Department website: https://www.pcom.edu/academics/programs-and-degrees/physician-assistant-studies/

PCOM offers a full-time 26-month graduate-level program in physician assistant studies.

The program provides a comprehensive didactic and laboratory year followed by a year of clinical preceptorships in a variety of clinical disciplines. All students complete a research practicum as part of the program.

The PCOM Physician Assistant Program is committed to excellence in education. As in any learning process, the content and methodology in our program reflect a mixture of objectivity, intuition and good faith. Our faculty and staff want to provide a creative environment for individual learning and growth, within a curriculum which, by necessity, is highly structured and intense. Viewing learning as a reciprocal, collaborative interaction between faculty and students, we endeavor to be responsive to perceived needs for change and welcome comments and suggestions from all who participate in the program for its ongoing evaluation and continued growth.

Graduation Requirements

Each candidate for the degree of Master of Science must achieve a GPA of 3.0 to graduate from the program and satisfactorily complete all degree requirements.

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Term 1		Hours
Summer
PHYA 502	Human Gross Anatomy	6
PHYA 519	Human Physiology	4
	Hours	10
Term 2
Fall
INDP 100	Inter Professional Appreciation and Caring Communities	0
PHYA 501	Pharmacologic Concepts and Pharmacotherapeutics	2
PHYA 503	History Taking and Physical Exam	10
PHYA 514	Professional Practice Issues and Health Policy	2
PHYA 531	Community Health Service	2
PHYA 534	Introduction to Pathogenesis and Clinical Genetics	1
PHYA 542	Research Methods	1
	Hours	18
Term 3
Winter
INDP 100	Inter Professional Appreciation and Caring Communities	0
PHYA 510	Clinical Medicine I	10
PHYA 515	Medicine, Law, and Health Care Ethics	1
PHYA 520	Pharmacology	2
PHYA 535	Pathology I	2
PHYA 543	Evidenced-Based Medicine	2
	Hours	17
Term 4
Spring
INDP 100	Inter Professional Appreciation and Caring Communities	0
PHYA 511	Clinical Medicine II	10
PHYA 521	Pharmacology II	2
PHYA 536	Pathology II	2
PHYA 549	Radiology for the Physician Assistant	2
	Hours	16
Second Year
Term 1
Summer
PHYA 512	Clinical Medicine III	10
PHYA 522	Pharmacology III	1
PHYA 530	Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry	1
	Hours	12
Term 2
Fall, Winter, and Spring
Term 2 through Term 4 (Fall, Winter, and Spring) Preceptorships
PHYA 550	Family Medicine Preceptorship	10
PHYA 551	Internal Medicine Preceptorship	10
PHYA 553	Emergency Medicine Preceptorship	10
PHYA 554	Gynecology/Prenatal Preceptorship	10
PHYA 555	General Surgery Preceptorship	10
PHYA 556	Behavioral Medicine Preceptorship	10
PHYA 557	Pediatrics Preceptorship	10
	Hours	70
Third Year
Term 1
Summer
PHYA 558	Elective Preceptorship	6
PHYA 560	Research Practicum	2
PHYA 562	Comprehensive Exam Review	3
	Hours	11
	Total Hours	154

¹

All first and second year courses must be completed prior to beginning clinical preceptorships.