistant Studies Curriculum
Curriculum
Students in ODU's Physician Assistant Studies Program divide their time between the classroom, lab, and clinical sites.
During the first 15 months of the program, students spend their time in the classroom and lab, in what's known as the didactic phase. Students are taught by full-time, clinical and research experienced PA faculty as well as adjunct professors and guest lecturers from multiple disciplines.
The following 12 months are spent in various clinical sites using a medical apprenticeship
model. Near the end of the clinical phase, students participate in an intensive board
review course to prepare for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination
(PANCE) and clinical practice.
The PA Program curriculum is subject to change in order to best meet the needs of the physician assistant profession and the student.
The first four semesters of ODU's PA Program consist of didactic and laboratory coursework
in the basic and clinical sciences, including a full semester course in anatomy with
cadaver dissection.
Additionally, students receive instruction in basic sciences to better understand
clinical medicine. These include courses such as physiology, pathophysiology, genetics,
microbiology and immunology.
- For more information on Program Learning Outcomes and Competencies, please see PA Program Policy and Procedures Student Handbook.
Note that the curriculum is subject to change at the discretion of faculty.
View Didactic Course Descriptions
| Didactic Year Courses 15 Months / 70 Semester Hours |
Credits |
|---|---|
| Fall (Semester 1) Aug. - Dec. | |
| PAS 510 The Physician Assistant Profession | 1 |
| PAS 520 Gross Human Anatomy | 4 |
| PAS 530 Physical Diagnosis I: Effective Patient Communication | 2 |
| PAS 563 Medical Physiology | 2 |
| PAS 566 Human Genetics | 2 |
| PAS 652 Public Health & Nutritional Concepts | 2 |
| PAS 663 Pathophysiology | 3 |
| Spring (Semester 2) Jan. - May | |
| PAS 527 Microbiology & Immunology | 3 |
| PAS 601 Clinical Medicine I | 7 |
| PAS 630 Physical Diagnosis II | 4 |
| PAS 660 Diagnostic Methods | 3 |
| PAS 670 Pharmacology I | 3 |
| PAS 890 Experimental Clinical Preparation I | 1 |
| Summer (Semester 3) June - Aug. | |
| PAS 702 Clinical Medicine II: Emergency Medicine | 3 |
| PAS 704 Clinical Medicine II: Women's Health & Pediatrics | 4 |
| PAS 730 Physical Diagnosis III | 4 |
| PAS 770 Pharmacology II | 3 |
| PAS 773 Research Methods | 1 |
| PAS 810 Ethics, Health Systems, Law & Policy | 1 |
| PAS 891 Experimental Clinical Preparation II | 1 |
| Fall (Semester 4) Aug. - Dec. | |
| PAS 703 Clinical Medicine II: Surgery | 2 |
| PAS 706 Primary Care | 3 |
| PAS 807 Practical Clinical Skills | 4 |
| PAS 830 Diverse & Vulnerable Patient Populations in Health Care | 1 |
| PAS 840 Clinical Decisions | 3 |
| PAS 880 Behavioral Health & Illness | 2 |
| PAS 892 Experimental Clinical Preparation III | 1 |
| Total Credits Required | 70 |
The clinical phase of the program lasts 12 months and consists of seven core rotations and four non-core rotations, plus a Transition to Practice course, which includes various professional practice and clinical assessments.
- For more information, please see PA Program Policy and Procedures Student Handbook.
View Clinical Course/Rotation Descriptions
| Clinical Year Rotations 12 Months / 24 Semester Hours |
Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Core Rotations | |
| PAS 901 Family Medicine | 2 |
| PAS 902 Emergency Medicine | 2 |
| PAS 903 Internal Medicine | 2 |
| PAS 904 Women’s Health | 2 |
| PAS 905 Pediatrics | 2 |
| PAS 906 Surgery | 2 |
| PAS 907 Behavioral Medicine | 2 |
| Non-Core Rotations | |
| PAS 909 Non-Core Rotation I | 2 |
| PAS 910 Non-Core Rotation II | 2 |
| PAS 911 Non-Core Rotation III | 2 |
| PAS 912 Non-Core Rotation IV | 2 |
| Professional Development | |
| PAS 950 Transition to Practice | 2 |
| Total Credits Required | 24 |
| TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED FOR THE MSPAS PROGRAM | 94 |
During clinical rotations, students are required to return to campus for various assessments,
presentations, and professional practice activities. Students are required to complete
appropriate logging and evaluation forms as delineated in each syllabus and written
assignments as assigned.
Additionally, near the end of the clinical phase, students will participate in an
intensive board review course to better prepare for the Physician Assistant National
Certifying Examination (PANCE) and clinical practice.
Students are required to complete all 11 clinical rotations. Students will be expected
to travel to various rotation sites. While the majority of the clinical sites are
in Central Ohio, some may require travel throughout the state and rarely beyond. Students
are responsible for all travel expenses (e.g., housing , travel and food) to and from
their assigned clinical rotation site. The program determines all rotation assignments.
Students are not required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors.
Physician Assistant Studies
Lisa Mergler and Chad Coon share why they chose to pursue their Master's Degree in Physician Assistant Studies at Ohio Dominican University.