|
The Masters Program is 24 months in length. The Program begins in late May of Year 1 and ends in May of Year 3. Prior to beginning the program, students participate in a week-long, on campus orientation preparing them for the many components of on-line course work.
The first two semesters consist entirely of on-line courses in basic sciences and other health care topics needed by the PA student. These begin in June following the orientation, and continue through December. While the course work is all on-line, there are scheduled dates and times for on-line tests and/or phone conferences.
In January, the clinical portion of the program begins. For the next year, the student will be coming to the UND campus on 4 separate occasions. Lengths of these sessions (didactic instruction) vary each time from 3 to 5 weeks. Each didactic is followed by supervised clinical time with their primary preceptor in the students’ home states. The didactics and the clinical experiences are conducted on a rotating basis with each didactic session followed by a clinical phase. This allows students to develop clinical competencies on a more individualized basis and provides for correlation of didactic instruction and clinical experience.
During this time the student also completes additional on line-courses in evidence-based medicine and PA Role.
The final semester consists of 12 weeks of specialty clerkship clinical rotations, completion of a scholarly project, and a final three weeks on campus for testing, review, and additional instruction on office practice and management.
During the clinical phases, a program faculty member serving as advisor communicates with the student/ preceptor team to monitor specific areas of experience needed by the student to meet the educational goals of the Program and to facilitate role development. This is done by site visit, video conferencing and/or conference calling. The Program is individualized as much as possible to meet the needs of the individual student.
Throughout the Program, computer technology is used extensively. Prior to beginning the Program, students need to have a working knowledge of the use of e-mail, including sending attachments, and navigation within the world-wide-web with the use of search engines.
The Program is competency-based, that is, in order to graduate, each student must be able to demonstrate competencies in performing patient assessment and patient management functions, successfully complete comprehensive testing, and have completed a research project.
Required Courses
PA 501 Medical Terminology, Part I
|
1 credit
|
PA 502 Medical Terminology, Part II
|
1 credit |
PA 505 Anatomy Review, Part I
|
2 credits
|
PA 506 Anatomy Review, Part II
|
2 credits |
PA 510 Pathophysiology for the Physician Assistant, Part I
|
3 credits |
PA 511 Pathophysiology for the Physician Assistant, Part II
|
3 credits |
PA 515 Investigative Studies
|
3 credits
|
PA 516 Intro to Basic EKG’s
|
1 credit |
PA 517 Introduction to Pharmacology
|
1 credit
|
PA 520 Evidence Based Medicine I
|
2 credits
|
PA 525 Evidence Based Medicine II
|
2 credits |
PA 540 Primary Care I
|
8 credits
|
PA 541 Primary Care I Clinical
|
4 credits |
PA 550 Primary Care II
|
8 credits
|
PA 551 Primary Care II Clinical
|
6 credits
|
PA 560 Primary Care III
|
8 credits
|
PA 561 Primary Care III Clinical
|
4 credits
|
PA 565 PA Role
|
3 credits
|
PA 580 Specialty Clerkships
|
1-8 credits |
PA 585 Current Trends and Issues
|
2 credits
|
PA 995 Scholarly Project
|
2 credits
|
Total Required Credits |
72 credits |
|
|
[ back to top ]
PROGRAM AT A GLANCE
| |
2010 |
|
|
2011 |
|
|
2012 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| J |
|
|
J |
Online: |
|
|
J |
PA 580 (1/2-4/13) |
PA 995 |
|
| |
|
|
|
PA 516 Intro Basic EKG (1/3-6/3) |
|
|
Specialty |
Scholarly |
|
| |
|
|
|
PA 517 Intro to Pharm (1/3-6/3) |
|
|
|
Clerkships |
Project |
|
| |
|
|
|
PA 565 PA Role (1/3/2011-5/11/2012) |
|
|
|
|
|
| F |
|
|
|
Class (4 weeks) |
PA 585 Current |
|
F |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
F |
PA 540 (1/24-2/18) |
Trends & Issues |
|
|
|
Online: |
|
| |
|
|
|
Primary Care I |
(1/3/2011-5/11/2012) |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Online: |
|
|
|
PA 565 |
|
| M |
|
|
|
PA 541 (2/22-4/25) |
PA 520 (2/14-5/6) |
|
M |
|
*PA Role |
|
| |
|
|
M |
PC I Clinical |
Evidence Based |
|
|
|
(cont.) |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Medicine I |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
PA 585 |
|
| A |
|
|
A |
|
|
|
A |
12 weeks |
*Current |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Study Week (4/16-4/20) |
Trends & |
|
| |
|
|
|
9 weeks |
|
|
|
Class (3 weeks) |
Issues |
|
| |
|
|
|
Class (5 weeks) |
|
|
|
(4/23-5/11) |
(cont.) |
|
| M |
|
|
M |
PA 550 (4/27-5/27) |
|
|
M |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Primary Care II |
|
|
|
Graduation |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Orientation (5/24-5/28) |
|
|
PA 551 (5/31-8/26) |
Online: |
|
|
|
|
|
| J |
Online: (6/1-8/23) |
|
J |
PC II Clinical |
PA 525 (5/23-9/16) |
|
|
COLOR CODES: |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Evidence Based |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
PA 501 |
|
|
|
Medicine II |
|
|
*Course integrated throughout Summer & Fall 2010
Summer Semester |
|
| |
Med Term I |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| J |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
