The Master of Science of Physician Assistant Studies (MS-PAS) program curriculum spans over seven consecutive semesters (28 months), covering 133 graduate semester hours. The program has two phases which include:
- Didactic (Pre-clinical Phase)
- Clinical Phase
Curriculum Delivery Methods
The 16-month didactic phase is conducted with students on campus and includes in-person and synchronous online instruction. This four-semester phase prepares students for the experiential portion of training.
The clinical phase is 12 months long (three semesters) and is conducted at hospitals and clinics, where students gain supervised clinical experience. A final summative evaluation verifies student attainment of graduate competencies and occurs before the final supervised clinical practice experience.
The clinical phase is supported by additional didactic instruction delivered both on campus and through online methodologies.
Program Progression
The MS-PAS program at Northwest University is a professional degree program intended to prepare students academically and professionally for responsibilities and services as a PA. Due to the sequential nature of the didactic curriculum, students must successfully pass all didactic courses for a given semester before becoming eligible to take courses in the subsequent semester.
Advanced Standing Policy
There is no opportunity to enter the Program with advanced standing. No prerequisite coursework or professional experience may substitute for any part of the PA Program curriculum. Advanced placement will not be granted under any circumstances.
All students who are granted admission to the program must fulfill all program requirements. Clinical rotations are designed to provide medical experiences and patient encounters and are referred to as Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences (SCPE). These experiences form the basis of the clinical and socialization processes for adaptation to the roles and functions of a PA.
Didactic Coursework (Pre-Clinical Phase - 16 months)
| Didactic Phase | Credits | Course Number |
|---|---|---|
| Semester I Fall | ||
| PA Professional Practice I | 3 credits | PAMA 5103 |
| Medical Physiology | 5 credits | PAMA 5155 |
| Clinical Anatomy | 6 credits | PAMA 5036 |
| Basic Pharmacology | 2 credits | PAMA 5222 |
| Patient Care Skills I | 2 credits | PAMA 5412 |
| Semester II Spring | ||
| Clinical Medicine I | 9 credits | PAMA 5619 |
| Clinical Reasoning I | 3 credits | PAMA 5313 |
| Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics I | 2 credits | PAMA 5182 |
| Patient Care Skills II | 4 credits | PAMA 5424 |
| Diagnostic Methods | 3 credits | PAMA 5053 |
| Semester III Summer | ||
| Clinical Medicine II | 9 credits | PAMA 5629 |
| Clinical Reasoning II | 3 credits | PAMA 5323 |
| Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics II | 2 credits | PAMA 5282 |
| Patient Care Skills III | 4 credits | PAMA 5434 |
| Evidence-Based Medicine & Research | 3 credits | PAMA 5193 |
| Semester IV Fall | ||
| PA Professional Practice II | 3 credits | PAMA 5203 |
| Clinical Medicine III | 9 credits | PAMA 5639 |
| Clinical Reasoning III | 3 credits | PAMA 5333 |
| Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics III | 2 credits | PAMA 5382 |
| Patient Care Skills IV: Advanced Clinical Procedures | 3 credits | PAMA 5443 |
| Faith Integration in Medicine | 2 credits | PAMA 5112 |
| Total for Didactic Phase | 82 credit hours |
Clinical Phase Overview
The clinical phase transitions students from the classroom into hands-on, supervised clinical practice experiences, preparing them for lifelong learning and professional growth as PAs. Under the guidance of experienced preceptors, students develop clinical skills across a variety of patient care settings.
Required Clinical Rotations (5 weeks each):
- Family Medicine
- Internal Medicine
- Surgery
- Pediatrics
- Behavioral Health
- Emergency Medicine
- Women’s Health
Elective Rotations:
- Two elective rotations (5 weeks each)
- One elective must be a cross-cultural experience (international or domestic)
The cost of the cross-cultural experience is included in the student's program fees. While traveling, students must adhere to the CDC travelers' health recommendations. Students must complete all clinical rotations in order to qualify for graduation.
Do I need to solicit Preceptors or Clinical Sites?
