Curriculum

OHIO's PA program begins annually in January (effective the 2020-2021 CASPA application cycle) and concludes 27 months later, with graduation in May.

The Ohio University physician assistant program curriculum is designed around seven distinct course series:

  1. Professional Development
  2. Foundational Sciences
  3. Clinical Nutrition
  4. Clinical Skills
  5. Clinical Medicine
  6. Clinical Practice
  7. Research

The series is fast-paced and systems-based, allowing the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of a pathology to be taught within the same academic semester, while concomitantly integrating evidence-based medicine throughout the curriculum.

College course credit (i.e. advanced placement) cannot be applied toward the following courses. All courses required for fulfillment of the degree in physician assistant practice must be taken in the established sequence.

OHIO’s PA Program recently revised its curriculum which resulted in a 4-credit hour increase, and a $90 per credit hour program fees increase. The revisions have been approved by ARC-PA and will take effect in January 2024 for new, incoming students. The curriculum revisions and program fees increase will not apply to current students in the program. The program’s new curriculum and tuition/fees structure can be found here.

Year 1

Spring Semester (1) - 17 credit hours

PA 5110 Physician Assistant Practice I = 3 credit hours
PA 5210 Clinical Gross Anatomy for the Physician Assistant = 5 credit hours
PA 5220 Clinical Pathophysiology I for the Physician Assistant = 2 credit hour
PA 5250 Clinical Pharmacology = 2 credit hours
PA 5260 Clinical Science for the Physician Assistant = 3 credit hours
PA 6210 Evidence-Based Research I = 2 credit hours

Summer Semester (1) - 17 credit hours

PA 5130 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for the Physician Assistant = 2 credit hours
PA 5230 Clinical Pathophysiology II for the Physician Assistant = 3 credit hours
PA 5310 Patient Assessment I = 3 credit hours
PA 5511 Clinical Medicine I = 4 credit hours
PA 5512 Clinical Medicine II = 4 credit hours
 
Fall Semester (1) - 18 credit hours
PA 5240 Clinical Pathophysiology III for the Physician Assistant = 3 credit hours
PA 5320 Patient Assessment II = 3 credit hours
PA 5513 Clinical Medicine III = 6 credit hours
PA 5514 Clinical Medicine IV = 4 credit hours
PA 5550 Behavioral and Mental Health = 2 credit hours
NUTR 5410 Fundamentals of Nutrition Care for Physician Assistants = 1 credit hours
 

Year 2

Spring Semester (2) - 17 credit hours

PA 5330 Clinical Procedures for the Physician Assistant = 2 credit hours
PA 5551 Emergency Medicine = 3 credit hours
PA 5552 Pediatric Medicine = 2 credit hours
PA 5553 Women’s Health = 2 credit hours
PA 5554 General Surgery = 3 credit hours
PA 5560 Transition to Clinical Practice = 4 credit hours
PA 6220 Evidence-Based Research II = 1 credit hours
 
Summer Semester (2) - 10 credit hours
PA 5150 Professional Development: Certification & Practice for the Physician Assistant = 1 credit hour
Clinical Rotation 1: May = 3 credit hour
Clinical Rotation 2: June = 3 credit hour
Clinical Rotation 3: July = 3 credit hour

Fall Semester (2) - 12 credit hours

Clinical Rotation 4: August = 3 credit hour
Clinical Rotation 5: September = 3 credit hour
Clinical Rotation 6: October = 3 credit hour
Clinical Rotation 7: November = 3 credit hour

Year 3

Spring Semester (3) - 11 credit hours

PA 5140 Concepts of Leadership and Management for the Physician Assistant = 1 credit hour
Clinical Rotation 8: January = 3 credit hour
Clinical Rotation 9: February = 3 credit hour
Clinical Rotation 10: March = 3 credit hour
PA 6230 Evidence-Based Research III = 1 credit hour
 
*OHIO’s PA program Clinical Rotations consist of Behavioral Health, Emergency Medicine, Family Practice, General Surgery, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Women’s Health and 3 electives.
 

Course Listing by Series

Professional Development Series

  • Physician Assistant Practice I
  • Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for the Physician Assistant
  • Concepts of Leadership and Management for the Physician Assistant
  • Professional Development: Certification and Practice for the Physician Assistant

Foundational Sciences Series

  • Clinical Gross Anatomy for the Physician Assistant
  • Clinical Science for the Physician Assistant
  • Clinical Pharmacology
  • Clinical Pathophysiology I for the Physician Assistant
  • Clinical Pathophysiology II for the Physician Assistant
  • Clinical Pathophysiology III for the Physician Assistant

Clinical Nutrition Series

  • Fundamentals of Nutrition Care for the Physician Assistant
  • Clinical Medicine II-IV (contains nutrition content)

Clinical Skills Series

  • Patient Assessment I
  • Patient Assessment II
  • Clinical Procedures for the Physician Assistant

Clinical Medicine Series

  • Clinical Medicine I
  • Clinical Medicine II
  • Clinical Medicine III
  • Clinical Medicine IV
  • Behavioral and Mental Health
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Pediatric Medicine
  • Women's Health
  • General Surgery
  • Transition to Clinical Practice

Research Series

  • Evidence-Based Research I
  • Evidence-Based Research II
  • Evidence-Based Research III

Graduate Project

The Master of Physician Assistant Practice degree will require each student to complete a graduate project as partial fulfillment of a graduate degree. The Evidence Based Research course series (I-III) is designed to prepare students with the skills to appraise evidence and to write scientifically.

Clinical Education Plan

Students will complete 15 months of didactic training prior to entering 12 months of supervised clinical experience in seven required clinical specialties, one specialty selective and two general selective rotations. The final semester of didactic training is designed to transition the PA student from the classroom to the clinical setting. Problem-based learning, scenarios, case studies and simulations will be strategically integrated throughout the second summer semester in order to prepare students for the critical thinking necessary for optimal patient care.

Clinical Rotations

In keeping with the mission of Ohio University, students enrolled in the OHIO PA program will complete a portion of their clinical training in medically underserved areas. In addition to the clinical specialties, OHIO PA students will experience rotations in large medical centers, small urban/rural clinics and specialty clinics, and will learn how to function in interprofessional healthcare teams.

The OHIO PA program's clinical rotations consist of in-state and out-of-state experiences. Students are responsible for all rotation-related expenses (e.g., housing, travel and food).

Rotations are identified, contacted, evaluated and assigned by the OHIO PA program. Students are not required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors.