411E Basic Medical Sciences I.   Zero units.  The purpose of this course is to integrate the principles of human anatomy and physiology into the study of medicine.  Instruction is provided regarding human anatomical structures and their intercommunication and relevance to the various systems.  Physiologic principles, concepts, and formulas are related to the changes of disease processes.  The course outline is reflective of the systems of the human body, and the content serves as the foundation for an understanding of the effects of disease and disease prevention.  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the first professional year.

411 Basic Medical Sciences I.  One unit.  This course is identical to that described for 411E but counts as one undergraduate unit towards the BS/MS degrees. 

412 Basic Medical Sciences II.  One unit.  This course provides an in-depth understanding of disease states through the integration of principles of pathology, microbiology, and clinical applicability of diagnostic tests.  Anatomical and physioloigcal principles are reviewed and integrated into an understanding of disease processes and the clinical applicability of pathological findings.  Microorganisms are presented by classifications and in relation to specific systems.  Diagnostic tests are identified in relation to physiological systems and disease processes.  Discussions focus on characteristic or pathognomonic findings as well as findings that direct work-up, therapy, or follow-up.  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the first professional year.

415 Applied Behavioral Sciences I.  0.5 unit.  The purpose of this course is for the student to develop an understanding of the psychological and ethical factors affecting human development and to distinguish among them as they pertain to various clinical issues such as death and dying, human sexuality, chronic illness, and the emotional issues of daily living.  This course also provides an opportunity for the student to learn to integrate the concepts of health promotion and preventive measures into the practice of medicine.  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the first professional year.

416 Clinical Prep Science I.   One unit.  The purpose of this course is to promote the skills of clinical assessment and diagnosis.  The knowledge gained in the medical sciences is utilized to promote the assessment of clinical scenarios.  The student develops interview skills, examination techniques, and integrates knowledge of various disciplines to construct differential diagnosis.  The student learns appropriate clinical work-up and when to order tests.  The student also learns to correlate test results with clinical management.  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the first professional year.

417 Primary Care and Pharmacotherapeutics I.  One unit.  The purpose of this course is to serve as an introduction to clinical medicine by focusing on the commonly encountered problems in primary care.  The student reviews disease processes from a clinical perspective and learns to approach the evaluation of the patient in a comprehensive manner.  Topics include the dermatologic issues encountered in primary care, common ophthalmologic disorders and the common issues leading to psychiatric referral.  Through lectures and discussions, the student formualtes a knowledge base of signs and symptoms, etiologies, and management options.  Drug therapies are reviewed by classes and in relation to their applicability to systems.  Information is provided regarding indications, mechanisms of action, contraindications, and adverse effects.  The course includes EKG and ABG workshops with sessions dedicated to the interpretation of twelve lead strips and arterial blood gases.  The knowledge gained is enhanced through case studies and intergrated into the practice of primary care medicine.  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the first professional year.

419 Professionalism and Ethics I.  0.5 unit.  The purpose of this course is to integrate the principles of professionalism and ethics into the clinical practice of the physician assistant.  The course is a general overview of the role of the physician assistant with emphasis on the principles of ethics and professionalism and their integration into modern medicine.  Introduction to the history of the profession leads to discussions of issues such as managed healthcare initiatives, documentation, quality improvement, and billing and coding.  The course also provides students with instruction regarding basic clinical skills required of the professional physician assistant.  Opportunity is provided for hands-on practice and instruction on models and patients.  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the first professional year.

421 Emergency and Surgical Medicine.  One unit.  The purposes of this course are to provide students with instruction regarding recognition and management of the surgical patient, as well as instruction regarding rapid and efficient management of the trauma or emergent patient.  Review of surgical cases includes breakdown of disease states by presentation, history, and physical examination pearls, work-up, surgical intervention, and post-surgical management.   Discussion of emergency medicine cases focuses on the consideration of patient status in an effort to effectively triage emergent patients.  Students learn to design a personal method of rapid assessment and management for the critical patient in the emergency department setting.  The course includes a radiology workshop to generate a basis for the recognition of and differentiation between the normal and abnormal radiographic findings.  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the first professional year.

