Professors: Burns (Medical Director), Kuntz, Larson, Laxen (Program Director), McCleary and McHugo

Program Description: Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS)

The School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Family and Community Medicine, offers a clinically oriented, rural emphasis teminal degree, a Master of Physician Assistant Studies.

Physician Assistants (PA) are health care professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. They are skilled members of the health care team fulfilling a broad range of medical services that would otherwise be provided by a physician. The program prepares clinically practicing registered nurses and other licensed clinical professionals who have had extensive experience, to work as a PA within the medical model, especially in rural and underserved areas.

TThe program is accredited by ARC-PA, (Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc.).

The MPAS degree is twenty-four months in length and is offered through a combination of on-line courses, on-campus study, and extensive clinical experience. The curriculum is designed to prepare clinically competent physician assistant practitioners.

Admission Requirements

Acceptance is on a competitive basis with emphasis on the proven adult learner with clinical experience in primary care nursing, or, if selected for the “pilot” group, clinical experience in a health care profession.

1. Current licensure in nursing, or, to be a member of the “pilot” group, professional licensure, registration, or certification in one’s clinical field.
   
   
2. RN with a minimum of 2 years of clinical experience, or, if a member of the “pilot” group, a minimum of 3 years clinical experience in one’s field of certification/licensure.
   
   
3. BA or BS degree, preferably in a health-related area.
   
   
4. Previous coursework in anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology.
   
   
5. GPA of 2.75 or higher in undergraduate work, or more recent transcripts showing improvement. (If GPA is lower, an applicant may be accepted, but would be accepted on a Provisional Status in the Graduate School for the first semester.)
   
   
6. A proven record of continuing education in areas appropriate to the applicant’s field.
   
   
7. Current ACLS certification.
   
   
8. Completion of a successful interview.
   
   
9. Reference letter, written personal statement and other personal qualifications are also considered prior to final acceptance.

Degree Requirements

1. Successful completion of all courses in core curriculum.
   
   
2. Completion of a Scholarly Project.

Program Description: Transitional-MPAS

The School of Medicine and Health Science’s Department of Family Medicine offers a terminal degree in Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) for the practicing physician assistant clinician. The transitional MPAS (t-MPAS) degree is offered through a combination of on-line courses and clinical experience.

The purpose of the transitional MPAS program at UND is the augmentation of a clinically practicing physician assistant’s knowledge, skills and behaviors to a level consistent with the current professional and academic standards required of the entry-level graduate PA student. The t-MPAS is NOT intended to teach advanced clinical knowledge, skills and behaviors.

The t-MPAS degree is conferred upon completion of a post-professional educational experience and is available only to nationally certified, clinically practicing physician assistants. While the word “transitional” is used, it is not included in the formal awarding of the degree.

Admission Requirements

Candidates appplying for the t-MPAS must meet the following minimum requirements:

1. Must be a graduate of a Physician Assistant program acccredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for Physician Assistants, Inc. (ARC-PA).
   
   
2. Must have taken the NCCPA certification examination, received a passing score on the examination, and be currently certified.
   
   
3. Must be currently licensed as a Physician Assistant-Certified and show verification of such licensure or, if a graduate of the UND PA program prior to 1993 and currently practicing as a nurse practitioner, must be currently licensed as a nurse practitioner and show verification of such licensure.
   
   
4. Must have practiced clinically as a licensed PA for a minimum of one year.
   
   
5. Must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
   
   
6. Must submit two letters of reference
   
   
7. NOTE: The taking of GRE’s is NOT required.
   
   
8. The candidate will need to apply for admission to both the Physician Assistant program and the Graduate School. The Physician Assistant program will review the application and academic record and determine whether or not the applicant will be admitted into the t-MPAS program.
   
   
9. Once the student is admitted into the Graduate School, a program of study will be drafted for each student by the PA program advisor prior to the student starting graduate studies. The program of study will be approved by the PA program director and submitted to the Graduate School.

