Physician Assistant Studies

Grad Degree Offered Info

Degree Offered:	M.S.P.A.S.
Program Director:	M. Tosi Gilford, MD, PA-C
Phone:	(205) 936-9921
E-mail:	AskCDS@uab.edu
Website:	www.uab.edu/pa

General Information

Physician Assistants (PAs) are valuable members of a multidisciplinary healthcare team. The profession was established in 1965 to help physicians provide healthcare services to under-served and rural populations. While the profession remains committed to its historical mission, PAs are now employed in almost all medical and surgical specialties.
PAs are healthcare professionals licensed to practice medicine under the supervision of a physician. Individual state practice laws and hospital bylaws define the scope of practice and prescribing authority of physician assistants. To be eligible for licensure, PAs must graduate from an accredited physician assistant program and pass the Physician Assistant National Certification Examination (PANCE). To maintain licensure, PAs must complete 100 hours of continuing medical education credits every two years and pass the Physician Assistant National Recertification Examination (PANRE) every ten years. PAs may obtain additional training through postgraduate residency programs in various subspecialty areas, but these programs are not required for licensure or practice in subspecialty areas.

Admission Prerequisite Coursework and Application Information

All prerequisite courses must be successfully completed in the United States.

Requirements		Hours
BY 115	Human Anatomy	4
BY 116	Introductory Human Physiology	4
or BY 409	Principles of Human Physiology
BY 123	Introductory Biology I	4
BY 124	Introductory Biology II	4
BY 261	Introduction to Microbiology	4
or BY 271	Biology of Microorganisms
CH 115 & CH 116 & CH 117 & CH 118	General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory and General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory (CH 105, CH 106, CH 107, CH 108 accepted)	8
PY 216 & 216L	Elementary Statistical Methods and Elementary Statistical Methods Laboratory	3-4
or MA 180	Introduction to Statistics
or HCM 360	Statistics for Managers
PY 101	Introduction to Psychology	3
or PY 201	Honors Introduction to Psychology
PY 212	Developmental Psychology	3
or PY 218	Psychopathology
Medical Terminology		3
HCM 350	Medical Terminology for Health Professionals

Grad Additional Info

Deadline for All Application Materials to be received by the CASPA:	Completed applications must be received by the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) no later than August 1 the year prior to the expected term of enrollment
Number of Evaluations/ Letter of Recommendations Required:	Three
Entrance Tests:	GRE (TOEFL is required for international applicants whose native language is not English) or MCAT.

Accreditation:

The Physician Assistant Studies Program is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA).

Credentials Conferred:

Diploma – The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS) degree is awarded by the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Professional Certification:

Graduates of the UAB PA program are eligible to take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) sponsored by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) to become a certified PA.

Essential Requirements

Fundamental tasks, behaviors, and abilities necessary to successfully complete the academic and clinical requirements of the program and to satisfy licensure/certification requirements have been outlined and are available upon request from the academic program office. Students requesting disability accommodations should contact UAB Disability Support Services (DSS) at 205-934-4205.

Program Curriculum:

Course requirements are listed below with semester credit hours shown.

Didactic Curriculum

First Year
First Term	Hours
PA 601	4
PA 602	4
PA 605	4
PA 610	3
PA 615	1
CDS 505	1
GC 535	1
	18
Total credit hours: 18

First Year
Second Term	Hours
PA 603	3
PA 606	6
PA 608	3
PA 611	3
PA 616	1
	16
Total credit hours: 16

First Year
Summer Term	Hours
PA 604	3
PA 607	6
PA 609	3
PA 613	3
PA 618	1
PA 619	2
	18
Total credit hours: 18

Second Year
First Term	Hours
PA 614	2
PA 617	3
PA 620	2
PA 633	2
PA 634	2
PA 635	2
	13
Total credit hours: 13

Clinical Curriculum

The clinical component of the curriculum consists of 11 clinical rotations PA 621 – PA 632 plus Senior Seminar and a Master's Research Project Presentation. Of the clinical rotations, 7 are required core rotations and 4 are electives.

Second Year
Second Term	Hours
PA 621	4
PA 622	4
PA 623	4
PA 624	4
PA 643	1
	17
Total credit hours: 17

Second Year
Summer Term	Hours
PA 625	4
PA 626	4
PA 627	4
PA 629	4
PA 698	1
PA 644	1
	18
Total credit hours: 18

Third Year
First Term	Hours
PA 630	4
PA 631	4
PA 632	4
PA 645	3
	15
Total credit hours: 15

Clinical Rotations (PA 621- PA 632)

