Gather Here. Go Far

NSU is where success begins. Here professors know their subjects and how to get you ready for a career after you graduate. We empower individuals to become socially responsible global citizens by creating and sustaining a culture of learning and discovery.

Gather Here. Go Far

NSU is where success begins. Here professors know their subjects and how to get you ready for a career after you graduate. We empower individuals to become socially responsible global citizens by creating and sustaining a culture of learning and discovery.

Gather Here. Go Far

NSU is where success begins. Here professors know their subjects and how to get you ready for a career after you graduate. We empower individuals to become socially responsible global citizens by creating and sustaining a culture of learning and discovery.

Gather Here. Go Far

NSU is where success begins. Here professors know their subjects and how to get you ready for a career after you graduate. We empower individuals to become socially responsible global citizens by creating and sustaining a culture of learning and discovery.

Gather Here. Go Far

NSU is where success begins. Here professors know their subjects and how to get you ready for a career after you graduate. We empower individuals to become socially responsible global citizens by creating and sustaining a culture of learning and discovery.

Physician Assistant Studies Curriculum

CURRICULUM

PA Students in anatomy labThe Master of Physician Assistant Studies curriculum is designed to give students the knowledge, skill, and confidence to care for a wide range of patients in varied settings. Your studies begin with four semesters of high-intensity lecture and bedside demonstration focused on science, concepts of health care and disease, and medical history and physical examination skills. In the first semester, students will concentrate on basic sciences and professional practice issues. In subsequent semesters, the emphasis shifts to a systems-based curriculum in clinical medicine, associated clinical sciences, and pharmacology. After successfully completing the didactic phase, students will participate in eight clinical rotations in various disciplines of medical practice. Emphasis is placed on providing healthcare in more individualized rural settings. This comprehensive clinical curriculum includes rotations in emergency medicine, family medicine, behavioral health, internal medicine, women's health, pediatrics, surgery, and an elective rotation. The curriculum is sequenced to create an effective and efficient path for learning. Through this curriculum, the program assures graduates will be competent practitioners of medicine. In accordance with the program's policies and procedures, students are not required to obtain clinical rotation sites or acquire their own structured clinical practice experiences (SCPE). Structured clinical practice experiences (clinical rotations) are provided by the program as components of the clinical education curriculum. ** 

See the Degree Plan = Total Program Hours: 110

Didactic Phase - October

Fall Semester I 11 credit hrs.
(Second 8-week session)

  • PAS 5003 PA Practice, Policy, and Ethics
  • PAS 5015 Clinical Anatomy
  • PAS 5023 Medical Physiology

Spring Semester I 22 credit hrs.

  • PAS 5113 Clinical Assessment and Counseling I
  • PAS 5213 Lab Medicine and Radiologic Principles I
  • PAS 5218 Clinical Medicine I
  • PAS 5253 Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics I
  • PAS 5333 PAS 5333 Diversity and Population Health
  • PAS 5551 Interprofessional Education
  • PAS 5611 Pathophysiology I

Summer Semester I 20 credit hrs.

  • PAS 5123 Clinical Assessment and Counseling II
  • PAS 5223 Lab Medicine and Radiologic Principles II
  • PAS 5226 Clinical Medicine II
  • PAS 5273 Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics II
  • PAS 5313 Medical Practice Management
  • PAS 5551 Interprofessional Education
  • PAS 5631 Pathophysiology II

Fall Semester II 22 credit hrs.

  • PAS 5133 Clinical Assessment and Counseling III
  • PAS 5233 Lab Medicine and Radiologic Principles III
  • PAS 5238 Clinical Medicine III
  • PAS 5293 Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics III
  • PAS 5302 Evidence-Based Medicine & Research
  • PAS 5501 Advanced Clinical Procedures
  • PAS 5651 Pathophysiology III
  • PAS 5551 Interprofessional Education
  • PAS 5910 Special Studies for Physician Assistant Students-Didactic (1-8 credit hrs.)*
    (offered each semester)

Clinical Phase*

Spring Semester 12 credit hrs.

  • Three clinical rotations

Summer Semester 8 credit hrs.