The t-MPAS programs of study are individually determined based on a review of the candidate’s entry level professional coursework. UND Physician Assistant faculty members will determine an appropriate program of study for the candidate at the time of acceptance into the program. Since the t-MPAS is meant to augment knowledge learned when first going to school, much of the present MPAS curriculum will be utilized. The coursework originally taken by the student will be compared to the new curriculum. From that, it will be decided what courses the student needs to complete. Minimum credit requirements will be 22 and the maximum is expected to be 27.

All courses will be done on-line. After completing all required courses, the student will graduate with a Master of Physician Assistant Studies.

Required Courses

Courses

500. Introduction to the PA Role. 2 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in Physician Assistant Program. This on-line course introduces the student to the profession. It reviews the history of the profession, the history of the UND PA Program, and the challenges to be faced in role transition as well as PA organizations on both the state and national level. It covers the different techniques of interviewing including interviewing of different age groups or ethnic or cultural backgrounds for the purpose of obtaining information for a patient’s medical history.

505. Anatomy and Medical Terminology. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in Physician Assistant Program. This on-line, self-directed course is a review of the basic principles of anatomy and medical terminology in preparation for the clinical phase of the program, especially physical assessment, medical interviewing, and medical charting.

510. Pathophysiology for the Physician Assistant. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program. This on-line course covers the pathophysiologic function of the human body and its organ systems.

515. Investigative Studies for the Physician Assistant. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program. This on-line course discusses basic diagnostic tests, including their role in diagnoses and treatment, acceptable normals for individual tests, and interpretations of abnormals. Components studied include hematology, chemistry, immunology and microbiology.

516. Introduction to Pharmacology and Basic EKG. 2 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in Physician Assistant Program. This two-part, on-line survey course reviews: pharmacokinetics in preparation for clinical pharmacology taught in Primary Care II and III; and Basic EKG’s, in preparation for EKG interpretation taught in Primary Care I and II.

520. Evidence Based Medicine I. 2 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in Physician Assistant Program. This on-line course provides the PA student with an overview of statistical and epidemiological principles used in medical literature. The units build sequentially to provide the student with a solid foundation, which includes applied statistics and in-depth literature reviews, to provide a basis of comparison for understanding the medical literature and translating research findings into the clinical setting.

525. Evidence Based Medicine II. 2 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in Physician Assistant Program. This on-line course is a continuation of PA 520, with the discussions and application of Evidence Based Medicine. Epidemiology and research principles that apply to the analysis of medical literature are discussed. The course is designed to prepare the student for the writing of the scholarly project.

540. Primary Care I. 8 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program. This four-week didactic course on the UND campus uses the analytical approach to the theory and techniques required to elicit a complete health history, perform a complete physical examination, and document findings on patients of all ages. Variances due to normal growth and development, pregnancy and aging are studied. Numerous clinical skills labs are utilized to apply techniques of systematic physical exam skills.

541. Primary Care I Clinical. 4 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program. Following four weeks of didactic instruction in PA 540, this eight-week clinical practicum, supervised by a physician in a primary care setting, is required to assist students in the application of physical examination techniques.

550. Primary Care II. 8 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in Physician Assistant Program. This four-week course on the UND campus uses the problem solving process to instruct students in the diagnosis and management of acute and emergent conditions seen in the child, adult, elderly, and pregnant women in the primary care setting. The pharmacology portion of this course discusses pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles of drug therapy; the rules and regulations of prescripton writing; the scheduling of drugs; and the use of generic vs. brand name drugs. It emphasizes pharmacological preparations used in acute and emergent conditions through teaching the principles of rational drug therapy: selection, initiation, and monitoring, with current information regarding efficacy, toxicity, and the cost of pharmacological agents. Skills labs in suturing, EKG reading, casting and splinting are completed.

551. Primary Care II Clinical. 6 credits. Prerequisite: Enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program. Following four weeks of didactic instruction in Primary Care II, an extensive clinical practicum of twelve weeks supervised by a physician is required to assist students in the synthesis and application of theoretical and scientific concepts in the care of patients with acute and emergent conditions in a primary care setting. Included in this time is an 80-hour experience in an Emergency Room setting.

