GRADUATE CATALOG INDEX — Physician Assistant

Physician Assistant (GMPA)
Admission to the M.S.P.A. program is a prerequisite for all GMPA courses. See the program description for additional information.

401 History Taking and Physical Exam Skills (4)
Develops effective interviewing and communication skills necessary for performing a competent medical interview and eliciting a comprehensive health history. Includes accurate recording of medical history and providing oral case presentations in a concise, organized, and professional manner. Instructional methods include lecture, class discussions, role playing, video taping, and supervised clinical experiences. Provides detailed instructions in the principles and practical skills required to perform the physical examination and to interpret the findings. Normal physical findings are emphasized and variants of normal and common abnormal physical findings are introduced. Laboratory sessions provide supervised small group practice. At the completion of the course, each student is required to demonstrate proficiency and competency in systematically performing a complete physical examination on an adult patient.

415 Gross Anatomy Lecture and Laboratory (7)
A study of the gross structures of the human body through the use of lectures, video tapes, clinical correlation sessions, laboratory cadaver prosections, and demonstrations, providing knowledge of human anatomy necessary for the practice of medicine. Integrates topographical and radiographic anatomy to stress application and importance of clinical anatomy. Includes laboratory cadaver dissection.

416 Medical Science Module (4)
Builds understanding of the basic sciences through separate modules of lecture and appropriate laboratory study. Clinically relevant science topics may include embryology, histology, immunology, clinical microbiology, and clinical laboratory medicine. Content may change each year offered depending on current advances in medical science.

421 Medical Physiology (6)
Provides sufficient knowledge of human physiology for subsequent clinical medical courses and medical problems encountered in a primary care setting. Prevalent theories for body function are studied, encompassing all major organ systems of the body. Also introduces principles of the nature, cause, and development of abnormal conditions with an emphasis on organ system interactions; the structural and functional changes that result from specific disease processes; disruption of normal physiology; and subsequent clinical manifestations and implications for treatment.

424 Clinical Pharmacology I (4)
First in a sequence of three courses that survey basic principles of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics. Series reviews the mechanisms of actions, toxicities, and interactions of specific drugs and drug classes. Includes an introduction to clinical therapeutics, which incorporates the physiologic basis and clinical characteristics of disease states relative to pharmacologic therapy.

426 PA Profession, Legal, and Bioethical Issues (2)
Addresses current issues in the PA profession; its past, present and future; and the role of PAs within the health care system. Lectures and panel discussions provide practical insight into risk management; political, legal, and ethical issues; and how the law is applied to medical practice and malpractice. Introduces national and state PA organizations, West Virginia statutes and regulations, and current legislative issues in West Virginia.

432 Contemporary Medical Literature (3)
Advanced study of pathophysiology with emphasis on student seminar presentations. Focuses on the dynamic processes of disease and the disruption of normal physiology and subsequent clinical manifestations. Provides a working knowledge essential to read critically and analyze medical and scientific publications and to judge their relevance to clinical practice.

440 Psychosocial Medicine (2)
Presents common psychosocial problems encountered by health care professionals, with an emphasis on the recognition and understanding of the development of these behaviors and related problems as well as the development and impact of the patient-clinician relationship. Lectures, class discussions, role playing, and case studies help students develop counseling skills, improve communication skills, and learn appropriate interventions and treatment regimens.

516 Biomedical Research (5)
Study of research methodology with emphasis on defining basic elements of research and evaluating research reports. Presents concepts and principles of research along with guidance on developing a problem or purpose statement and analyzing the medical literature. Concludes with a literature review. Establishes a foundation for the required graduate capstone project.

524 Clinical Pharmacology II (2)
Continuation of 424. Focuses on appropriate drug selection; includes discussion of side effects and toxicities, contraindications, and drug interactions as they relate to the practical aspects of primary care. Course sequencing follows a systems approach that complements the Clinical Medicine series.

525 Clinical Medicine I (4)
The first of three courses presenting medical training for PAs with a focus on common disease entities of the major organ systems as encountered in the primary care setting. Includes etiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, appropriate diagnostic tests, and management of selected disease entities. Material is presented in organized units of the medical discipline, following guidelines of the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), including dermatology, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, pulmonary disease, infectious disease, gastroenterology, hematology/oncology, urology/nephrology, endocrinology, musculoskeletal disorders, neurology, and psychiatry. The proper use of the clinical laboratory, interpretation of test results, and correlation between test results and disease process are integrated throughout.