Students in the NU PA program are not required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors. The NU PA program recruits, develops, maintains and determines student placements for all supervised clinical practice experiences (also known as SCPEs or clinical sites). Coordinating supervised clinical practice experiences (SCPEs/clinicals) by the program’s faculty involves identifying, contacting and evaluating sites and preceptors for suitability and student safety as a required (core) or elective rotation experience.
Students may suggest or provide information regarding potential preceptors or clinical sites to the program’s faculty but no student will be required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors. Any clinical site or preceptor recommended to the program by a student must be reviewed, evaluated and approved for educational suitability and student safety by the program.
| Clinical Phase | Credits | Course Number |
|---|---|---|
| Semester I Spring | ||
| Intro to Clinical Practice | 1 credit | PAMA 5501 |
| HEAL Course | 2 credits | PAMA 5252 |
| PA Clinical Practicum I (5-weeks) | 5 credits | PAMA 5515 |
| PA Clinical Practicum II (5-weeks) | 5 credits | PAMA 5525 |
| PA Clinical Practicum III (5-weeks) | 5 credits | PAMA 5535 |
| Semester II Summer | ||
| PA Clinical Practicum IV (5-weeks) | 5 credits | PAMA 5545 |
| PA Clinical Practicum V (5-weeks) | 5 credits | PAMA 5555 |
| PA Clinical Practicum VI (5-weeks) | 5 credits | PAMA 5565 |
| Semester III Fall | ||
| PA Clinical Practicum VII (5-weeks) | 5 credits | PAMA 5575 |
| PA Clinical Practicum VIII (5-weeks) | 5 credits | PAMA 5585 |
| PA Clinical Practicum IX (5-weeks) | 5 credits | PAMA 5595 |
| PA Capstone: Summative Evaluation/Scholarly project | 3 credits | PAMA 5923 |
| Total Clinical Phase | 51 credit hours |
School of PA Medicine Course Catalog
Didactic Phase
| Course | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PAMA 5103 - PA Professional Practice I | This course is the first in a three-course series designed to introduce students to professional issues related to practicing medicine as a physician assistant. This course will cover PA profession history, certification requirements, professional organizations, health delivery systems, and other issues impacting their future roles as physician assistants. | 3 credits |
| PAMA 5203 - PA Professional Practice II | This course is the second in a three-course series designed to introduce students to professional issues related to practicing medicine as a physician assistant. In this course, students will study the ethical, legal, and regulatory guidelines for medical practice and apply them to clinical situations. Students will also spend time exploring different cultures and view of health and healthcare to increase cultural awareness and competency. The PA student will learn values and ethics for interprofessional practice by working with individuals from other professions in an interdisciplinary practice setting to maintain a climate of mutual respect and shared values. Students will learn the roles and responsibilities of their own profession as well as those from other professions to appropriately assess the address the health care needs of patients and to promote and advance population health. Students will also develop interprofessional communication skills by working with patients, families, and health professionals to become an effective member of the healthcare team. | 3 credits |
| PAMA 5303 – Diagnostic Methods | This course teaches PA students about fundamental laboratory studies and radiologic imaging utilized within medicine. The student will be exposed to topics such as common bloodwork tests (CBC, CMP), specific bloodwork tests relative to organ systems (labs related to infectious disease, cardiology, rheumatology, etc.), point-of-care testing, and radiologic examination of the patient including the basics of radiologic interpretation. | 3 credits |
| PAMA 5155 - Medical Physiology | This course will introduce the PA student to an expanded view of human physiology by building on basic undergraduate physiology. Students will attain a clear understanding of the physiologic principles that are responsible for normal function in different organs and organ systems. | 5 credits |
| PAMA 5222 – Basic Pharmacology | This course will introduce the PA student to general principles of pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, and therapeutics. Emphasis will be placed on the rational use of drugs in the care and treatment of pediatric, adult and geriatric patient populations in various clinical settings. The student will be introduced to the drug laws, drug resource information and prescription writing. | 2 credits |
| PAMA 5182 - Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics I | This course is the first in a series of three courses in pharmacology and therapeutic management of disease, emphasizing the PA’s role in drug therapy. This course will include discussion of treatment guidelines, indications, contraindications, drug law, drug information resources and case studies. This course series is part of the core curricular concentration schedule that will follow the organ system planner. | 2 credits |
| PAMA 5282 - Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics II | This course is the second in a series of three courses in pharmacology and therapeutic management of disease, emphasizing the PA’s role in drug therapy. This course will include discussion of treatment guidelines, indications, contraindications, drug law, drug information resources and case studies. This course series is part of the core curricular concentration schedule that will follow the organ system planner. | 2 credits |
