College Catalog

Physician assistants (PAs) are health professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. PAs exercise autonomy in medical decision making and provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services. The clinical role of physician assistants includes primary and specialty care in medical and surgical settings in rural and urban areas. Students will learn to work successfully in the health care environment, provide treatment for patients, problem solve, and value their professionalism.

The role of the physician assistant demands intelligence, sound judgment, intellectual honesty, appropriate interpersonal skills and the capacity to react to emergencies in a calm and reasoned manner. An attitude of respect for others, adherence to the concepts of privilege and confidentiality in communicating with patients, and a commitment to the patient's welfare are essential attributes. Individuals who can meet those requirements and become physician assistants will be able to provide the following services:

EVALUATION - elicit a detailed and accurate history; perform an appropriate physical examination; order, perform, and interpret appropriate diagnostic studies; delineate problems; develop management plans; and record and present data.

MONITORING - implement patient management plans, record progress notes, and participate in the provision of the community of care.

THERAPEUTICS - perform therapeutic procedures and manage or assist in the management of medical and surgical conditions, which may include assisting surgeons during operations and performing evaluation and therapeutic procedures in response to life-threatening situations.

PATIENT EDUCATION - counsel patients regarding issues of health care management, to include compliance with prescribed therapeutic regimens, normal growth and development, family planning, and emotional problems of daily living.

REFERRAL - facilitate the referral of patients to other health care providers or agencies as appropriate.

A master's degree is offered to interested students via distance learning from NOVA Southeastern University.

Graduates will be eligible to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certification Exam (PANCE). For further information, contact National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), 157 Technology Parkway, Suite 800, Norcross, GA 30092-2913.

Career Opportunities

The majority of practicing physician assistants work in areas of primary care medicine, including family practice, internal medicine, OB/GYN, emergency medicine, and pediatrics. However, an increasing number of PAs practice in surgical settings such as general, orthopedics, and cardiovascular surgery. PAs can practice in any sub-specialty.

Salaries vary by geographic areas, practice setting, and job responsibilities.

Recommended High School Subjects

High school students should focus their academic course work on written and oral communication, upper level mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics courses with labs, and should excel in these areas.

Special Admissions Requirements

Eligibility for the Physician Assistant major requires completion of a college application, documentation of at least 300 hours of health care exposure including a minimum of 16 hours with a practicing physician assistant and completion/enrollment in program prerequisites. High school students must submit their application to the Admissions Office by January 15. Transfer students must submit their application and all transcripts to the Penn College Admissions Office by January 15 prior to the fall semester in which they seek admission into the professional phase. For both high school and transfer students, health care hours and prerequisite courses must be documented by May 30 of the year a student enters the professional program. To view detailed information on acceptance criteria, testing requirements, performance expectations, and the admissions ranking system, consult the Special Admissions page (http://www.pct.edu/catalog/specialadmission.htm ) of this website.

Special Equipment Needs

Estimated expenses for this major can be found at http://www.pct.edu/schools/HS/bpa/manual.htm#expenses

Remediation Strategies

All remediation must be done in the admission stage. No student with deficiencies will be considered for acceptance or accepted into the junior or senior level of the program.

Transfer Procedures

This major is subject to the transfer standards established by the College (see http://www.pct.edu/catalog/TransferringCredits.htm ). Exceptions must be approved by the school dean.

NOTE: Course sequence for transfer students begins at fifth semester.

Program Goals

A graduate of this major should be able to:

• integrate ethical and moral behavior into the practice of medicine.
• serve as a role model for the physician assistant profession.
• demonstrate intelligence, sound judgment, and intellectual honesty.
• demonstrate effective communication with both written and verbal skills.
• develop and maintain clinical competence sufficient to address the needs of ambulatory and hospitalized patients.
• develop, demonstrate, and appreciate techniques and skills for problem solving and decision making.
• recognize and adapt to the changing health care environment.
• develop skills for and commit to the process of lifelong learning.
• evaluate professional/medical literature to maintain an operational knowledge of new medical evidence.
• appreciate and adapt to diverse/alternative cultures, processes, and ideas.
• approach patients, students, faculty, and colleagues with empathy.
• contribute service and knowledge to the community and the profession.
• demonstrate effective organizational, operational, and management skills in physician assistant practice.
• identify and appreciate the nature of the physician assistant relationship with physicians and other health care providers.
• demonstrate an understanding and devotion to primary care medicine.
• identify and deliver health promotion and disease prevention to patients.

Curriculum

Additional Information

Employment While Enrolled in the PA Major: Students generally find that maintaining employment while enrolled in the Physician Assistant major is extremely difficult and can have detrimental effects on their academic performance. Because of the rigorous program of study, students are strongly advised not to maintain outside employment while enrolled as a PA student. Students who choose part-time work in addition to their academic responsibilities should be aware that work requirements or responsibilities will never be an acceptable excuse for absenteeism or submission of incomplete assignments. The academic, clinical, and travel requirements during the junior and senior year of the program will make part-time work during that time period impossible.

The main emphasis of the 24-month professional-level program is primary care. Rigorous and intense didactic course work will take place during the first 12 months of the professional-level program and will be conducted on the main campus. The clinical internships, involving 45 weeks of practice of at least 40-hour weeks, are designed to provide a variety of experiences for the PA student, and will take place during the second 12 months of the professional-level program. For academic reasons it is highly likely that the student will have to temporarily relocate during some clinical internships.

Notice of Conviction

Child-abuse clearance, criminal background checks, and drug screens are required. Students desiring entrance into the Physician Assistant major should be aware that clinical institutions could bar them from their sites if a criminal record exists or if a positive drug test is noted. Inability to gain clinical education experience results in inability to meet program objectives and outcomes. The presence of a criminal record can result in agencies refusing to issue credentials necessary for employment.

Accreditation

Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).