526 Biomedical Statistics (3)
Provides preparation for understanding and applying biostatistical methods needed in the design and analysis of biomedical investigations. Major topics include types of data, descriptive statistics, theoretical distributions, probability, estimation, hypothesis testing, correlation, analysis of variance, and regression.

530 Clinical Skills I (1)
Foundational course building on clinical experiences during the didactic phase of the program. Emphasizes learning, observation, and development of clinical problem-solving skills with the acquisition of procedural experience, as well as history taking. First in a three-course series of clinical skills courses that focus on history taking and physical examination techniques, accurate medical documentation procedures, and clinical guidelines and protocols including OSHA, HIPPA, and other pertinent clinical policies.

535 Clinical Medicine II (4)
Continuation of 525. Material is presented in organized units of specific medical disciplines.

540 Clinical Skills II (1)
Continuation of 530. Students actively rotate through affiliated medical facilities on a limited basis to put into practice the concepts presented in 530.

542 Health Delivery Systems and Risk Management (2)
Introduction to structures and administrative principles in health care organizations with an emphasis on the role of the PA. Topics include third-party reimbursement, quality assurance, Medicaid/Medicare programs, home health care, rural health care, managed care, an overview of medical coding, quality improvement functions, quality tools, utilization management, and risk management.

580 Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine (2)
Presents the normal anatomy, physiology, and growth and development of neonatal, pediatric, and adolescent patients. Introduces common abnormalities and disease entities of the major organ systems, along with the etiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, appropriate diagnostic tests, and management of each disease entity. Emphasizes health maintenance, preventive medicine, and patient education appropriate for this population and specialty.

581 Obstetrics and Gynecology (2)
Presents the normal anatomy and physiology of healthy adult females, including pregnancy and pre- and postmenopause. Includes discussion of common endocrine disorders and gynecological disease entities in presentation of signs, symptoms, pathophysiology, etiology, diagnostic testing, and management of each diagnosis. Normal pregnancy, prenatal care, and common obstetrical problems are presented with an emphasis on preventive medicine and management of obstetrics patients in a rural setting.

582 Emergency Medicine (2)
Presents common emergent and nonemergent entities that are encountered in an emergent care or rural health setting, along with the etiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic evaluation, and appropriate management of each entity.

584 Geriatric Medicine (2)
Comprehensive care of elderly patients, with an emphasis on differentiating the normal aging process from pathological changes, identifying common clinical disease entities and disabilities of the elderly, and developing effective planning and medical management of geriatric patients with multiple chronic problems. Topics include home health care, community agency resources, recreation, nutrition, and socioeconomic and social-
psychological consequences of aging and illness.

616 Professional Writing and Presentation (3)
An advanced writing course in which students prepare elements of the graduate capstone project (written report and presentation) and participate in peer analysis and evaluation of the capstone project. Teaches the theory and practice of writing for graduate school and the profession, incorporating American Psychological Association (APA) style and American Medical Association (AMA) biomedical journal style. Also incorporates use of new media tools to communicate ideas; develops proficiency in current and emerging technologies through the creation of presentations.

624 Clinical Pharmacology III (2)
Continuation of 424, 524. Focuses on appropriate drug selection, side effects and toxicities. Includes discussion of contraindications and interactions as they relate to practical aspects of primary care. Course sequencing follows a systems approach that complements the Clinical Medicine series.

625 Clinical Medicine III (4)
Continuation of 525, 535. Presents material in organized units of specific medical discipline.

630 Clinical Skills III (1)
Continuation of 530, 540. Students actively rotate through affiliated medical facilities on a limited basis to put into practice the concepts presented in 530.

642 Health Promotion and Policy (3)
Students employ theoretical foundations to study the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations and application of this information in controlling common health problems (epidemiology). Also focuses on policy formation, implementation, and analysis at the local, regional, and state level, including the dynamics of special-interest groups, grant funding sources, and essential elements of grant writing.

