Didactic Course Descriptions

Fall Semester | First Semester

PAS 601 HEALTHCARE POLICY LAW, ETHICS, PROFESSIONALISM, AND PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT HISTORY
This is a one semester course that focuses on the historical development of the PA profession; licensure, professional organizations, professional competencies and professional certification. The PAs role in healthcare policy, law, professional and ethical behavior are topics that are covered. Topics affecting the Physician-PA interprofessional team collaboration and political issues affecting PA Practice will also be examined. This also begins the program-long awareness and discussion of professional topics and practice as related to the PA. This course will also concentrate on ethical decision-making strategies and ethical principles as they pertain to the physician assistant. Students will engage in discussions and case-based activities to explore moral, philosophical, and social dilemmas in health care. Topics include issues in beginning and end-of-life care, and the role of culture, religion and the law in clinical practice.

This course explores all aspects of the PA Profession including, but not limited to, PA licensure, credentialing, historical, and professional organizational topics along with laws, regulations and current trends regarding PA Practice. Attention is placed upon team-based and interprofessional collaboration. This also begins the program-long awareness and discussion of professional topics and practice as related to the PA.

This course will also delineate the physician assistant’s role in identifying, promoting and maintaining quality in varying healthcare settings. Students learn about the role of accrediting agencies in establishing and evaluating standards and in promoting and maintaining quality as well as the PA’s role in identifying, promoting and maintaining quality in varying healthcare settings. Students learn about the legal issues surrounding various practice settings within which PAs function and the most common liability related to PA practice. Students learn about grounds for disciplinary action, define due process and what constitutes medical malpractice (4 credits).

PAS 602 CLINICAL HUMAN ANATOMY LECTURE
An integrated lecture-laboratory course in gross anatomy designed to provide an understanding of the structural and functional anatomy of the human body essential to the practicing Physician Assistant. Clinical problems are used to highlight the importance of anatomy to the understanding of the clinical sciences. Regional sections to be covered include general anatomical concepts, central nervous system, upper extremities and back, head and neck, thorax and abdomen, perineum, pelvis and lower extremities (5 credits).

PAS 604 HEALTH HISTORY AND PHYSICAL DIAGNOSIS I LECTURE AND LAB
This is the first part of a 2-semester course consisting of both lecture and lab. The lecture component introduces the student to the concepts and techniques of medical interviewing, obtaining an accurate history, and performing a complete and thorough physical examination. The course covers the practical terminology utilized to record a medical history and physical examination. The laboratory portion emphasizes the hands-on skills necessary to perfect the techniques of the physical exam. These sessions are taught in a small group setting by the PA faculty. Emphasis is also placed on perfecting the written history and physical/SOAP note (5 credits).

PAS 605 CLINICAL PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
This course is designed to provide the PA students with a fundamental understanding of abnormal tissue and organ structure and the pathological changes that occur during disease. This course utilizes an organ systems approach to build a knowledge base of the key concepts of the evolution and expression of diseases commonly seen by primary care providers for specific organ system. This course is designed to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of Pathology with emphasis on cell, tissue, and organ changes, and dysfunction that lead to the processes of disease and how these diseases present themselves clinically. Since disease originates in cell and tissue change and dysfunction, understanding the normal structure and function of tissues gives insight regarding mechanisms of disease across the ages (5 credits).

Spring Semester | Second Semester

PAS 609 HEALTH HISTORY AND PHYSICAL DIAGNOSIS II LECTURE AND LAB
This is the second part of a 2-semester course consisting of both lecture and lab. The lecture component introduces the student to the concepts and techniques of medical interviewing, obtaining an accurate history, and performing a complete and thorough physical examination. The course covers the practical terminology utilized to record a medical history and physical examination. The laboratory portion emphasizes the hands-on skills necessary to perfect the techniques of the physical exam. These sessions are taught in a small group setting by the PA faculty. Emphasis is also placed on perfecting the written history and physical/SOAP note (5 credits).

PAS 610 CLINICAL MEDICINE-I CARDIOLOGY/PULMONOLOGY/GASTROINTESTINAL
This is the first course of a series of three-semester courses focusing on the study of disease. This intensive medicine course that covers the etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of common diseases in the modules of cardiology, pulmonology and gastrointestinal medicine. The course builds on lectures from clinical anatomy and pathophysiology and coincides with the in-depth instruction of treatment modalities in Medical Pharmacology-I. Areas of concentration include the cardiovascular, pulmonary and gastrointestinal systems across the life span (5 credits).

PAS 611 CLINICAL CORRELATIONS-1 CARDIOLOGY/Pulmonol/Gastroenterology
This is the first course of a series of three semester courses that involves interactive practical integration and application of knowledge and skills acquired from Physical Assessment 1, Clinical Medicine 1, Pathophysiology and Medical Pharmacology. It is designed to develop critical thinkers and solidify medical concepts through collaborative learning and simulation laboratory experiences. Professionalism and technical competencies are also emphasized. Areas of concentration include the cardiovascular, pulmonary and gastrointestinal systems across the life span (1 credit).

PAS 612 MEDICAL PHARMACOLOGY-1
This is the first course in a series of three-semester courses, which introduces physician assistant students to the basic principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and their application to clinical medicine. It will also explore the influence and mechanisms of action of drugs upon the body. Classes of pharmaceuticals with a focus on mechanisms of drugs, common side effects, drug-drug interactions and interactions of drugs with disease states under treatment are discussed. Clinical case studies and problem-solving sessions are introduced. The classes of pharmaceuticals introduced will parallel the organ system being studied in Clinical Medicine I. Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of the disorders of the cardiovascular, pulmonary and gastrointestinal systems across the life span (2 credits).

PAS 613 Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology, and Immunology
This lecture only course provides the student with an understanding of the use of the clinical laboratory as an aid to the diagnosis, treatment and management of disease. This includes instruction focused on the biochemistry of disease processes and related pharmacology, genetics and immunology and pathogenic categories including bacteria, virology, rickettsia, mycobacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Normal diagnostic values, risk factors associated with diagnostic studies, procedures and differential diagnosis formulations are presented along with patient education regarding diagnostic studies. Practical field experiences to clinical diagnostic laboratories will reinforce the course materials with an emphasis on the practical application and utilization of laboratory diagnostic testing (2 credits).

PAS 614 MEDICINE IN MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED AREAS AND THE HEALTHCARE NEEDS OF SPECIAL POPULATIONS
The course is designed to bring into focus the practice of delivering quality, cost effective and timely primary healthcare to the culturally diverse and medically underserved populations. These areas of need include, but are not limited to, rural, inner-city, military, Native American, indigent, prison as well as a growing number of undocumented individuals who are in need of a vibrant healthcare system designed for their specific healthcare population. Further focus will be placed on individuals who are elderly, disabled, victims of domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, children and adults with special needs including individuals who suffer from problems relating to behavioral health concerns. Students will learn how to identify factors that impact the lives of the healthcare challenged population both socioeconomically and culturally. Students will undertake an active role in planning, defining, delivering and educating these special need populations. Firsthand student experiences will be outlined and documented by the student and presented to the class where active problem-based learning will be addressed (2 credits).

PAS 615 RADIOLOGY AND DIAGNOSTIC MODALITIES
This lecture course provides an overview of common radiologic and diagnostic procedures utilized in primary care. The student is introduced to imaging modalities and their role in clinical medicine. Included are studies of the chest and abdomen, GI series, GU radiology, examination of extremities, and mammography. This includes instruction in basic ECG interpretation, radiographs, mammography, CAT scan, MRI, ultrasound and FAST, PET and nuclear medicine imaging. Through combined lectures and case discussions students will learn how to order and interpret a variety of diagnostic radiologic studies as well as basic EKG interpretation (2 credits).

Summer Semester | Third Semester

PAS 616 CLINICAL MEDICINE-II DERMATOLOGY/EENT/HEMATOLOGY-ONCOLOGY/INFECTIOUS DISEASE
This is the second course of a series of three-semester courses focusing on the study of disease. This lecture only course utilizes an organ systems approach to build a knowledge base of the diagnosis and management of common clinical conditions seen by primary care providers. The course builds on lectures in Clinical Anatomy and Pathophysiology, and Clinical Medicine I and coincides with the in-depth instruction of treatment modalities in presented Medical Pharmacology 2. 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. Areas of study include the integumentary, and hematologic systems, infectious disease and EENT across the life span (5 credits).

