Physician Assistant Studies, M.P.A.S.

Program Learning Outcome

Students will be able to:

Medical Knowledge

1. Apply evidence-based medicine and scientific principles to patient care.
2. Synthesize information about etiologies, risk factors, underlying pathologic processes, and epidemiology for medical conditions to make accurate diagnoses.
3. Demonstrate proficiency in performing a history and physical exam; aggregates and analyzes this information to formulate differential diagnoses.
4. Order/perform and interpret appropriate diagnostic testing as indicated by history, physical and differential diagnoses.
5. Manage general medical and surgical conditions from initial presentation through ongoing follow-up using evidence-based treatment guidelines and best practices.
6. Apply drug therapy that is based on treatment guidelines to medical conditions.

II. Interpersonal and Communication Skills

1. Demonstrate a pattern of therapeutic and ethically sound relationships with patients.
2. Demonstrate professional and respectful interactions with patients, caregivers and members of the interprofessional team (e. g. peers, consultants, nursing, ancillary professionals and support personnel).
3. Communicate with respect to the culture, socioeconomic circumstances and health beliefs of patients and families to set mutual health goals and provide services most likely to benefit health.
4. Work effectively with physicians and other health care professionals as a member or leader of an inter-professional health care team or other professional group.
5. Demonstrate emotional resilience and stability, adaptability, flexibility, and tolerance of ambiguity.
6. Accurately and adequately document information regarding care for medical, legal, quality, and financial purposes.

III. Patient Care

1. Gather and synthesize essential and accurate information to define each patient’s clinical problem(s).
2. Make decisions about diagnostic and therapeutic interventions based on patient goals and preferences, financial considerations, current scientific evidence and informed clinical judgement.
3. Develop and implement patient management plans that are safe and effective to include preventative, acute, chronic and rehabilitative care.
4. Use technical skills and demonstrates proficiency in medical techniques and procedures to diagnose and treat disease.
5. Counsel and educate patients, caregivers and families.
6. Incorporate knowledge of behavioral medicine and psychiatry in management of patient care.
7. Provide screening and preventive care that improves wellness, modifies risk factors for illness and injury, and detect illness in early, treatable stages.
8. Use technology to find evidence-based information to support patient care decisions and patient education.
9. Advocate for patients, families and communities to optimize health care equity and minimize health outcome disparities.

IV. Professionalism

1. Demonstrate understanding of practice-specific legal and regulatory requirements and the role of the physician assistant as a member of the healthcare team.
2. Exemplify qualities such as respect, compassion, integrity, self-reflection, critical curiosity, initiative, accountability to patients, society, and the profession, healthy behaviors and life balance.
3. Accept responsibility and follows through on tasks.
4. Demonstrate understanding of the ethical principles of confidentiality of patient information and informed consent.
5. Demonstrate respect and consideration for patients’ and colleagues’ culture, age, gender and abilities.

V. Practice-Based Learning and Improvement

1. Incorporate feedback from faculty, preceptors, colleagues and patients into active life-long learning.
2. Locate, appraise and integrate evidence from scientific studies related to their patients’ health.
3. Apply knowledge of evidence-based medicine to the critical appraisal of medical research and literature as it relates to the diagnostic and therapeutic effectiveness of diagnostics and interventions.
4. Identify personal knowledge and/or skill gaps and utilizes resources to support continued medical education.

VI. Systems-Based Practice

1. Integrate with various medical practice models and health care delivery systems.
2. Identify forces that impact the cost of health care and practices cost-effective care.
3. Accept responsibility for promoting a safe environment for patient care. Recognize systems-based factors that negatively impact patient care.
4. Apply the concepts of population health to patient care.
5. Correctly document billing and coding for patient encounters.

VII. Health Systems in Nevada

1. Work effectively in both urban and rural Nevada health care delivery settings.
2. Recognize the barriers to health care experienced by patients in rural and/or underserved Nevada.
3. Demonstrate patient-centered primary care that is sensitive to the unique demographics of the population of Nevada.

Contact Information

Physician Assistant Studies Program
18600 Wedge Parkway
Nell J. Redfield Bldg. A, Ste. 104
Reno, Nevada 89511
775-784-4843
paprogram@med.unr.edu
https://med.unr.edu/physician-assistant

Program Vision, Mission & Goals

Vision

The vision of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Program is to expand and enhance access to health care for all Nevadans through PA workforce development and advocacy for the profession.

Mission

The mission of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Program is to train flexible and committed primary care clinicians dedicated to strengthening health care in their communities.

Goals

• Prepare clinically skilled PAs by providing an educational environment that fosters learning and prepares students to meet primary care workforce needs of underserved and rural Nevada.
• Provide educational and training opportunities for non-traditional students, particularly those from rural and underserved Nevada communities, and those who have served in military medical settings.
• Recruit qualified applicants who will successfully complete medical education as a PA.
• To provide students with the knowledge, skills, and experience to be successful, competent PAs.

Admission Requirements

All applications are submitted through the Central Application System for Physician Assistants (CASPA).

Admission requirements for the PA program of study include:

• All prerequisites completed by the application deadline.
• Non-U.S. citizens must have permanent resident visas.
• Completed baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning in the United States. (Currently, foreign degrees, including equivalency evaluations, do not satisfy the academic prerequisites).
• Overall undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.75.

Required Courses: completed at a regionally accredited institution of higher learning in the United States. Must receive a minimum grade of “B” in each course. Advanced Placement courses will not be accepted.

Human Anatomy and Physiology:
Minimum 6 semester credit hours or 9 quarter credit hours

• Human Anatomy & Physiology I & II OR
• 1 Semester of Anatomy and 1 Semester of Physiology
• Lab strongly recommended

Biology:
Minimum 3 semester credit hours or 4.5 quarter credit hours

• Microbiology with lab strongly recommended

Chemistry:
Minimum 3 semester credit hours or 4.5 quarter credit hours

• Biochemistry recommended

Statistics:
3 semester credit hours or 4.5 quarter credit hours

Paid Direct Hands-On Clinical Patient Care:
Minimum 2,000 hours (see program website for examples)

I. Program Requirements

The Master of Physician Assistant Studies program prepares students to obtain certification and practice as a PA. This 25-month program includes 13 months of didactic instruction followed by 12 months of preceptor­-supervised clinical training.

The UNR Med PA Studies Program consists of seven total semesters, three of which are strictly clinical clerkships. The program requires full­-time enrollment and participation. Students must enroll in every course in the specific sequence outlined below:

II. Total Units (123 units)

The program is 123 credits, full-time, and units are completely prescribed with no option for variation. Students must enroll in every course and maintain satisfactory academic advancement in the specific sequence outlined in the curriculum to satisfy the requirements for graduation.

Note(s):

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine Physician Assistant Studies Program sponsored by University of Nevada, Reno. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.
Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be June 2033. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.
The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at https://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-university-of-nv-reno/.