| PAMA 5382 - Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics III | This course is the third and final in a series of three courses in pharmacology and therapeutic management of disease, emphasizing the PA’s role in drug therapy. This course will include discussion of treatment guidelines, indications, contraindications, drug law, drug information resources and case studies. This course series is part of the core curricular concentration schedule that will follow the organ system planner. | 2 credits |
| PAMA 5412 - Patient Care Skills I | This course is designed to introduce the fundamental patient assessment skills. Focus is on critical thinking, problem-solving, and medical decision-making, through patient interviewing, performance of organ-specific and comprehensive physical examination, case presentation, and an introduction to medical documentation This course series is part of the core curricular concentration schedule that will follow the organ system planner. | 4 credits |
| PAMA 5424 - Patient Care Skills II | This course is designed to enhance the fundamental patient assessment skills. Focus is on critical thinking, problem-solving, and medical decision-making, through patient interviewing, performance of organ-specific and comprehensive physical examination, case presentation, and an introduction to medical documentation This course series is part of the core curricular concentration schedule that will follow the organ system planner. | 4 credits |
| PAMA 5434 - Patient Care Skills III | This course is designed to master the fundamental patient assessment skills. Focus is on critical thinking, problem-solving, and medical decision-making, through patient interviewing, performance of organ-specific and comprehensive physical examination, case presentation, and an introduction to medical documentation This course series is part of the core curricular concentration schedule that will follow the organ system planner. | 4 credits |
| PAMA 5443 - Patient Care Skills IV – Advanced Clinical Procedures | This course is designed to master the techniques and procedures commonly performed by practicing PAs in the various health care specialties. A classroom component will provide instruction on the rationale for the procedure and the science application. This course will conclude by having PA students practice and perform each procedure on low fidelity task trainers. | 3 credits |
| PAMA 5112 - Faith Integration in Medicine | This course will explore unique ways of integrating the PA student’s faith into the care and treatment of diverse patient populations. This course will provide opportunity for each student to build a foundational understanding of a Christian medical provider. This course will explore biblical principles that will prepare the PA student to enter clinical practice. | 2 credits |
| PAMA 5619 – Clinical Medicine I | This course is the first in a series of three courses introducing the students to various conditions and disease states commonly evaluated in the practice of medicine. Topics will include an understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms of health and disease. Student will master the underlying pathophysiology, clinical presentation, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and management of common diseases of patient across the lifespan. This course series is part of the core curricular concentration schedule that will follow the organ system planner. | 9 credits |
| PAMA 5629 – Clinical Medicine II | This course is the second in a series of three courses introducing the students to various conditions and disease states commonly evaluated in the practice of medicine. Topics will include an understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms of health and disease. Student will master the underlying pathophysiology, clinical presentation, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and management of common diseases of patient across the lifespan. This course series is part of the core curricular concentration schedule that will follow the organ system planner. | 9 credits |
| PAMA 5639 – Clinical Medicine III | This course is the third and final in a series of three courses introducing the students to various conditions and disease states commonly evaluated in the practice of medicine. Topics will include an understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms of health and disease. Student will master the underlying pathophysiology, clinical presentation, evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and management of common diseases of patient across the lifespan. This course series is part of the core curricular concentration schedule that will follow the organ system planner. | 9 credits |
| PAMA 5036 - Clinical Anatomy | This course is the first in a series of two courses that the PA student will learn human anatomy to comprehend normal and abnormal conditions encountered by the practicing physician assistant. An in-depth understanding of the gross anatomy of the human body is obtained through lecture and hybrid Anatomage/cadaver dissection. This course series is part of the core curricular concentration schedule that will follow the organ system planner. | 6 credits |
| PAMA 5313 - Clinical Reasoning I | This laboratory course is the first in a series of three laboratory courses designed to develop PA students’ clinical thinking and problem-solving skills. Using problem-based learning methods, the cases in this course will correspond with the material presented in the Clinical Medicine course series, giving students an opportunity to interact with the material in structured, group discussions while asking students to consider systems, cultures, and worldviews that impact the delivery of medicine. This course series is part of the core curricular concentration schedule that will follow the organ system planner. | 3 credits |