PAS 617 CLINICAL CORRELATIONS II DERMATOLOGY, HEMATOLOGY/ONCOLOGY, INFECTIOUS DISEASE, EENT
This is the second course of a series of three that involves interactive practical integration and application of knowledge and skills acquired from History and Physical Diagnosis 1,2, Clinical Medicine 1,2, Pathophysiology, Medical Pharmacology 1, 2 and Clinical Correlations 1. It is designed to develop critical thinkers and solidify medical concepts through collaborative learning and simulation laboratory experiences. Professionalism and technical competencies are also emphasized. Areas of concentration include the integumentary, hematologic/Oncologic and EENT systems as well as infectious diseases across the life span (1 credit).

PAS 618 MEDICAL PHARMACOLOGY-2 DERMATOLOGY/HEMATOLOGY-ONCOLOGY/INFECTIOUS DISEASE/EENT
This is the second course of a series of three-semester courses, which introduces physician assistant students to the study of the general principles of pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, dosage forms and dose-response of common medications encountered in the primary care setting. Classes of pharmaceuticals with a focus on mechanisms of drugs, common side effects, drug-drug interactions and interactions of drugs with disease states under treatment are discussed.The classes of pharmaceuticals introduced will parallel the organ system being studied in Clinical Medicine 2. Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of the disorders of the Dermatologic, Hematologic-Oncologic/Infectious Disease including Eyes, Ears, Nose and Throat (EENT) across the life span (2 credits).

PAS 619 EMERGENCY MEDICINE
This course is designed to prepare students to evaluate and treat patients in an emergency room setting. Students will learn the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, evaluation and management of urgent and emergent medical problems commonly encountered in emergency departments. Students will develop an understanding of the fundamental workings of an emergency department. Students will be introduced to the pre-requisite skill set needed to function as a member of the interprofessional healthcare team within an emergency department setting (3 credits).

PAS 620 OBSTETRICS/GYNECOLOGY/WOMEN’S HEALTH
Obstetrics/Gynecology and Women’s Health will cover aspects of the female reproductive system with an emphasis on normal anatomy and female physiology. The student will learn how to perform a complete and focused gynecological and obstetrical history and physical. Emphasis will be directed on the management of a normal pregnancy including pre-natal care, labor along with the stages of delivery. Clinical manifestations of pregnancy including associated complications will also be stressed along with the appropriate treatment and follow-up treatment plans. Clinical manifestations and treatment of common gynecological problems such as venereal diseases, menstrual disorders, and neoplasms are considered. Patient education is stressed as a crucial part of the management plan (2 credits).

PAS 621 SURGERY
The course deals with general surgical concepts. The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to the general aspects of Surgery which is essential to the practicing Physician Assistant. The course will provide the student with the fundamentals of basic surgical science as applied to the practice of clinical surgery. In addition, the students will learn about general surgical care. The course will also be encompassing the care and management of the surgical patient from the pre-admission stage through the immediate postoperative period. The course structure will detail the different aspects of in-patient and outpatient surgical care and considerations as well as providing the students with a core understanding of mechanisms of wound healing and surgical techniques. Included are illnesses that require surgical intervention, their signs and symptoms, diagnostic modalities, and outcomes. Students learn about critical care management and how to function as members of a critical care team. 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 (3 credits).

PAS 622 MUSCULOSKELETAL/RHEUMATOLOGY
Musculoskeletal and Rheumatology is an intensive medicine course that covers the etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of musculoskeletal and rheumatologic diseases and disorders. This lecture only utilizes a clinical approach to build a knowledge base of the diagnosis and management of common clinical conditions seen by primary care providers for musculoskeletal and rheumatologic diseases and disorders. Emphasis is placed on the process and application of acquiring new medical knowledge in regard to clinical situations which may be encountered. Students will refine their ability to reason independently while developing treatment and management plans for various patient presentations. The course builds on lectures in Clinical Anatomy. Areas of study include the musculoskeletal and rheumatological areas of clinical medicine (2 credits).