PA 505 |
|
J |
Vacation (7/4-7/8) |
|
|
|
*Courses concurrent throughout
ALL Primary Care Courses & Specialty Clerkships |
|
| |
Anatomy I |
|
|
Clinicals continue |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
and includes |
|
|
|
|
| A |
PA 510 |
|
A |
ER Clerkship |
|
|
|
On-line courses |
|
| |
Pathophysiology I |
|
|
of 2 weeks |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
12 weeks |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Vacation (8/24-27) |
|
|
Study Week (8/29-9/2) |
|
|
|
Didactic/Class at UND Campus |
|
| S |
Online: (8/30-12/20) |
|
S |
Vacation (9/5-9/9) |
|
|
|
|
| |
PA 502 |
|
|
Class (4 weeks) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Med Term II |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
PA 560 (9/12-10/7) |
|
|
|
Clinical Preceptorship
in Home Community |
|
| O |
PA 506 |
|
O |
Primary Care III |
|
|
|
|
| |
Anatomy II |
|
|
PA 561 (10/11-12/19) |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
PC III Clinical |
|
|
|
|
| |
PA 511 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Scholarly Project |
|
| N |
Pathophysiology II |
|
N |
Clinicals continue and |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
include 2 weeks of |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
PA 515* |
|
|
Hospital |
|
|
|
Vacation Time |
|
| |
Investigative |
|
|
Clerkship |
|
|
|
|
| D |
Studies |
|
D |
10 weeks |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Vacation (12/21-12/31) |
|
|
Vacation (12/20-12/30) |
|
|
|
Study Week |
|
[ back to top ] |
COURSE CONTENT: REQUIRED COURSES
501. Medical Terminology, Part I. 1 credit. Prerequisite: Enrolled in Physician Assistant Program. One of two successive courses, this online, self directed course begins the review of medical terminology in preparation for the clinical phase of the program, especially physical assessment, and medical charting.
502. Medical Terminology, Part II. 1 credit. Prerequisite: Successful completion of PA 501. Part two of this online, self-directed course continues the review of the basic principles of medical terminology in preparation for the clinical phase of the program, especially physical assessment and medical charting.
505. Anatomy Review I 2 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program. One of two successive courses, this on-line, self directed course begins the review of the basic principles of anatomy in preparation for the clinical phase of the program, especially physical assessment, medical interviewing, and medical charting.
506. Anatomy Review II. 2 credits. Prerequisite: Successful completion of PA 505. Part II of this on-line, self directed course continues the review of the basic principles of anatomy in preparation for the clinical phase of the program, especially physical assessment, medical interviewing, and medical charting.
510. Pathophysiology for the Physician Assistant, Part I. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program. One of two successive courses, this online course covers the physiologic and pathophysiologic function of the human body from the cellular level (with emphasis on genetics) to organ systems.
511. Pathophysiology for the Physician Assistant, Part II. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Successful completion of PA 510. Part II of this online course continues to cover the physiologic and pathophysiologic function of the human body from the cellular level (with emphasis on genetics) to organ systems.
515. Investigative Studies for the Physician Assistant. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program. This online course discusses basic diagnostic tests, including their role in diagnoses and treatment, acceptable normals for individual tests, and interpretations of abnormals. Components studied include hematology, chemistry, urinalysis, immunology, genetic and molecular testing and microbiology.
516. Introduction to Basic EKG’s. 1 credit. Prerequisite: Enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program. This on-line introductory course reviews Basic EKGs in preparation for advanced EKG interpretation taught in Primary Care I and II.
517. Introduction to Pharmacology 1 credit. Prerequisite: Enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program. This on-line introductory course reviews pharmacokinetics, pharmacogenetics, and pharmacodynamics in preparation for clinical pharmacology taught in Primary Care II and III.
520. Evidence Based Medicine I. 2 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in Physician Assistant Program. This on-line course provides the PA student with an overview of statistical and epidemiological principles used in medical literature. The units build sequentially to provide the student with a solid foundation, which includes applied statistics and in-depth literature reviews, to provide a basis of comparison for understanding the medical literature and translating research findings into the clinical setting.
525. Evidence Based Medicine II. 2 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in Physician Assistant Program. This on-line course is a continuation of PA 520, with the discussions and application of Evidence Based Medicine. Epidemiology and research principles that apply to the analysis of medical literature are discussed. The course is designed to prepare the student for the writing of the scholarly project.