7 Required Core Clinical Rotations

4 Elective Clinical Rotations:

Requirements		Hours
PA 621	Clinical Service I	4
PA 622	Clinical Service II	4
PA 623	Clinical Service III	4
PA 624	Clinical Service IV	4
PA 625	Clinical Service V	4
PA 626	Clinical Service VI	4
PA 627	Clinical Service VII	4
PA 629	Clinical Service IX	4
PA 630	Clinical Service X	4
PA 631	Clinical Service XI	4
PA 632	Clinical Services XII	4

Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies-Master of Public Health Degree Option

The coordinated Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies and Master of Public Health (MSPAS-MPH) dual degree program will prepare physician assistant students for leadership roles that address community healthcare needs. The program aims to increase the number of high quality primary care clinicians with public health expertise and thus improve access, quality and cost of care. This plan of study provides students with a thorough understanding of the social and environmental determinants of health, population disease prevention and health promotion strategies, health disparities, epidemiological research analysis and healthcare quality improvement capabilities.

Admissions Requirements

Students must meet the admissions requirements for both the MSPAS degree program as well as the MPH degree program. Click here for MSPAS admissions requirements. Click here for UAB School of Public Health admissions requirements.
In addition to meeting the stated requirements for each degree separately, applicants for the dual degree must also have completed a bachelor's degree and all prerequisites before December 30 in order to start the program in January of the following spring term.

Application Procedures

In order to be considered for admission to the UAB MSPAS/MPH dual degree program, candidates will need to complete and submit the following materials by the stated deadlines:

August 1: The Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) Application
August 7: The UAB PA Supplemental Application
August 7: The UAB Graduate School MPH/MSPAS ApplyYourself Application

For more information visit the Physician Assistant Studies web page for the MSPAS-MPH degree option at http://www.uab.edu/shp/cds/physician-assistant/mspas-mph

Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies

Requirements		Hours
PA 601	Human Gross Anatomy	4
PA 602	Medical Physiology	4
PA 603	Pharmacology I	3
PA 604	Pharmacology II	3
PA 605	Clinical Pathology	4
PA 606	Clinical Medicine I	6
PA 607	Clinical Medicine II	6
PA 608	Surgical Disease I	3
PA 609	Surgical Disease II	3
PA 610	Clinical Lab Medicine	3
PA 611	History and Physical Examination I	3
PA 613	Surgical Techniques	3
PA 614	Operating Room Techniques	2
PA 615	Intro to the Profession	1
PA 616	Electrocardiography	1
PA 617	Applied Behavioral Medicine	3
PA 618	Risk Management	1
PA 619	Fundamentals of Clinical Research	2
PA 620	Analysis of Professional Literature	2
PA 633	Navigating Healthcare Delivery and Reimbursement Systems for Physician Assistants	2
PA 634	Simulated Clinical Concepts	2
PA 635	Special Populations in Medicine	2
CDS 505	Professional Skills Development	1
GC 535	Medical Genetics Across the Lifespan	1
Clinical Service
PA 621	Clinical Service I	4
PA 622	Clinical Service II	4
PA 623	Clinical Service III	4
PA 624	Clinical Service IV	4
PA 625	Clinical Service V	4
PA 626	Clinical Service VI	4
PA 627	Clinical Service VII	4
PA 629	Clinical Service IX	4
PA 630	Clinical Service X	4
PA 631	Clinical Service XI	4
PA 632	Clinical Services XII	4
PA 643	Senior Seminar I	1
PA 644	Senior Seminar II	1
PA 645	Senior Seminar III	3
PA 698	Presentation of Res Project	1
Total Hours		115

Courses

PA 550. Introduction to Medical History Taking and Physical Examination. 3 Hours.

Introduction to the proper way to elicit a comprehensive medical history, perform a physical examination, and report the findings in a systematic and concise format.

PA 601. Human Gross Anatomy. 4 Hours.

Course provides a comprehensive survey of the gross anatomy of the human along with functional and applied anatomy as it relates to common clinical findings. It utilizes a lecture format and cadaver dissection laboratory sessions.

PA 601L. Human Gross Anatomy Lab. 0 Hours.

Human cadaver dissection laboratory for PA 601.

PA 602. Medical Physiology. 4 Hours.

Course emphasizes the normal function and control of various systems within the human body. The principles taught will serve as a foundation for understanding the etiology, management and prevention of disease processes.

PA 603. Pharmacology I. 3 Hours.

Course provides students with the pharmacologic knowledge needed to begin practice as primary care physician assistants. Delivery is via classroom lecture and supplemented with intermittent case studies requiring students to critically evaluate medical conditions and choose safe and effective medications in treating those conditions.

PA 604. Pharmacology II. 3 Hours.

Second and final course in a series that provides students with the pharmacologic knowledge needed to begin practice as primary care physician assistants. Delivered via classroom lecture and supplemented with intermittent case studies requiring students to critically evaluate medical conditions and choose safe and effective medications in treating those conditions.
Prerequisites: PA 603 [Min Grade: C]

PA 605. Clinical Pathology. 4 Hours.