PAS 631 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, HUMAN SEXUALITY AND COUNSELING
This lecture course is an overview of the principles of behavioral medicine and counseling, including the normal and abnormal psychological development and pathologies of pediatric, adult and geriatric patients. It provides an introductory approach to the interviewing and treatment, counseling of patients with behavioral and psychiatric problems across the life span. The role of psychotherapy will be explained, the concept of personality development and disorders, as well as disorders of childhood and adolescence will be discussed and identified. Gender identity will also be discussed across cultures and society. Death and dying will be covered including personal beliefs, values across the life span, legal and ethical topics will also be discussed and identified. This course also introduces the students to the principles of prevention and healthy behavior, the importance of nutrition; including obesity; and physical activity, smoking cessation, and public health issues across the life span.

This lecture will address a specific module to enhance the communication skills needed for health promotion, disease prevention, end of life and palliative care. The module will develop a student’s skill in motivational interviewing as well as preparing the student to discuss the importance of health promotion and disease prevention with the patient, the patient’s family or guardian. The student, if they so desire, will be able to discuss within a community setting the importance of health promotion, disease prevention, end of life and palliative care. End of life care is discussed taking into consideration cultural, spiritual and ethical issues. Palliative care is discussed and reviewed across special patient populations such as children and the elderly. Additionally, the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention module of this course develops counseling skills through strategies that the clinician can employ to help address health behavior issues in a patient centered culturally sensitive way to provide on-going support of patients’ behavioral changes. Students learn techniques to improve the effectiveness of patient education and counseling, including smoking cessation, exercise and nutritional counseling (2 credits).

Fall Semester | Fourth Semester

PAS 623 CLINICAL MEDICINE-III GENITOURINARY/ENDOCRINOLOGY/NEUROLOGY
This is the third course in a series of three courses focusing on the study of disease. This lecture only course utilizes an organ systems approach to build a knowledge base of the diagnosis and management of common clinical conditions seen by primary care providers for specific organ system. The course builds on lectures in Clinical Anatomy and Physiology, and Clinical Medicine I, Clinical Medicine 2 and coincides with the in-depth instruction of treatment modalities presented in Medical Pharmacology 3. Areas of concentration include the genitourinary, endocrine and neurological systems across the life span (5 credits).

PAS 624 CLINICAL CORRELATIONS-III GENITOURINARY/NEUROLOGY/ENDOCRINE/PSYCH-BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
This is the third course of a series of three that involves interactive practical integration and application of knowledge and skills acquired from History and Physical Diagnosis 1,2, Clinical Medicine 1,2 and 3 Pathophysiology, Medical Pharmacology 1, 2 and 3 along with Clinical Correlations 1 and 2. It is designed to develop critical thinkers and solidify medical concepts through collaborative learning and simulation laboratory experiences. Professionalism and technical competencies are also emphasized. Areas of concentration include the genitourinary, neurological and endocrine systems as well as psychiatry/behavioral health across the life span (1 credit).

PAS 625 MEDICAL PHARMACOLOGY-III
This is the third course of a series of three-semester courses, which introduces physician assistant students to the study of the general principles of pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, dosage forms and dose-response of common medications encountered in the primary care setting. Classes of pharmaceuticals with a focus on mechanisms of drugs, common side effects, drug-drug interactions and interactions of drugs with disease states under treatment are discussed. The classes of pharmaceuticals introduced will parallel the organ system being studied in Clinical Medicine 3. Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of the disorders of the Genitourinary, Neurological, Endocrine systems across the life span (2 credits).

PAS 626 EPIDEMILOGY, BIOSTATISTICS, AND EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE
The use of data in making clinical decisions is a core skill for the practicing healthcare professional. This data can be from expert opinion, textbooks, online aids or the medical literature. This course will introduce the physician assistant student to clinical problem solving assisted by the application of the medical literature. Identifying, evaluating and applying medical evidence is essential to the professional development of a physician assistant. This course will attempt to make the students fluent in ‘information mastery.’ This course will also explore health issues from a population–based perspective and look at the role that epidemiology has on the care provided to individuals and populations. We will apply the evidence-based medicine principles learned in the core part of the course to clinical problems as they apply at an epidemiologic level.