  • Two clinical rotations

Fall Semester 15 credit hrs.

  • Three clinical rotations
  • PAS 5993 Summative Seminar
  • PAS 5920 Special Studies for Physician Assistant Students-Clinical (1-4 credit hrs.) * (offered each semester)

*Enrollment needed as part of a remediation plan.

Six-Week Rotations (offered each clinical year semester)

  • PAS 5704 - Internal Medicine Rotation
  • PAS 5714 - General Surgery Rotation
  • PAS 5724 - Pediatrics Rotation
  • PAS 5734 - Women's Health Rotation
  • PAS 5744 - Behavioral Health Rotation
  • PAS 5754 - Emergency Medicine Rotation
  • PAS 5764 - Family Medicine Rotation
  • PAS 5804 - Elective Rotation

Didactic year: 75 credit hours/25 courses

Clinical Year: 35 credit hours/9 courses required

Total Credit Hrs.: 110 credit hrs.

OSHRE approved for the 2020-2021 academic year

Courses Offered

Students will learn the historical perspective of the Physician Assistant profession, as well as an investigation of current trends and political issues including those of interprofessional teams and the PA-physician relationship. Intellectual honesty, medical ethics, academic and professional conduct are covered. The course introduces PA students to Physician Assistant professional organizations, requirements for PA licensure, certification and credentialing, and laws & regulations governing the practice of medicine by PAs. This course will also address health care delivery systems and health care policy that are prevalent to those practicing within the profession. There will be instruction in patient safety, quality improvement, prevention of medical errors and risk management.

The student will learn human anatomy in order to comprehend normal and abnormal conditions encountered by the practicing physician assistant. Organ systems covered in this course of study include musculoskeletal, neurological, genitourinary, gastrointestinal, integumentary, and cardiopulmonary. Biomechanical function, topographic and radiographic correlations, and clinical applications are emphasized. An in-depth understanding of the gross anatomy of the human body is obtained through lecture and cadaver dissection.

Students will expand their view of human physiology, building on basic undergraduate physiology. Students will attain a clear understanding of the basic physiologic principles that are responsible for normal function in different organs and organ systems.

Students will develop fundamental patient assessment skills. Focus is on critical thinking, problem solving, and medical decision-making, through patient interviewing, performance of organ-specific and comprehensive physical examination, case presentation, and an introduction to medical documentation that will align with the concentrations presented in Clinical Medicine I. The student will learn and practice principles of patient evaluation, diagnosis, patient education, and counseling. The course will be taught by a series of lectures followed by group study.

Students will enhance their fundamental patient assessment skills. Focus is on critical thinking, problem solving, and medical decision-making, through patient interviewing, performance of organ-specific and comprehensive physical examination, case presentation, and medical documentation that will align with the concentrations presented in Clinical Medicine II. The student will learn and practice principles of patient evaluation, diagnosis, patient education, and counseling. The course will be taught by a series of lectures followed by group study.

Students will enhance their fundamental patient assessment skills. Focus is on critical thinking, problem solving, and medical decision-making, through patient interviewing, performance of organ-specific and comprehensive physical examination, case presentation, and medical documentation that will align with the concentrations presented in Clinical Medicine III. The student will learn and practice principles of patient evaluation, diagnosis, patient education, and counseling. The course will be taught by a series of lectures followed by group study.

Students will learn the fundamentals of diagnostic clinical reasoning through appropriate laboratory testing and provide an understanding of the principles, indications, and interpretations of various radiologic imaging modalities. Material covered in this course aligns with the concentrations presented in Clinical Medicine I.

Students master the underlying pathophysiology, clinical presentation, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and management of common diseases by an organ systems approach with a focus on the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and attitudes requisite for the successful clinician caring for patients across the lifespan. Topics also include genetic and molecular mechanisms of health and disease. Clinical Medicine I is the initial course in a series of three courses introducing students to conditions and disease states commonly evaluated in the practice of medicine.

Students will master the underlying pathophysiology, clinical presentation, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and management of common diseases by an organ systems approach with a focus on the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are requisite for the successful clinician caring for patients across the lifespan. Clinical Medicine II is the second course in a series of three courses introducing the student to various conditions and disease states commonly evaluated in the practice of medicine. Topics will also include an understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms of health and disease.

