Physician Assistant 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:
- Professional Development
- Foundational Sciences
- Clinical Nutrition
- Clinical Skills
- Clinical Medicine
- Clinical Practice
- 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.
106 Credit Hours - 27 Months - 7 Semesters
Year 1
| Spring Semester (1) - 18 Credit Hours | ||
|---|---|---|
| PA 5110 | Physician Assistant Practice I | 3 credit hours |
| PA 5200 | Radiologic Science | 1 credit hour |
| PA 5210 | Clinical Gross Anatomy for the Physician Assistant | 5 credit hours |
| PA 5221 | Clinical Pathophysiology I for the Physician Assistant | 2 credit hours |
| PA 5250 | Pharmacology for the Physician Assistant I | 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 (2) - 18 Credit Hours | ||
|---|---|---|
| PA 5130 | Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for the Physician Assistant | 2 credit hours |
| PA 5231 | Clinical Pathophysiology II for the Physician Assistant | 2 credit hours |
| PA 5251 | Pharmacology for the Physician Assistant II | 2 credit hours |
| PA 5311 | Patient Assessment I | 3 credit hours |
| PA 5410 | Clinical Medicine I | 4 credit hours |
| PA 5420 | Clinical Medicine II | 5 credit hours |
| Fall Semester (3) - 18 Credit Hours | ||
|---|---|---|
| PA 5241 | Clinical Pathophysiology III for the Physician Assistant | 2 credit hours |
| PA 5252 | Pharmacology for the Physician Assistant III | 2 credit hours |
| PA 5321 | Patient Assessment II | 3 credit hours |
| PA 5430 | Clinical Medicine III | 5 credit hours |
| PA 5440 | Clinical Medicine IV | 4 credit hours |
| PA 5553 | Womens Health | 2 credit hours |
Year 2
| Spring Semester (4) - 18 Credit Hours | ||
|---|---|---|
| PA 5330 | Clinical Procedures for the Physician Assistant | 2 credit hours |
| PA 5550 | Behavioral and Mental Health | 2 credit hours |
| PA 5551 | Emergency Medicine | 3 credit hours |
| PA 5552 | Pediatric Medicine | 2 credit hours |
| PA 5554 | General Surgery | 3 credit hours |
| PA 5555 | Care of the Critically Ill and Hospitalized Patient | 2 credit hours |
| PA 5560 | Transition to Clinical Practice | 4 credit hours |
| Summer Semester (5) - 11 Credit Hours | ||
|---|---|---|
| PA 5150 | Professional Development: Certification and Practice for the PA | 1 credit hour |
| PA 6220 | Evidence-Based Research II | 1 credit hour |
| Clinical Rotation 1 | 3 credit hours | |
| Clinical Rotation 2 | 3 credit hours | |
| Clinical Rotation 3 | 3 credit hours | |
| Fall Semester (6) - 13 Credit Hours | ||
|---|---|---|
| PA 6230 | Evidence-Based Research III | 1 credit hour |
| Clinical Rotation 4 | 3 credit hours | |
| Clinical Rotation 5 | 3 credit hours | |
| Clinical Rotation 6 | 3 credit hours | |
| Clinical Rotation 7 | 3 credit hours | |
Year 3
| Spring Semester (7) - 10 Credit Hours | ||
|---|---|---|
| PA 5140 | Concepts of Leadership and Management for the PA | 1 credit hour |
| Clinical Rotation 8 | 3 credit hours | |
| Clinical Rotation 9 | 3 credit hours | |
| Clinical Rotation 10 | 3 credit hours | |
| Clinical Rotations |
|---|
| Behavioral Health |
| Emergency Medicine |
| Family Practice |
| General Surgery |
| Internal Medicine |
| Pediatrics |
| Women's Health |
| Electives (3) |
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 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 health care 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.