This course is intended for students to acquire and develop both the knowledge and the skills for evidence-based medicine (EBM). During this course students will use concepts obtained in previous courses as they are applied to help solving clinical problems.

The course will provide students with the basic concepts in biostatistics, such as measures of disease frequency, measures of effect, and statistical significance. Students will become familiar with standard techniques of data collection and analysis, and the content of vital statistics and mass data of the health field.

Finally, the course will work on critical scientific writing as a means to synthesize the skills learned in assessing and applying the medical literature (3 credits).

PAS 627 ESSENTIAL DIAGNOSTIC MODALITIES AND CLINICAL PROCEDURES AND ULTRASOUND
This course enables the student to develop and perfect skills that will be required on clinical rotations. The course enhances clinical experiences, clinical procedures, and further expands upon their knowledge base. Students have a lecture and skills demonstration which introduces each skill. Then students have a practice session and are subsequently tested on the technical skills utilizing laboratory models and aids. During the technical skills and diagnostic procedure module, students will learn the principles of sterile technique and develop a greater understanding of universal precaution protocol. There are practical sessions devoted to phlebotomy, IV infusion and injection (IM, Sub-Q, intra-dermal) techniques and in developing the proper technique for urinary catheters and nasogastric tubes insertions. Students learn to perform procedures such as hand washing, sterile technique, intravenous and arterial insertions, injection techniques, suturing, wound care, nasogastric tube placement and Foley catheter insertion. Casting and splinting, surgical scrub, gloving and gowning, minor surgical procedures, chest tube placement, and endotracheal intubation.

The Clinical Education Simulation Labs offer additional opportunities for our students to improve and hone their procedural skills. The labs have a full complement of supplementary simulation models to increase student proficiency in this area.

Included within this module will be training in Basic Life Support; Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Modules on New York State Mandated Infection Control and Child Abuse and Recognition which are required by clinical facilities prior to a student’s clinical affiliations (3 credits).

PAS 628 INTRODUCTION TO INTERPROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
This course is designed for healthcare profession students from the College of Mount Saint Vincent’s. Students will be integrated and explore the principles and practices of interprofessional collaboration. Delivered in a unique and formative format and supported by online resources that will have as its main focus facilitated group discussions the students will be introduced to a variety of healthcare professions that they will encounter during their future clinical practices. Content to be stressed will include a thorough understanding of the importance of team building, quality effective interprofessional communication, collaboration and decision making that will allow these future clinicians to enhance the delivery of quality cost effective patient care across the ages.

Within the context of Interprofessional Education the students will have the opportunity to partake in a real-life Interprofessional Workshop scenario to enhance their understanding of interprofessional collaboration. Students will be broken up into 1o-15 groups and will be partnered with other healthcare professionals (Nursing, Occupational, Physical, and Speech Therapists, Social Workers, etc.) in simulated patient encounters. Students will work as a member of the healthcare team to develop a treatment plan that encompasses the different medical disciplines in designing a valid and workable medical treatment plan for the simulated patient (1 credit).

PAS 629 PEDIATRICS
This course will focus on the study of disease within the pediatric population. Students learn how to recognize the fundamentals of the pediatric population as it pertains to neurological development from infant through adolescence into adulthood. Students will learn the basic skills necessary to complete a well-baby, routine follow-up and focused pediatric history and physical. Topics to be covered include neonatology, infant and adolescent medicine, nutritional requirements, preventative immunization schedules, well-baby development and growth milestones. Students will also be introduced to child abuse and childhood injuries. Pediatric documentation and charting will be covered. Childhood illnesses will be covered utilizing a systems approach with emphasis on signs and symptoms, treatment and family, patient education. Developmental and congenital abnormalities will be introduced (2 credits).

PAS 630 PRE-CLINICAL COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT
The Pre-Clinical Comprehensive Assessment course is designed to review course content from the didactic phase of the curriculum. Written summative examinations, a practical Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)/Objective Structured Long Examination Record (OSLER) examination, and a Professional Development Assessment Tool (P-DAT) will be administered to ensure the student has integrated the course content and demonstrates readiness for entry into the clinical phase of program (1 credit).