Physician Assistant Studies (MS)

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 1Hours
Summer
PHYA 502 Human Gross Anatomy 6
PHYA 519 Human Physiology 4
 Hours10
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
 Hours18
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
 Hours17
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
 Hours16
Second Year
Term 1
Summer
PHYA 512 Clinical Medicine III 10
PHYA 522 Pharmacology III 1
PHYA 530 Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry 1
 Hours12
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
 Hours70
Third Year
Term 1
Summer
PHYA 558 Elective Preceptorship 6
PHYA 560 Research Practicum 2
PHYA 562 Comprehensive Exam Review 3
 Hours11
 Total Hours154
1

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