PA Curriculum-Clinical Year

This required 5-week clinical clerkship provides students with exposure to the principles and practice of internal medicine.  Emphasis is placed on caring for the acutely and chronically ill adult patient who requires hospitalization.  Students will participate in admission history-taking, physical examination, assessment and formulation of a plan and problem list, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, proper medical documentation, and reporting to the healthcare team as appropriate for the clerkship.  During this clerkship, students may additionally participate in inpatient rounds, provide patient presentations to clinical team members, and bedside procedures. They will develop an understanding of how to function as part of the medical team, develop effective communication with the patient, the healthcare team, and the patient’s family.

This required 5-week clinical clerkship provides students with exposure to the principles and practice of obstetrics and gynecology, including health maintenance and screening.  Emphasis is placed on caring for female patients across their life span, including menarche, family planning, childbearing years, perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause.  Students will learn how to recognize and treat sexually transmitted diseases, ovarian, breast, and uterine cancer, and evaluate and treat common ambulatory gynecologic problems.  Students will learn prenatal counseling and care and may have exposure to labor and delivery.  They will participate in history-taking, physical examination, assessment and formulation of a plan and problem list, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, proper medical documentation, and reporting to the healthcare team as appropriate for the clerkship.  During this clerkship, students may additionally participate in inpatient rounds, provide patient presentations to clinical team members, and bedside procedures.  They will develop an understanding of how to function as part of the medical team, improve effective communication with the patient, the healthcare team, and the patient’s family.

This required 5-week clinical clerkship provides the student with exposure to the principles and practice of pediatric medicine in the ambulatory setting.  Students will gain experience caring for neonates, infants, children, and adolescents, providing parental education and guidance, recognizing the appropriate milestone, preventing illness, injury, and accidents, and providing care unique to the pediatric patient.   

Students will participate in history-taking, physical examination, assessment and formulation of a plan and problem list, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, proper medical documentation, and reporting to the healthcare team as appropriate for the clerkship.  During this clerkship, students may additionally participate in inpatient rounds, provide patient presentations to clinical team members, and bedside procedures.  They will develop an understanding of how to function as part of the medical team, improve effective communication with the patient, the healthcare team, and the patient’s family.  

This required 5-week clinical clerkship provides the student with exposure to the principles and practice of psychiatry.  Students will gain experience caring for patients with mental illness.  The students will develop interviewing and counseling techniques specific to behavioral health.  They will develop an increased understanding of the social, economic, and psychological factors related to the patient and family members of a patient with a mental illness.  They will participate in history-taking, physical examination, assessment and formulation of a plan and problem list, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, proper medical documentation, and reporting to the healthcare team as appropriate for the clerkship.  During this clerkship, students may additionally participate in inpatient rounds, and provide patient presentations to clinical team members.  They will develop an understanding of how to function as part of the medical team, develop effective communication with the patient, the healthcare team, and the patient’s family.

This required 5-week clinical clerkship provides the student with exposure to the principles and practice of emergency medicine.  Emphasis is placed on caring for patients presenting to the emergency department.  Students will participate in the assessment of patient acuity, disease state, and appropriate management within the setting of the emergency department.  They will participate in history-taking, physical examination, assessment and formulation of a plan and problem list, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, proper medical documentation, and reporting to the healthcare team as appropriate for the clerkship.  During this clerkship, students may additionally participate in inpatient rounds, provide patient presentations to clinical team members, and bedside procedures. Students will develop an understanding of how to function as part of the medical team, develop effective communication with the patient, the healthcare team, and the patient’s family.

This required 5-week clinical clerkship provides the student with exposure to the principles and practices of general surgery. Emphasis is placed on the management of patients who present with surgical issues. The students will participate in the pre-operative evaluation of patients, including history taking, physical examination, assessment and formulation of a plan and problem list, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, proper medical documentation, and reporting to the healthcare team as appropriate for the clerkship. They will assist in the operating room, learn to write pre and post-operative notes, care for the post-operative patient, and report to the healthcare team as appropriate for the clerkship.  During this clerkship, students may additionally participate in patient rounds, provide patient presentations to clinical team members, and bedside procedures.  They will develop an understanding of how to function as part of the surgical team, develop effective communication with the patient, the healthcare team, and the patient’s family.

This required 5-week clinical clerkship provides the student with exposure to the principles and practice of family medicine.  Emphasis is placed on disease prevention and health maintenance in adults and children. The students will develop an increased understanding of the social, economic, and environmental factors related to caring for the patient and extended family.  They will participate in history-taking, physical examination, assessment and formulation of a plan and problem list, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, proper medical documentation, and reporting to the healthcare team as appropriate for the clerkship.  During this clerkship, students may additionally participate in inpatient rounds, provide patient presentations to clinical team members, and bedside procedures.  Students will develop an understanding of how to function as part of the medical team, develop effective communication with the patient, the healthcare team, and the patient’s family.

These elective 5-week clinical clerkships provide the student with the opportunity to gain additional experience in one of the core clerkship areas or to supplement the foundational core clerkships with specialty disciplines in medicine and surgery. Emphasis is placed on the management of patients within the specialty discipline.  Students will utilize these electives to better understand how a primary care provider should manage a patient presenting with a disease/condition prior to specialty referral and upon follow up. They will participate in history-taking, physical examination, assessment and formulation of a plan and problem list, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, proper medical documentation, and reporting to the healthcare team as appropriate for the clerkship.  During this clerkship, students may additionally participate in inpatient rounds, provide patient presentations to clinical team members, and bedside procedures. Students will develop an understanding of how to function as part of the medical team, develop effective communication with the patient, the healthcare team, and the patient’s family.