Students master the underlying pathophysiology, clinical presentation, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and management of common diseases by an organ systems approach with a focus on the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and attitudes requisite for the successful clinician caring for patients across the lifespan. Topics also include genetic and molecular mechanisms of health and disease. Clinical Medicine II is the second course in a series of three courses introducing students to various conditions and disease states commonly evaluated in the practice of medicine.

Students will master the fundamentals of diagnostic clinical reasoning through appropriate laboratory testing and provide an understanding of the principles, indications, and interpretations of various radiologic imaging modalities. Material covered in this course aligns with the medicine topics presented in Clinical Medicine III.

Students master the underlying pathophysiology, clinical presentation, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and management of common diseases by an organ systems approach with a focus on the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and attitudes requisite for the successful clinician caring for patients across the lifespan. Topics also include genetic and molecular mechanisms of health and disease. Clinical Medicine III the final course in the Clinical Medicine series introducing the student to various conditions and disease states commonly evaluated in the practice of medicine.

Students are introduced to pharmacology and therapeutic management of disease. Students master the general principles of pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, and therapeutics with an emphasis on the rational use of drugs in the care and treatment of pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients in the primary care setting. Topics include discussion of treatment guidelines, indications, contraindications, drug law, drug information resources and case studies. This course is the first in a series of three courses emphasizing the PAs role in drug therapy.

Students continue their study of pharmacology and therapeutic management of disease. Students master the general principles of pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, and therapeutics with an emphasis on the rational use of drugs in the care and treatment of pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients in the primary care setting. Topics include discussion of treatment guidelines, indications, contraindications, drug law, drug information resources and case studies. This course is the second in a series of three courses emphasizing the PA's role in drug therapy.

Students will learn general principles of pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, and therapeutics. Emphasis will be placed on the rational use of drugs in the care and treatment of pediatric, adult and geriatric patients in various clinical settings. This is the final course in a series of three courses in pharmacology and therapeutic management of disease, emphasizing the PA's role in drug therapy. The course will include discussion of treatment guidelines, indications, contraindications, drug law, drug information resources and case studies.

Students learn methods to search, interpret, and critically evaluate medical literature, including its application to individualized patient care. Using common medical databases to access medical literature, students develop critical, current, and operational knowledge of new medical findings required for the prevention and treatment of disease. Topics include a review of basic statistics and their application to evidence-based theory pertaining to epidemiology, public health, and the practice of clinical medicine.

Students become familiar with office and hospital management, documentation of care and coding, medical billing, reimbursement, insurance, and healthcare organizational models and health care delivery systems, all of which contribute to the complexities of medical practice management. Students explore issues related to patient safety, quality improvement, prevention of medical errors, and risk management. Challenges faced in deploying medical care in the rural setting are emphasized.

Students engage in critical thinking regarding ethical, cultural, and social issues concerning health, medical practice, access to health care and public policy. By considering the impact of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic health disparities, students will become better prepared to provide care to patients from diverse populations. Students are introduced to concepts of public health related to the role of the practicing physician assistant, including instruction in the public health system and the role of health care providers in disease prevention, surveillance, reporting, and intervention to maintain population health. Students examine issues of caring for underserved populations with cultural sensitivity while developing cultural competency to treat patients from diverse populations with an emphasis on American Indian health care. Students practice and improve professional communication, basic counseling, and patient education skills that are patient-centered, culturally sensitive, and focused on helping patients cope with illness, injury, and stress, adhere to prescribed treatment plans, and modify their behaviors to a more healthful pattern.

The student will learn values and ethics for interprofessional practice by working with individuals from other professions in an interdisciplinary practice setting to maintain a climate of mutual respect and shared values. Students will learn the roles and responsibilities of their own profession as well as those from other professions to appropriately assess and address the health care needs of patients and to promote and advance population health. Students will also develop interprofessional communication skills by working with patients, families, and health professionals. The student will also apply relationship-building values and principles of team dynamics to perform effectively in different team roles to plan, deliver, and evaluate patient/population-centered care and population health programs and policies that are safe, timely, efficient, effective and equitable.

