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Program Details
 The professional phase of the program at PCOM, leading to a Master of Science degree at PCOM, is 26 months in duration. It provides comprehensive academic and clinical medical education to prepare students for their professional roles as Physician Assistants. The program consists of five consecutive terms (14 continuous months) of classroom instruction and four consecutive terms (12 continuous months) of clinical preceptorships in multiple medical disciplines. The didactic component provides a solid foundation for the clinical component. Core didactic courses such as clinical medicine, pharmacology, pathology, and history taking and physical examination provide a thorough theoretical and practical background in basic medical education and clinical diagnostic skills.
Students will develop a solid grounding as a generalist with a focus on patient communication skills and advanced clinical problem-solving skills. They will acquire technical proficiency in areas related to professional practice and will learn to use the latest in educational and medical technology. Following successful completion of the didactic component, students will then proceed into the clinical component. During their clinical preceptorships student refine their medical knowledge and clinical skills by participating in supervised patient care, teaching rounds and clinical procedures as they rotate through various preceptorships at out-patient and in-patient clinical facilities. In keeping with the mission of the program, students are exposed to a variety of practice settings and patient populations.
What is a physician assistant?
Physician Assistants (PAs) are licensed health professionals who practice medicine with physician supervision. PAs deliver a broad range of medical and surgical services to diverse populations in both rural and urban settings throughout the world. PAs work in a variety of settings, including private practice, hospitals, HMOs, nursing homes, student health services, and rural and urban clinics. Although their main focus is patient care, PAs may also perform educational, research and administrative activities.
In most states, PAs can treat patients when the physician is away from the practice, and can write prescriptions. PAs are trained to recognize when patients need the attention of a supervising physician, and they refer as needed. PAs have demonstrated a commitment to their patients and a continued competence in delivering quality, humanistic health care. In some rural areas where physicians are in short supply, PAs serve as the only providers of health care, conferring with their supervising physician and other medical professionals as needed and as required by law.
There are more than 46,000 practicing PAs in the US today. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects PA job growth to be 24 percent by the year 2010. For more information on the Physician Assistant profession, contact the American Academy of Physician Assistants:
AAPA
950 North Washington St.
Alexandria, VA 22314-1552
Web Site: http://www.aapa.org
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