| PAMA 5323 – Clinical Reasoning II | This laboratory course is the second in a series of three laboratory courses designed to develop PA students’ clinical thinking and problem-solving skills. Using problem-based learning methods, the cases in this course will correspond with the material presented in the Clinical Medicine course series, giving students an opportunity to interact with the material in structured, group discussions while asking students to consider systems, cultures, and worldviews that impact the delivery of medicine. This course series is part of the core curricular concentration schedule that will follow the organ system planner. | 3 credits |
| PAMA 5333 – Clinical Reasoning III | This laboratory course is the third in a series of three laboratory courses designed to develop PA students’ clinical thinking and problem-solving skills. Using problem-based learning methods, the cases in this course will correspond with the material presented in the Clinical Medicine course series, giving students an opportunity to interact with the material in structured, group discussions while asking students to consider systems, cultures, and worldviews that impact the delivery of medicine. This course series is part of the core curricular concentration schedule that will follow the organ system planner. | 3 credits |
| PAMA 5913 - Evidence-Based Medicine & Research | The PA student will be introduced to methods to search, interpret, and critically evaluate medical literature, including its application to individualized patient care. The use of common medical databases to assess medical literature of new medical findings required for the prevention and treatment of disease. The course will also present a review of statistics and its application to evidence-based theory as it pertains to epidemiology, public health, and the practice of clinical medicine including framing of research questions, sampling methods, interpretation of basic bio-statistical methods, and the limits of medical research. | 3 credits |
School of PA Medicine Course Catalog
Clinical Phase
| Course | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PAMA 5501 - Introduction to Clinical Practice | Students will be presented with expectations for clinical rotations and future clinical practice, with a focus on professional behaviors and attitudes. Students will be required to demonstrate understanding of policies and requirements for successful completion of their clinical rotations, and will have the opportunity to interact with clinical faculty to prepare for the clinical year. | 1 credit |
| PAMA 5252 – Humanities, Ethics, Altruistic, Leadership (HEAL) | This course reinforces the knowledge of important medical practitioner attributes including humanities, ethics, altruism, and leadership. Students will learn about the principles of the health care delivery team, medical ethics and law, cultural competency, diversity, spirituality, credentialing, licensing, certification, and preparing students to work collaboratively in interprofessional patient centered teams. Interprofessional patient centered team instruction will emphasize the importance of the team approach to patient centered care and provide opportunities to apply these principles in a scenario. This course provides additional instruction on the constantly changing health care system and the impact of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic health disparities on health care delivery. Instruction related to medical care and diversity aims to prepare students to evaluate their own values and avoid stereotyping. It assists them in becoming aware of differing health beliefs, values and expectations of patients and other health care professionals that can affect communication, decision-making, compliance, and health outcomes. This course also provides instruction and assessment in the development of clinical reasoning and problem-solving abilities and developing a differential diagnosis and patient management plan related to individualized patient care. | 2 credits |
| PAMA 5515 – Clinical Practicum I | The PA student will enter a five-week clinical rotation. The student will be assigned by the clinical coordinator a supervised clinical rotation experience (SCPE) in one of the following disciplines: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, Emergency Medicine, and Behavioral Health. The PA student will have one elective rotation in any type of specialized discipline within the clinical preceptor pool of approved board-certified preceptors. The PA student may elect an international supervised rotational experience that has been approved by the PA program and must use part or all the elective rotation. International rotations are subject to availability and prior approval is required. | 5 credits |
| PAMA 5525 – Clinical Practicum II | The PA student will enter a five-week clinical rotation. The student will be assigned by the clinical coordinator a supervised clinical rotation experience (SCPE) in one of the following disciplines: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, Emergency Medicine, and Behavioral Health. The PA student will have one elective rotation in any type of specialized discipline within the clinical preceptor pool of approved board-certified preceptors. The PA student may elect an international supervised rotational experience that has been approved by the PA program and must use part or all the elective rotation. International rotations are subject to availability and prior approval is required. | 5 credits |