The student will learn the fundamental concepts of disease, how diseases affect the normal functioning of the body and how the body attempts to counteract the effects of disease processes, encompassing both general pathology and systemic pathology across the lifespan. Material covered in this course aligns with the concentrations presented in Clinical Medicine I.

The student will master the fundamental concepts of disease, how diseases affect the normal functioning of the body and how the body attempts to counteract the effects of disease processes, encompassing both general pathology and systemic pathology across the lifespan. Material covered in this course aligns with the concentrations presented in Clinical Medicine II

Students will master the fundamental concepts of disease, how diseases affect the normal functioning of the body and how the body attempts to counteract the effects of disease processes, encompassing both general pathology and systemic pathology across the lifespan. Material covered in this course aligns with the concentrations presented in Clinical Medicine III.

Students learn foundational and practical aspects of the practice of internal medicine and gain familiarity with the care of the adult patients in inpatient and outpatient settings. Students gain foundational knowledge of common diseases that affect adult populations with special emphasis on the unique challenges faced in the rural health care setting.

Students are assigned to a licensed general surgeon or PA preceptor working within the surgeon's practice. During this SCPE, students gain foundational knowledge and skills related to the presentation and management of emergent, acute, and elective surgical conditions, conditions requiring surgery across the lifespan, and the delivery of pre-, intra-, and post-operative care.

Students are assigned to a licensed pediatrician or PA preceptor working with a pediatrician. During this SCPE, students gain foundational knowledge and skills related to the presentation and management of acute and minor illnesses, health maintenance visits, and chronic conditions encountered in the pediatric setting.

Students learn foundational and practical aspects of the practice of obstetrics and gynecology and gain familiarity with the care of the female patient in inpatient and outpatient settings. Students gain foundational knowledge and skills related to common diseases that affect females with special emphasis on the unique challenges faced in the rural health care setting.

Students are assigned to an experienced mental health practitioner. During this experience, students gain foundational knowledge and skills related to the diagnosis and management of patients with mental health conditions.

Students experience gain experience in medical and surgical triage, hone clinical thinking skills, and develop the ability work effectively under stressful conditions. Throughout the course of this SCPE, students observe, participate, and interact with the ED provider and staff to evaluate critically ill and injured patients through the collection of historical, physical, and laboratory/radiographic data, formulate differential diagnoses, and discuss treatment modalities.

Students learn how the specialty of family medicine integrates the biological, clinical, and behavioral sciences to provide continuing and comprehensive health care for patients of all genders and ages in outpatient and inpatient settings. Students gain foundational knowledge and skills related to common diseases encountered in family medicine, with special emphasis on the unique challenges faced in the rural health care setting. The student learn the importance of continuity of care and how to coordinate that care with all members of the healthcare team. Students practice skills in family education to meet health care goals, health care promotion, and disease prevention.

The student will participate in a SCPE setting of his/her choosing. The SCPE selection may be based on a desire to gain additional experience in a medical discipline, be able to learn alongside a potential employer, or to gain experience in a discipline the student knows will not likely offer itself again in his/her career.

A student will increase knowledge where determined to have deficiencies in a specific didactic area and who need to remediate this curriculum component, or for whom a special assignment or remediation required by special circumstances will be supportive to his/her preparation for the clinical year of training and/or for meeting graduation requirements. The particular curricular requirements will be set by the Physician Assistant Program Student Progress Committee.

The student may participate in this course as an individualized mechanism of study to remedy deficiencies in a specific clinical area. It may also be used to provide special assignments or remediation required by special circumstances as determined by the Student Progress Committee.

The student will complete their educational experience at NSU by demonstrating in a summative fashion their ability to address a patient complaint in an OSCE format, ability to perform at a satisfactory level on an MCQ exam over material presented during their tenure in the PA program, and present findings from a POEM-structured research project. Although not a component of the summative examination process, for Board prep, students will also be administered the PACKRAT and/or PAEA Summative exam and practice exams from the NCCPA.