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.
The curriculum is delivered using a variety of instructional methods including synchronous instruction and pre-recorded lectures. Supplemental resources including the Osmosis learning platform, readings, and videos are used. Active learning sessions with faculty reinforce instruction, particularly when topics are more complex. Several courses include faculty-facilitated lab sessions and case-based small group sessions. Lab sessions incorporate the use of Anatomage tables, Microsoft HoloLenses, and Point of Care Ultrasound to facilitate learning. Instruction is provided by full-time PA faculty and content experts that serve as didactic instructional faculty.
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 Professional Practice 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 Professional Practice 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 Professional Practice 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. Reliable transportation is required throughout a student's time in the program. While many of the program's clinical rotations are within the nearby communities, students should expect to commute up to 90 minutes to and from clinical rotations and may complete rotations outside of a commutable distance. All travel expenses related to a student's education while enrolled in the PA program are the responsibility of the student. When clinical rotations occur outside of commutable distances, there may or may not be PA program-identified housing options and often housing expenses are the responsibility of the student. These expenses are factored into the expected cost of attendance figures on the Tuition and Fee tab of our website.
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