Sequence of Courses

An intensive medicine course that covers the etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of common diseases in the modules of nephrology, endocrinology, and infectious diseases. The pathophysiology of the organ systems in relation to the various disease processes is integrated with the clinical presentations, historical and physical findings, and laboratory and radiographic test results. Emphasis is placed on application of new medical knowledge to clinical situations, on diagnostic problem-solving and differential diagnosis, and on issues of patient education and preventive medicine. Students refine their ability to reason independently in developing treatment and management plans for various patient presentations.

A continuation of PAMN 606, in which students learn the clinical therapeutics essential in treating clinical conditions. Provides the student with a detailed understanding of a drug category\'s mechanism of action, therapeutic uses, major side effects, warnings, and precautions of the drugs used to treat diseases covered in the clinical medicine course(s) during the same semester. Classification of drugs continues to be covered in depth. Practical prescription writing and legalities of prescription writing as they pertain to PA\'s are further incorporated into clinical case studies and problem solving sessions.

Prerequisites: PAMN 420

A continuation of PAMN 620 and the second in a series considering topics in surgical subspecialties, providing students with the academic preparation to evaluate and manage patients with surgical conditions in a clinical setting. Areas covered are urology, cardiovascular surgery, pediatric surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, hand surgery, head and neck surgery, and transplant. Included is a practical session in suturing, knot tying, and sterile technique. Students learn about critical care management and how to function as members of a critical care team in the ICU, CCU, and NICU. Topics covered include basic physiologic needs of critical care patients, gas exchange kinetics and pathophysiology, management of multi-organ failure, burn trauma, and neonatal intensive care. An essential focus of the course is the development of skills in clinical reasoning, self-directed learning, teamwork, and communication. Emphasis is placed on the application of new medical/surgical knowledge to clinical situations.

Prerequisites: PAMN 620

This advanced surgery course encompasses the surgical subspecialties of orthopedics, otolaryngology (ENT), and other special topics. The orthopedics section considers the diagnosis and treatment of sprains, fractures, and dislocations, preparation and application of bandages, splints, and casts. Common orthopedic problems of the hand, knee, shoulder, and back are covered. Included is a practical session in casting/splinting. The otolaryngology unit reviews the structure and function of the ears, nose, parotid glands, oral cavity, and larynx. Emphasis is placed on the recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of common ENT disorders. Normal growth patterns, abnormalities, and the special senses (hearing, taste, and smell) are presented as each unit is presented. Lectures also cover the use of such basic diagnostic modalities as audiograms, tympanograms, and direct and indirect nasopharyngoscopy. Special topics include lectures in neurosurgery, neoplasms, and degenerative spine disease. Emphasis is placed on application of new medical/surgical knowledge to clinical situations, and on diagnostic problem-solving and differential diagnosis. Students refine their ability to reason independently in assessing treatment options for various patient presentations.

Prerequisites: PAMN 620

This is the second of a two-semester course sequence. Students are taught the key points of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical features and differential diagnosis of many disease entities, as they may present in the Emergency Department. Also includes the recognition and appropriate early intervention and management of traumatic injuries. Other topics include toxicology, dental emergencies, environmental emergencies, ENT emergencies, burns, neurological emergencies, pediatric emergencies, hematologic and oncologic emergencies, and endocrine emergencies.

Prerequisites: PAMN 625

Enables the student to develop and perfect skills that will be required on clinical rotations. The course encompasses Clinical Experiences, Clinical Procedures, and Clinical Correlations. The Clinical Experiences component provides the students with direct patient contact wherein they can perfect their skills in history-taking, physical examination, and writing H&Ps. In the Clinical Procedures component, students learn the basic principles of sterile technique and universal precautions. There are hands-on sessions in phlebotomy, starting IVs, giving injections, placing urinary catheters and nasogastric tubes. The Clinical Correlations component allows students to fully assimilate and utilize their medical and basic sciences knowledge along with problem-oriented history and physical examination skills to analyze the types of patient health care problems they may encounter in the clinical environment. This component utilizes the problem-based learning method as an instructional model, wherein students work both in groups and individually to apply critical reasoning skills to the assessment of clinical problems and case scenarios.

As the first course in the research module, which culminates with the Master's Project, this course introduces students to common research designs in epidemiology, issues of validity and reliability in medical testing, and common techniques for analyzing group statistics. Students are also introduced to concepts of risk, population distributions and factors associated with disease, analysis of costs and benefits of intervention, as well as the knowledge necessary to interpret statistical data and research results. The course will also familiarize students with statistical concepts of frequencies, within- and between-group variability, qualitative and quantitative data, common tests of statistical significance and probability theory.

This course introduces physician assistant students to principles of evidence-based practice and policy, national practice guidelines and other best-practice paradigms. Various medical practice areas will be studied in an effort to demonstrate applicability of the evidence-based approach. This course teaches students to discern evidence-based approaches in the literature and apply appropriate findings to their future practice. The exercises, discussions and readings offered in this course guide students in their development as clinicians capable of mindful critique. Furthermore, the course provides strategies for integrating this new information into the student\'s own, personalized approach to clinical practice.