About the Physician Assistant Graduate Program
OHIO’s PA Program is a 27-month program that begins annually in January, with program completion at the end of the spring semester.
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 Rotations
- 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.
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 5141 | Professional Development and Leadership I | 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 5151 | Professional Development and Leadership II | 1 credit hour |
| Clinical Rotation 8 | 3 credit hours | |
| Clinical Rotation 9 | 3 credit hours | |
| Clinical Rotation 10 | 3 credit hours | |
Delivery Methods
All courses offered in semesters 1-4 are conducted in-person. All clinical courses in semesters 5-7 are in-person and will be conducted at an assigned clinical site.
PA 5141, PA 5151, PA 6220, and PA 6230 are online courses with some expected in-person experiences, as outlined in the respective course syllabi.
| Clinical Rotations | |
|---|---|
| PA 6101 | Behavioral and Mental Health |
| PA 6102 | Emergency Medicine |
| PA 6103 | Family Medicine |
| PA 6104 | General Surgery |
| PA 6106 | Internal Medicine I* |
| PA 6107 | Internal Medicine II* |
| PA 6108 | Pediatric Medicine |
| PA 6109 | Women's Health |
| PA 6110 | General Selective I |
| PA 6111 | General Selective II |
| PA 6112 | Specialty Selective |
*Will be assigned either PA 6106 or PA 6107
Course Listing by Series
Professional Development Series
- Physician Assistant Practice I
- Health Promotion and Disease Prevention for the Physician Assistant
- Professional Development and Leadership I
- Professional Development and Leadership II
Foundational Sciences Series
- Clinical Gross Anatomy for the Physician Assistant
- Clinical Science for the Physician Assistant
- Clinical Pharmacology I
- Clinical Pharmacology II
- Clinical Pharmacology III
- 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
- Radiologic Science
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
- Care of the Critically Ill and Hospitalized Patient
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 spring 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.
Clinical Rotation sites are identified, contacted, evaluated, and assigned by the OHIO PA program. Students are never required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors.
Students must be prepared to travel to clinical rotation sites. The OHIO PA program's clinical rotations consist of in-state and out-of-state experiences.
Students are responsible for all rotation-related expenses, including housing, travel, food, and any other travel-related expenses incurred.