422 General Medicine.  One unit.  The purpose of this course is to provide the physician assistant with a broad-based fund of knowledge of general medicine.  The course encompasses an overview of internal medicine and its various subtopics; the course outline is reflective of the systemic overview.  Its intent is to enable the student to transition from the acquisition of didactic medical and clinical, scientific knowledge to its incorporation into the clinical setting.  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the first professional year.

423 Maternal and Child Health.  One unit.  This course familiarizes the student with conditions specific to maternal-child medicine.  Lectures and case studies are provided on the diagnostic, therapeutic, and counseling techniques aimed at managing the sensitive issues in both the obstetrical and gynecological patient, familiarizing the student with conditions specific to the pediatric patient.  Students recognize the need to counsel both parent and child, and to integrate special techniques, including monitoring confidentiality.  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the first professional year.

424 Primary Care and Pharmacotherapeutics II.  One unit.  The purpose of this course is to focus on the commonly encountered problems in primary care medicine.  The physician assistant student reviews disease processes from a clinical perspsective, learns to approach the evaluation of the patient in a comprehensive manner, and becomes familiar with the sensitive issues specific to the geriatric patient.  Through lectures and discussion, the student formulates a knowledge base of signs and symptoms, etiologies and management options.  Drug therapies are reviewed by classes and in relation to their applicability to major systems, with information provided regarding indications, mechanisms of actions, contraindications, and adverse events.  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the first professional year.

431E Medical Clinical Practice I.  Zero units.  This course is a six-week, supervised clinical experience dedicated to a specific area or discipline of clinical medicine.  Clinical interactions take place in the outpatient amabulatory, inpatient hospital, long-term care and emergency room settings.  Rotations are intensive, supervised, hands-on learning experiences in the various medical and surgical areas; they emphasize the provision of diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive, and health maintenance services.  Each clinical rotation is dedicated to one of the following:  general medicine and long-term care, emergency medicine, primary care I, primary care II, pediatrics (general pediatrics, neonatal intensive care), women's health (obstetrics, gynecology, adolescent medicine), and surgery (general surgery, surgical subspecialties).  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the second professional year.

431 Medical Clinical Practice I.  One unit.  This course is identical to that described for 431E but counts as one undergraduate unit towards the BS/MS degrees.

432 Medical Clinical Practice II.  One unit.  This course is a six-week, supervised clinical experience dedicated to a specific area or discipline of clinical medicine.  Clinical interactions take place in the outpatient ambulatory, inpatient hospital, long-term care and emergency room settings.  Rotations are intensive, supervised, hands-on learning experiences in the various medical and surgical areas; they emphasize the provision of diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive, and health maintenance services.  Each clinical rotation is dedicated to one of the following:  general medicine and long-term care, emergency medicine, primary care I, primary care II, pediatrics (general pediatrics, neonatal intensive care), women's health (obstetrics, gynecology, adolescent medicine), and surgery (general surgery, surgical subspecialties).  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the second professional year. 

434 Medical Clinical Practice III.  One unit.  This course is a six-week, supervised clinical experience dedicated to a specific area or discipline of clinical medicine.  Clinical interactions take place in the outpatient ambulatory, inpatient hospital, long-term care and emergency room settings.  Rotations are intensive, supervised, hands-on learning experiences in the various medical and surgical areas; they emphasize the provision of diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive, and health maintenance services.  Each clinical rotation is dedicated to one of the following:  general medicine and long-term care, emergency medicine, primary care I, primary care II, pediatrics (general pediatrics, neonatal intensive care), women's health (obstetrics, gynecology, adolescent medicine), and surgery (general surgery, surgical subspecialties).  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the second professional year. 

