Program Mission and Values | Curriculum Overview | Program Goals and Outcomes
Program Competencies | PANCE Performance Summary Report | Program Attrition | Accreditation
The Austin College PA Program curriculum is designed to lead students through a 24-month plan of study that prepares them to meet the competencies for entry into the PA profession in the areas of medical knowledge, interpersonal and communication skills, clinical reasoning and problem solving, clinical and technical skills, and professional behaviors. The total number of credit units in the program is 28.5, which is equivalent to 114 semester credit hours.
Students who successfully meet all requirements for graduation from the PA Program earn a Master of Medical Science Degree.
Pre-clinical Phase
The pre-clinical phase consists of 13-months of didactic instruction. Each semester’s courses build upon the content delivered in previous terms and emphasize active engagement to facilitate the application of newly acquired knowledge and skills.
Pre-clinical Courses
| Summer (12 Weeks) | Credit Unit* |
| PAED 520 Foundations of Medicine | 1.50 |
| PAED 521 Pharmacotherapeutics I | 0.25 |
| PAED 522 Patient Assessment & Skills I | 0.25 |
| PAED 523 PA Seminar I | 0.25 |
| PAED 524 Laboratory & Diagnostic Testing | 0.75 |
| PAED 525 Clinical Anatomy & Physiology | 1.00 |
| PAED 526 Health Across the Lifespan | 0.75 |
| TOTAL | 4.75 |
| Fall (14 weeks) | |
| PAED 530 Medicine I | 2.25 |
| PAED 531 Pharmacotherapeutics II | 1.00 |
| PAED 532 Patient Assessment & Skills II | 1.00 |
| PAED 533 PA Seminar II | 0.50 |
| PAED 534 Evidence Based Medicine | 0.25 |
| PAED 535 Introduction to Lifestyle Medicine | 0.25 |
| TOTAL | 5.25 |
| Spring (18 weeks) | |
| PAED 540 Medicine II | 2.25 |
| PAED 541 Pharmacotherapeutics III | 1.00 |
| PAED 542 Patient Assessment & Skills III | 1.50 |
| PAED 543 PA Seminar III | 0.25 |
| PAED 544 Principles of Emergency Medicine | 0.75 |
| PAED 545 Care of the Surgical Patient | 0.5 |
| PAED 546 Clinical Decision Making | 0.5 |
| TOTAL | 6.75 |
| Transitional Phase (4 weeks: June) | |
| PAED 550 Pre-clinical Seminar | 0.5 |
| TOTAL PRE-CLINICAL PHASE | 17.25 |
Clinical Phase
The clinical phase of the program is 11 months in duration and consists of 40 weeks of supervised clinical practice experiences in outpatient, inpatient, emergency department and operation room settings and the Clinical Seminar course, which runs the length of the clinical phase. Students learn to care for patients across the lifespan (infants, children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly) in various medical specialties. There are seven core rotations and three elective rotations, all of which are required.
The Clinical Seminar course challenges students to integrate and apply cumulative knowledge gained from all previously completed didactic courses and supervised clinical practice experiences. Synchronous and asynchronous study of selected topics including contemporary issues regarding physician assistant practice will be included. Students will engage in on-campus immersions designed to refine critical thinking and problem-solving skills and promote competency in clinical procedures. This course culminates with students completing summative practical and written examinations and presenting their Capstone project, which represents scholarly work students have engaged in throughout their time in the PA program.
Clinical Courses
| Course | Credit Unit* |
| PAED 560 Internal Medicine | 1 |
| PAED 561 Family Medicine | 1 |
| PAED 562 Behavioral Medicine | 1 |
| PAED 563 Pediatric Medicine | 1 |
| PAED 564 Surgery | 1 |
| PAED 565 Emergency Medicine | 1 |
| PAED 566 Women’s Health | 1 |
| PAED 567 Elective I | 1 |
| PAED 568 Elective II | 1 |
| PAED 569 Elective III | 1 |
| PAED 570 Clinical Seminar | 1.25 |
| TOTAL | 11.25 |
*1 credit unit is equivalent to 4 semester credit hours