Physician Assistant Curriculum
The Physician Assistant Program curriculum functions on the three-plus-two educational model.  Ninety semester hours of prerequisite requirements, as described previously, will provide both the general education orientation and the foundation courses required for the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies. After admission, the student will complete a 112-hour professional curriculum at the Medical University of South Carolina to meet degree requirements.

The professional curriculum is divided into two separate and distinct phases.  The didactic phase represents fifteen months of numerous courses in addition to clinical and laboratory work.  Courses offered include many of the basic medical science areas: physiology, anatomy, and pharmacology. The pre-clinical content areas include: physical diagnosis and interviewing skills, fundamentals of clinical medicine, clinical laboratory procedures, patient evaluations and clinical problem-solving skills. An effort is made to integrate related medical subjects to provide sequential lectures, laboratory, and clinical experience. Behavioral sciences are emphasized in context with special attention to courses in medical ethics and professionalism. Coursework related to cultural diversity, medical decision-making, research methodologies, and the business of medicine enhance the disease focused topics covered in throughout the curriculum. The Introduction to the PA Profession course is designed to provide the PA student an understanding of: the origin and development of the PA concept, analysis of the health care systems, legal considerations, PA utilization, state laws, and role acceptance. In addition to the traditional lecture-presentation format, students will be assisted in achieving specific course objectives using a variety of instructional techniques including laboratory exercises, demonstrations, web-based instruction, small group problem solving, and audiovisual materials. The acquisition of clinical problem-solving skills is facilitated by a course utilizing problem-based learning.

In the second phase, or the clinical year, the graduate PA student completes 45 weeks of clinical clerkships and completes a graduate project. The clinical component is designed to facilitate the student’s application of the theoretical knowledge to practical situations in the evaluation of patient problems, and to allow the student to interact with patients and practitioners in a variety of settings.  Students are assigned to office practice settings, ambulatory care units, inpatient services, emergency services, and mental health agencies.

Student progress and patient activities are monitored by responsible physician supervision.  Each clinical clerkship and preceptorship requires a student performance evaluation, which is prepared by the supervising clinician. Clinical clerkship areas consist of internal medicine, women’s health, family medicine, pediatrics, mental health, surgery, emergency medicine, a primary care elective, and a preceptorship.

The didactic and clinical phases of the program emphasize primary health care delivery and the use of physician assistants as members of the medical team.

Clinical resources and facilities at the Medical University complement and enhance the desired learning experiences sought for PA education.  In addition to the teaching resources of the Medical University of South Carolina, the program assigns students to a variety of medical practices located in South Carolina for support of the clinical educational experience.  In addition, with the assistance of the Area Health Education Center (AHEC) and Office of Rural Health, the program assigns students in designated underserved areas for selected clerkships and preceptorships.