442 Medical Clinical Practice IV.  One unit.  This course is a six-week, supervised clinical experience dedicated to a specific area or discipline of clinical medicine.  Clinical interactions take place in the outpatient ambulatory, inpatient hospital, long-term care and emergency room settings.  Rotations are intensive, supervised, hands-on learning experiences in the various medical and surgical areas; they emphasize the provision of diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive, and health maintenance services.  Each clinical rotation is dedicated to one of the following:  general medicine and long-term care, emergency medicine, primary care I, primary care II, pediatrics (general pedicatrics, neonatal intensive care), women's health (obstetrics, gynecology, adolescent medicine), and surgery (general surgery, surgical subspecialties).  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the second professional year.

443 Medical Clinical Practice V.  One unit.  This course is a six-week, supervised clinical experience dedicated to a specific area or discipline of clinical medicine.  Clinical interactions take place in the outpatient ambulatory, inpatient hospital, long-term care and emergency room settings.  Rotations are intensive, supervised, hands-on learning experiences in the various medical and surgical areas; they emphasize the provision of diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive, and health maintenance services.  Each clinical rotation is dedicated to one of the following:  general medicine and long-term care, emergency medicine, primary care I, primary care II, pediatrics (general pediatrics, neonatal intensive care), women's health (obstetrics, gynecology, adolescent medicine), and surgery (general surgery, surgical subspecialties).  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the second professional year. 

501 The Art and Practice of Health Education.  One undergraduate unit or four graduate credits.  This course introduces the healthcare practitioner to the philosophies of health education.  It identifies the key elements needed to construct an effective healthcare curriculum and provides the foundation for developing teaching approaches and evaluative tools.  Each student is guided through the design of a community health educational program for practitioners or patients reflective of that student's interest or healthcare practice.  Clinical relevance is optimized through experiential learning during the development of and participation in patient education events.  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the second professional year.

503 Leadership Development and Professionalism.  One undergraduate unit or four graduate credits.  This course explores the opportunities for leadership in the healthcare delivery system.  The course reviews the legal foundation of the physician assistant's scope of practice, legislative agenda for the physician assistant profession, professional practice opportunities, performance improvement principles, and the administrative systems providing the framework for the modern healthcare delivery system.  The most current issues in healh care, such as patient safety, form a foundation for analyzing the successes and failures of the healthcare delivery model.  An interactive approach to exploring the material is supplemented by guest lectures from the field and peer-reviewed journal research and critiques.  Experiential learning is optimized by participation in research and the development of a quality improvement project.  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the second professional year.

504 Medical Literature Review and Analysis.  One undergraduate unit or four graduate credits.  This course provides the physician assistant with the skills for effective review and analysis of the expanse of medical literature.  Students presented with various research problems are taught to analyze applicability, appropriately select corresponding literature, and develop a systematic critique of the findings.  Statistical methods are introduced and the ability to analyze data and draw inferences is developed.  The selection of the medical literature for review and analysis is reflective of each student's area of interest for future research.  Experiential learning is emphasized through the designing of a research study and culminates with a presentation of the proposal and research at the medical literature symposium event.  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the second professional year.

514 Advanced Health Assessment.  One undergraduate unit or four graduate credits.  The purpose of this course is to develop and enhance clinical judgment and assessment skills for patient populations across the life span.  The intent is for the student to improve his/her decision-making ability in the clinical setting and develop appropriate management protocols.  Problem solving sessions are utilized for the assessment of clinical case scenarios.  Diagnoses are discussed within the framework of preventive medicine, epidemiology, and subsequent improvements in the delivery of clinical medicine.  Clinical relevance is enhanced during the development of and participation in community outreach events.  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the second professional year.