560. Primary Care III. 8 credits. Prerequisite: Enrollment in the Physician Assistant Program. This four-week didactic course uses the problem solving process to instruct students in the diagnosis and management of chronic conditions seen in the child, adult and elderly in the primary care setting. Management of patients with multiple problems is emphasized. The pharmacology portion of this course emphasizes pharmacological preparations used in chronic conditions through teaching the principles of rational drug therapy: selection, initiation, and monitoring, with current information regarding efficacy, toxicity, and the cost of pharmacological agents. Special emphasis is given to drug interactions. Skills labs in joint injection and punch biopsies are completed.

561. Primary Care III Clinical. 5 credits. Prerequisite: Enrollment in the Physician Assistant Program. Following four weeks of didactic instruction in PA 560, this ten-week clinical practicum supervised by a physician is required to assist students in the synthesis and application of theoretical and scientific concepts as it relates to patients with chronic conditions in a primary care setting. Clinical experience in hospitals and nursing homes must be obtained by the completion of this course.

565. PA Role. 3 credits. Prerequisites: Enrolled in Physician Assistant Program. This on-line course introduces the PA student to a more complete role definition in varied sectors of the health care industry. It introduces the PA student to: the PA organizations on both the state and national level; the role of the PA in rural and underserved primary care settings; credentialing; licensure; professional liability; malpractice insurance and other legal issues. It also prepares the student for transition from PA-S to PA-C: office risk management; practice preparation; role expectations; national certification and recertification; licensure; the impaired professional; leadership within the profession; and the life-long learner.

580. Specialty Clerkship. 5 credits. Prerequisite: Enrollment in the Physician Assistant Program. Specialty clinical rotations, each from two to four weeks in length, for a total of ten weeks as determined by the faculty adviser and student in discussion with the clinical preceptor, that increases knowledge in areas of interest, or is required to fulfill the program requirements for types of patients, patient settings, and age groupings.

585. Current Trends and Issues for the Physician Assistant Practitioner. 2 credits. Prerequisite: Enrollment in the Physician Assistant Program. This on-line course covers the following areas: ethical issues; end of life/palliative care; rehabilitative medicine; complementary and alternative medicine; and bioterrorism.

588. International Clerkship. 1-4 credits, repeatable to 12. Prerequisite: Approval of the Director of the Physician Assistant Program. This course offers students clinical time in a third world country to become acquainted with problems in: health care delivery, mother and child care; malnutrition; basic sanitation; and preventative health care measures.

589. Readings in Physician Assistant Studies. 1-3 credits, repeatable to 12. Prerequisite: Approval of the Director of the Physician Assistant Program. Interested students are responsible for obtaining consent from a selected faculty member prior to beginning the course readings. In collaboration with the faculty member, readings and method(s) of evaluation are determined.

599. Special Topics in Physician Assistant Studies. 1-3 credits, repeatable to 12. Prerequisite: Enrollment in the Physician Assistant Program. Clinically relevant lectures, discussions, and/or clinical experiences that are varied and dictated by student and faculty interests..

990. Continuing Education Workshops in Physician Assistant Studies. 1-8 credits. Prerequisite: Approval of the Director of the Physician Assistant Program and the Dean of the Graduate School. Credit in Physician Assistant studies may be granted for workshops, conferences, institutes or other types of short-term activities, provided they have been approved for credit by the Director of the Physician Assistant Program and the dean of the Graduate School. Written report of the activity is required. A one-week workshop shall carry no more than one semester hour of credit.

995. Scholarly Project. 2 credits. Prerequisite: Enrollment in the Physician Assistant Program. The scholarly project requires the student to investigate a topic related to an area of interest within primary care and/or the PA profession. This can be done individually or in groups. Before initiating the project, the student must obtain approval from designated faculty. S