Pa program clinical rotations

Some programs favor a more traditional classroom-based style, while others focus more on small-group or case-based learning or problem-based learning, aka PBL. Often, PA programs incorporate a mix of styles for different courses. For example, a pharmacology course may utilize a more traditional classroom style, while an anatomy class centers on an interactive, small group setup.

Also, programs are generally quite happy to share the particulars of their curriculum with prospective applicants who contact an admissions coordinator or attend an information session. Though not vital to your existence or success as a PA student, a PA program may also offer opportunities to augment your learning, especially in the didactic year.

Perhaps an interactive workshop where you have the chance to examine patients with a variety of heart murmurs and anomalies takes place as your class works through the cardiovascular system. A program may include a cadaver or simulation lab to bring an immersive element to your classroom training.

Maybe interprofessional education opportunities exist where you work alongside nursing or physical therapy students on a case or project. Or perhaps a program arranges for students to use newly acquired skills to contribute to patient care at a local free health clinic.

After evaluating the didactic year opportunities, you next might be interested in delving into what could await you in the final year of PA school — the clinical year. The clinical year is when you have the chance to rotate through many different areas of medicine, working directly with PAs, other providers, and patients. Some programs are affiliated with academic health centers, which could mean many of your clinical experiences will be within a particular hospital or health system.

Other programs may have limited local rotations and require some clinical training at distant sites. Many schools allow for one or two elective rotations, where a student chooses the specialty or discipline. Other programs may expose students to medically underserved areas through a required rotation or two.

Though the basics of rotations can appear similar from school to school, the dynamics of the clinical year can be quite different. Though admittedly more difficult to evaluate than other more quantifiable attributes, program culture is still worth investigating as a prospective student. So does having an international rotation or a particular focus on interprofessional education in the curriculum.

Pay attention to aspects of the clinical year that stand out compared to other programs, like having extra-long primary care rotations, a focus on rural or medically underserved clinical sites, or deliberate exposure to vulnerable patient populations.

This four-week psychiatric rotation is designed to provide the Physician Assistant student with a behavioral medicine experience in caring for ambulatory and hospitalized patients with psychiatric disorders. The student will be able to perform basic psychiatric evaluations, monitor medications, and support the clinical management plan for patients after psychiatric evaluation and treatment.

The student will also be able to refer to psychiatrists and psychiatric facilities as needed. Four-week rotation in clinical healthcare settings designed to emphasize the role of the Physician Assistant to the primary care physician. PA Program Clinical Rotations. General Surgery This four-week rotation is designed to provide the Physician Assistant student with opportunities to become proficient in pre-operative, intraoperative, and post-operative patient care.

Pediatrics This four-week pediatric rotation is designed to provide the Physician Assistant student with an intense exposure of primary care pediatric problems with the objectives of developing skills in well-child preventative care, the care of common pediatric illnesses and the care of the newborn and children.

Internal Medicine Four-week rotation designed to provide the Physician Assistant student with the opportunity to develop proficiency in the addressing common medical issues via patient encounters in a clinical setting. This course develops the professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes students need to become outstanding physician associates. Content also includes hands on technical skill training and simulative experiences and is delivered before, during, and after the clinical phase.

Skip to Main Content Clinical. Excellence in Clinical Education In the clinical phase of the curriculum, physician associate students care for patients in supervised settings. Core Clerkships 40 credits The ten 4-week core clerkships are carefully designed to ensure students have the opportunity to care for patients across the lifespan and in all clinical settings. Elective Clerkships 12 credits The three 4-week elective clerkships allow students to individualize their experience and explore areas of interest.

Elective rotations are worth four credits each. Flex Elective 2 credits The Flex Elective enables the student to further individualize their clinical experience. Practice Enhancement Course 2 credits.