533E Medical Clinical Practice VI.  Zero undergraduate units or zero graduate credits.  This course is a six-week, supervised clinical experience dedicated to a specific area or discipline of clinical medicine.  Clinical interactions take place in the outpatient ambulatory, inpatient hospital, long-term care and emergency room settings.  Rotations are intensive, supervised, hands-on learning experiences in the various medical and surgical areas; they emphasize the provision of diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive, and health maintenance services.  Each clinical rotation is dedicated to one of the following:  general medicine and long-term care, emergency medicine, primary care I, primary care II, pediatrics (general pediatrics, neonatal intensive care), women's health (obstetrics, gynecology, adolescent medicine), and surgery (general surgery, surgical subspecialties).  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the third professional year.

533 Medical Clinical Practice VI.  One undergraduate unit or four graduate credits.  This course is identical to that described for 533E but counts one undergraduate unit or four graduate credits towards the BS/MS degrees. 

541 Medical Clinical Practice VII.  One undergraduate unit or four graduate credits.  This course is a six-week, supervised clinical experience dedicated to a specific area or discipline of clinical medicine.  Clinical interactions take place in the outpatient ambulatory, inpatient hospital, long-term care and emergency room settings.  Rotations are intensive, supervised, hands-on learning experiences in the various medical and surgical areas; they emphasize the provision of diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive, and health maintenance services.  Each clinical rotation is dedicated to one of the following:  general medicine and long-term care, emergency medicine, primary care I, primary care II, pediatrics (general pediatrics, neonatal intensive care), women's health (obstetrics, gynecology, adolescent medicine), and surgery (general surgery, surgical subspecialties).  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the third professional year.

612 Critical Thinking in Medicine.  Four graduate credits.  The purpose of this course is to review and expand upon the physician assistant's knowledge of disease pathology and therapeutic intervention.  The emphasis is on critical thinking and its applicability to the identification of the pathogenesis of disease processes and the development of algorithms, flow charts, and decision trees.  Through critical analysis, the student develops appropriate management plans, based on the needs of specific individuals and communities.  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the third professional year.

630 Clerkship I: Developing Community Health.  Six graduate credits.  The focus of this course is to precept physician assistant students in their transition towards becoming advanced mid-level providers of health care.  Each student identifies a component or area of health care interest that impacts the community and affords a broad exposure of clinical experiences.  Through clinical involvement, the student learns to discern specific health needs and is guided and advised through the development of a community health project reflective of the assessed needs.  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the third professional year.

645 Clerkship II: Advanced Procedures and Skills.  Six graduate credits.  The focus of this clerkship is to precept physician assistant students through the acquisition of advanced skills for clinical practice in primary care or a specialty area of interest.  The student is provided with an opportunity for an in-depth analysis of clinical practice in his/her specific area of interst.  Skills development focuses on the areas identified during the pre-clerkship advisement session.  The student learns through the development of a clinical project reflective of the unique characteristics of the clerkship.  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the third professional year.

651 Health Care Management Theory and Evaluation.  Four graduate credits.  This course introduces the student to the schools of thought of management theorists and practitioners in health care.  Evaluations of various theories are based on case studies and discussions of readings from periodicals, research reports, and books.  Offered only to physician assistant majors during the third professional year.

790 Research Design.  Four graduate credits.  The purpose of this course is to establish the groundwork for a research thesis.  The student is provided the opportunity to construct a research project beginning with the framing of the research problem and hypothesis, and progressing to design selection and data analysis.  The course offers students the knowledge and skills needed for instrument design and development.  Seminar sessions are dedicated to the scoring and interpretation of the data from the individual measurement tools.  All proposals require approval from the Internal Review Board prior to implementation.  Offered only to physician assistant students during the third professional year.

799 Thesis.  Four graduate credits.  The focus of this course is the implementation of the research design proposed in Physician Assistant 790.  The parameters of the scientific process are utilized to investigate health-related research problems.  Each student is guided through his/her individual research project.  Seminar and individual conferences are dedicated to the analysis and evaluation of data.  The thesis is developed and is presented for oral defense during the research forum.  Offered only to physician assistant students during the third professional year.