Vision, Mission, Competencies, Goals and Outcomes
Master of Physician Assistant Studies—Accelerated
Program Vision
Our students, alumni and faculty will be leaders through their commitment to providing high quality healthcare to all patients through innovative clinical education that promotes clinical competence, professionalism, community involvement, leadership and life-long learning.
Program Mission
The program educates and inspires the future generation of Physician Assistants to become compassionate clinicians who demonstrate professionalism; practice collaborative, evidence-based medicine and advocate for patients and their communities.
Program Graduate Competencies
All students are expected to meet the program competencies required for entry level PA practice:
Patient-Centered Medical Practice Knowledge
Possess the fundamental medical knowledge to apply care to patients based on individual needs through use of evidence-based decision-making, patient values and preferences.
Interpersonal & Communication Skills
Possess the skills to determine patients' capacity for understanding information about their health and understanding of medical information provided, establish a rapport, recognize socioeconomic health disparities, appreciate patient perspectives, clarify expectations of their care plan, recognize and overcome barriers to effective communication in a courteous manner.
Clinical & Technical Skills
Possess the skills to recognize healthy and diagnose ill patients and apply skills in acute, chronic, emergent, and preventive patient encounters across the lifespan.
Professional Behavior
Possess the behavior to respectfully interact with patients, families, colleagues, and collaborate with interprofessional health care teams to deliver accountable patient-centered care through emotional resilience. Possess the behavior reflective of professional conduct by recognizing legal and regulatory requirements, and managing policies within the professional practice as a physician assistant.
Clinical Reasoning & Problem-Solving Abilities
Synthesize information such as general medical knowledge, basic sciences, medical advances, and the characteristics of a patient case to reason and act decisively in professional practice situations.
Program Goals
- Prepare entry-level physician assistants who have a broad base of fundamental knowledge and technical skills to be competent, general, advanced care practitioners.
- Prepare entry-level physician assistants who communicate effectively and work collaboratively with all members of the interprofessional healthcare team including patients and their caregivers while promoting patient-centered care.
- Prepare entry-level physician assistants who educate patients on health, disease and prevention.
- Prepare entry-level physician assistants who demonstrate professionalism in their interactions with patients, families and all members of the healthcare team.
- Promote and support student leadership opportunities and community outreach.
- Graduate marketable, entry-level Physician Assistants
Program Level Student Learning Target Outcomes
At the completion of the Program, the Physician Assistant student will have acquired the ability to:
- Evaluate, obtain a history, conduct a physical examination, identify the diagnosis and design a management plan for patients as a general practitioner in an entry-level position
- Model effective communication, team-based and patient-centered care
- Generate health education tools for discussion to support health maintenance education
- Demonstrate ethical and respectful practice of medicine
- Seek and fulfill leadership roles in professional practice and community outreach efforts
- Employed as a practicing PA and provide care to a diverse patient population