653 Surgical Technique and Clinical Skills (2)
Presents fundamentals of general surgery and basic principles of surgical patient care with a focus on common acute care and surgical entities, diagnostic evaluation, and pre- and postoperative therapeutic management and care. A laboratory practicum introduces basic procedures and practical skills used in clinical settings, including aseptic techniques; operating room protocol; scrubbing, gowning, and gloving; suturing, casting, venipuncture, injections, urethral catheterization, and nasogastric intubation.

660 Project Development / Thesis Implementation (2)
Provides faculty and peer guidance in completing the capstone project requirement (thesis or project). Includes clarification of general program expectations, development of deadlines, and support for project completion in a structured, directive, and supportive feedback environment. Structured to help students finalize their project or thesis in one semester before the beginning of clinical rotations; intensive approach demands a high level of reading, research, and writing and rewriting as well as small-group work.

699 Project Presentation or Thesis Defense (1)
Culmination of the capstone research requirement. Emphasizes the evaluative skills associated with analysis of a research topic, the research skills needed to assess and interpret literature pertaining to the topic, and the communication skills necessary to present the findings. Emphasizes the application and demonstration of skills.

Clinical Rotations

700 End-of-Rotation Seminar (3)
Upon completion of each clinical rotation, students return to campus for an end-of-rotation written examination and participation in scheduled classroom activities. Medical education seminars are presented on topics of clinical interest and identified areas of need, and physical examination scenarios and other clinically relevant objective skill exercises are completed. The primary goals of the seminar course are to practice testing strategies and review primary care topics in preparation for the Physician Assistant National Certification Examination (PANCE); to prepare students for the transition from PA student to a practicing PA in the work force; to assess students’ knowledge in each required rotation discipline, evaluate clinical problem-solving skills, and identify areas of weakness; and to strengthen the students’ knowledge of selected diseases and disorders pertinent to the blueprint of the NCCPA examination.

701 Family Medicine Rotation (6)
Required six-week rotation introduces the practice of family medicine in a rural setting. Family medicine consists of providing comprehensive continuing medical care to all members of the family. The entire person is considered within his or her milieu of family, work, society, and play. This consideration of the entire person and family is fundamental to the PA concept, and working within the family medicine discipline is fundamental to students’ development as a PA. All disciplines of medicine are involved, but the emphasis is on their application to the whole family and individual. Students are educated in the approach of primary care health problems in the rural setting, the role of the health care provider in the rural community, and the use of community resources. Students assess patients under the supervision of the physician/preceptor.

702 Internal Medicine Rotation (6)
Required six-week clinical experience in internal medicine. Students assume the schedule of the team or physician to which they are assigned. Internal medicine is limited to the nonsurgical medical care of the adult and is characterized by thoroughness in approach and comprehensiveness in medical management. Students assess patients under the supervision of the physician/preceptor.

703 Emergency Medicine Rotation (6)
Required six-week clinical training experience in an emergency department setting. Students assess patients under the supervision of physicians/preceptors.

704 Surgery Rotation (6)
Required six-week clinical rotation in which students learn surgical skills and techniques, the approach to common surgical problems, and case presentations through active participation in surgery and pre- and postoperative care under the supervision of physicians/preceptors.

705 Geriatrics Rotation (6)
Required six-week clinical training experience in geriatrics completed in a geriatric facility, primary care practice, or internal medicine practice with the majority of the patient population consisting of geriatric patients. Students assess patients under the supervision of the physician/preceptor.

706 Pediatrics Rotation (6)
Required six-week rotation that educates students in the care and basic aspects of pediatric patients, from neonates to adolescents, in health and disease through clinical instruction and hands-on experiences under the supervision of the physician/preceptor.

707 Rural Medicine Rotation (6)
Introduces the practice of medicine in a rural setting by providing comprehensive, continuing medical care to all members of the family. The entire person is considered within his or her milieu of family, work, society, and play. This consideration of the entire person and family is fundamental to students’ development as a PA. All disciplines of medicine are involved, but their application to the whole family and individual is emphasized. Students are educated in the approach of primary care health problems in the rural setting, the role of the health care provider in the rural community, and the use of community resources. Students assess patients under the supervision of the physician/preceptor.

708 Psychiatry Rotation (6)
Required six-week clinical rotation conducted in a psychiatric facility or practice. Students are assigned patients by the clinical director/preceptor. Provides education in the care of the mental health patient and familiarity with the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of acute and chronic psychiatric patients. Students assess patients under the supervision of the physician/preceptor.