540. Primary Care I. 8 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program. This four-week didactic course on the UND campus uses the analytical approach to the theory and techniques required to elicit a complete health history, perform a complete physical examination, and document findings on patients of all ages. Variances due to normal growth and development, pregnancy and aging are studied as is instruction in preventive health, behavioral science, and normal psychological development across the lifespan. Numerous clinical skills labs are utilized to apply techniques of systematic physical exam skills.
541. Primary Care I Clinical. 4 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program. Following completion of PA 540, a clinical practicum of eight weeks supervised by a physician in a primary care setting, is required to assist students in the application of history taking, physical examination techniques, and documentation skills.
550. Primary Care II. 8 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program. This five-week, on-campus didactic course uses the problem solving process to instruct students in the diagnosis and management of acute, emergent and chronic conditions seen in the child, adolescent, adult, elderly, and pregnant women in the primary care setting. Emphasis is place on the analysis of a symptom and the process of developing a diagnosis. Components of medical interviewing and documentation are continued adapting to a variety of patient situations. The most common condition seen in primary care is taught in a system-based approach. Content areas of radiology, nutrition, behavioral science and genetics are also covered. The pharmacology portion emphasizes pharmacological preparations (organized by systems) used in acute emergent and chronic conditions through teaching the principles of rational drug therapy: selection (generic vs. brand name drugs), initiation, and monitoring, with current information regarding efficacy, toxicity, and the cost of pharmacological agents. Skills labs in suturing, casting and splinting, IV/injections and sterile technique are completed.
551. Primary Care II Clinical. 6 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program. Following completion of PA 550, an extensive clinical practicum of twelve weeks supervised by a physician is required to assist students in the synthesis and application of theoretical and scientific concepts in the care of patients in primary care, including outpatient, in-patient, surgery, and emergency room settings.
560. Primary Care III. 8 credits. Prerequisite: Enrollment in the Physician Assistant Program. This four-week, on-campus didactic course uses the problem solving process to instruct students in the diagnosis and management of acute, emergent and chronic conditions seen in the child, adolescent, adult and elderly in the primary care setting. Management of patients with multiple problems is emphasized. Components of medical interviewing and documentation are continued adapting to a variety of patient situations. Conditions less commonly seen in primary care are taught in a system-based approach. Content areas of radiology, nutrition, behavioral science and genetics are continued from PA 550. The pharmacology portion of this course emphasizes pharmacological preparations (organized by systems) used in acute, emergent and chronic conditions through teaching the principles of rational drug therapy: selection, initiation, and monitoring, with current information regarding efficacy, toxicity, and the cost of pharmacological agents. Special emphasis is given to drug interactions and polypharmacy. Skills labs in joint injection and punch biopsies are completed.
561. Primary Care III Clinical. 4 credits. Prerequisite: Enrollment in the Physician Assistant Program. Following completion of PA 560, this eight-week clinical practicum supervised by a physician is required to assist students in the synthesis and application of theoretical and scientific concepts as it relates to patients in primary care, including outpatient, hospital, rehab, palliative and long term care settings.
565. PA Role. 3 credits. Prerequisites: Enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program. This online course introduces the PA student to a more complete role definition in varied sectors of the health care industry. It introduces the PA student to: the U.S. health care system; the PA organizations on both the state and national level; the role of the PA in rural and underserved primary care settings; credentialing; licensure; professional liability; malpractice insurance and other legal/ethical issues. It also prepares the student for transition from PA-S to PA-C; practice preparation; role expectations; national certification and recertification; licensure; the impaired professional; leadership within the profession; and the life-long learner. Through clinical testing, it verifies and validates the student’s skills in history taking, physical exams, and treatment protocols. Through comprehensive written testing prior to graduation, it verifies and validates the student’s knowledge base in preparation for national board certification.
580. Specialty Clerkship. 1-8 credits. Prerequisite: Enrollment in the Physician Assistant Program. Specialty clinical clerkships, each of varying lengths, as determined by the faculty adviser and student in discussion with the clinical preceptor, that are necessary to fulfill the program requirements for types of patients, patient settings, and age groupings and/or to strengthen the student’s understanding of the development of referral patterns between primary care practitioners and specialty physicians. One credit
of PA 588 may be substituted for one of the required 6 credits.
585. Current Trends and Issues. 2 credits. Prerequisite: Enrollment in the Physician Assistant Program. This online course covers the following areas: Ethical Issues; Complementary and Alternative Medicine; and Practice Management.
995. Scholarly Project. 2 credits. Prerequisite: Enrollment in the Physician Assistant Program. The scholarly project requires the student to investigate a topic related to an area of interest within primary care and/or the PA profession. Before initiating the project, the student must obtain approval from designated faculty.
[ back to top ]