Descriptions of the pathologic processes involved in common disorders and diseases; introduction to the principles of clinical medicine and clinical problem solving; and provide foundation needed for clinical courses taught later in the curriculum.

PA 606. Clinical Medicine I. 6 Hours.

Introductory course in human disease designed to describe the pathologic processes involved in common disorders and diseases; introduces students to the principles of clinical medicine and clinical problem solving; provides background needed for medical courses taught later in the curriculum.
Prerequisites: PA 601 [Min Grade: C] and PA 602 [Min Grade: C] and PA 605 [Min Grade: C] and PA 610 [Min Grade: C]

PA 607. Clinical Medicine II. 6 Hours.

Overview of the diagnosis and management of the most common clinical problems seen by primary care practitioners; employs an organ systems approach incorporating relevant anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, radiology and nutrition.
Prerequisites: PA 606 [Min Grade: C]

PA 608. Surgical Disease I. 3 Hours.

Course introduces students to common surgical disorders with early emphasis on physiologic changes, medical requirements and evaluation of patients before, during, and after surgery. It also provides basic instruction in the diagnosis, management, and complications associated with common surgical gastrointestinal and urogenital disorders.
Prerequisites: PA 601 [Min Grade: C]

PA 609. Surgical Disease II. 3 Hours.

Course delivered via didactic instruction and focuses on the pre-operative evaluation and diagnosis, and post-operative management and treatment of common disorders of the heart, lungs, and vascular systems.
Prerequisites: PA 608 [Min Grade: C]

PA 610. Clinical Lab Medicine. 3 Hours.

An introduction to laboratory diagnostics with an emphasis on pathology, microbiology, hematology, and clinical chemistry. Course utilizes lecture format, specimen handling in a clinical laboratory as well as cost effective diagnostic algorithms in problem-based case scenarios.

PA 610L. Clinical Laboratory Medicine Lab. 0 Hours.

Lab for PA 610 Clinical Laboratory Medicine.

PA 611. History and Physical Examination I. 3 Hours.

First course in a series of two that provides students with the skills necessary to elicit a comprehensive medical history, perform a complete physical examination and systematically report thier findings. A variety of teaching formats are utilized including: lectures, small group activities, video productions, and simulated patients.

PA 611L. History and Physical Examination I Lab. 0 Hours.

Laboratory required for PA 611 History and Physical Examination I.

PA 613. Surgical Techniques. 3 Hours.

Provides didactic instruction and appliad technical skills in surgical techniques and various invasive medical procedures. An animal sugery laboratory, using live pigs is an essential component.
Prerequisites: PA 601 [Min Grade: C]

PA 614. Operating Room Techniques. 2 Hours.

Final course in a series providing didactic instruction and applied technical skills in surgical techniques and various invasive medical procedures. Experiences in operating rooms in Birmingham area hospitals observing the basics in surgical first assisting.
Prerequisites: PA 613 [Min Grade: C]

PA 615. Intro to the Profession. 1 Hour.

Course is designed to introduce students to the Physician Assistant profession and to prepare them to practice as professionals in a physician/PA/patient team. It will cover roles and responsibilities of thePA including their expected legal and moral behavior, their understanding of laws governing their practice and their ethical responsibilities in being health care professionals. The course will also teach students to respect the health, safety, welfare, and dignity of all human beings and to assess their own personal capabilities and limitations, striving always to improve thier medical practice.

PA 616. Electrocardiography. 1 Hour.

Course presents the basic concepts needed to interpret the electrocardiogram and will provide opportunities to develop interpretive skills through analysis of rhythm strips and 12-lead electrocardiograms. Upon completeion of the course, students will be able to systematically interpret basic rhythm strips and 12-lead electrocardiograms.

PA 617. Applied Behavioral Medicine. 3 Hours.

Course introduces students to human behavior, strategies and issues surrounding health education and theoretical models of how to change human behavior. This knowledge will enable students to incorporate health promotion and disease prevention strategies in their daily clinical practice to the benefit of their patients.

PA 618. Risk Management. 1 Hour.

Course provides an introduction to the legal, political and professional issues affecting physician assistant practice.

PA 619. Fundamentals of Clinical Research. 2 Hours.

Foundations of epidemiologic measures, reasons for patterns of disease occurrence, principles of medical surveillance, methods for investigating disease outbreaks, and principles of diagnostic tests. Review of study designs, roles of variability and bias in the interpretation of scientific literature, and principles of clinical decision-making based on medical literature.

PA 620. Analysis of Professional Literature. 2 Hours.

This course is designed to prepare students to critically evaluate medical literature and use as basia for making medical decisions.

PA 621. Clinical Service I. 4 Hours.