| PAMA 5535 – Clinical Practicum III | The PA student will enter a five-week clinical rotation. The student will be assigned by the clinical coordinator a supervised clinical rotation experience (SCPE) in one of the following disciplines: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, Emergency Medicine, and Behavioral Health. The PA student will have one elective rotation in any type of specialized discipline within the clinical preceptor pool of approved board-certified preceptors. The PA student may elect an international supervised rotational experience that has been approved by the PA program and must use part or all the elective rotation. International rotations are subject to availability and prior approval is required. | 5 credits |
| PAMA 5545 – Clinical Practicum IV | The PA student will enter a five-week clinical rotation. The student will be assigned by the clinical coordinator a supervised clinical rotation experience (SCPE) in one of the following disciplines: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, Emergency Medicine, and Behavioral Health. The PA student will have one elective rotation in any type of specialized discipline within the clinical preceptor pool of approved board-certified preceptors. The PA student may elect an international supervised rotational experience that has been approved by the PA program and must use part or all the elective rotation. International rotations are subject to availability and prior approval is required. | 5 credits |
| PAMA 5555 – Clinical Practicum V | The PA student will enter a five-week clinical rotation. The student will be assigned by the clinical coordinator a supervised clinical rotation experience (SCPE) in one of the following disciplines: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, Emergency Medicine, and Behavioral Health. The PA student will have one elective rotation in any type of specialized discipline within the clinical preceptor pool of approved board-certified preceptors. The PA student may elect an international supervised rotational experience that has been approved by the PA program and must use part or all the elective rotation. International rotations are subject to availability and prior approval is required. | 5 credits |
| PAMA 5565 – Clinical Practicum VI | The PA student will enter a five-week clinical rotation. The student will be assigned by the clinical coordinator a supervised clinical rotation experience (SCPE) in one of the following disciplines: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, Emergency Medicine, and Behavioral Health. The PA student will have one elective rotation in any type of specialized discipline within the clinical preceptor pool of approved board-certified preceptors. The PA student may elect an international supervised rotational experience that has been approved by the PA program and must use part or all the elective rotation. International rotations are subject to availability and prior approval is required. | 5 credits |
| PAMA 5575 – Clinical Practicum VII | The PA student will enter a five-week clinical rotation. The student will be assigned by the clinical coordinator a supervised clinical rotation experience (SCPE) in one of the following disciplines: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, Emergency Medicine, and Behavioral Health. The PA student will have one elective rotation in any type of specialized discipline within the clinical preceptor pool of approved board-certified preceptors. The PA student may elect an international supervised rotational experience that has been approved by the PA program and must use part or all the elective rotation. International rotations are subject to availability and prior approval is required. | 5 credits |
| PAMA 5585 – Clinical Practicum VIII | The PA student will enter a five-week clinical rotation. The student will be assigned by the clinical coordinator a supervised clinical rotation experience (SCPE) in one of the following disciplines: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, Emergency Medicine, and Behavioral Health. The PA student will have one elective rotation in any type of specialized discipline within the clinical preceptor pool of approved board-certified preceptors. The PA student may elect an international supervised rotational experience that has been approved by the PA program and must use part or all the elective rotation. International rotations are subject to availability and prior approval is required. | 5 credits |
| PAMA 5595 – Clinical Practicum IX | The PA student will enter a five-week clinical rotation. The student will be assigned by the clinical coordinator a supervised clinical rotation experience (SCPE) in one of the following disciplines: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Pediatrics, OB/GYN, Emergency Medicine, and Behavioral Health. The PA student will have one elective rotation in any type of specialized discipline within the clinical preceptor pool of approved board-certified preceptors. The PA student may elect an international supervised rotational experience that has been approved by the PA program and must use part or all the elective rotation. International rotations are subject to availability and prior approval is required. | 5 credits |
| PAMA 5923 - PA Capstone: Certification, Licensure & Summative | The PA student will complete their educational experience at Northwest University by demonstrating in a summative fashion their ability to address a patient complaint in an Observed Supervised Clinical Experience (OSCE) format, ability to perform at a satisfactory level on the PAEA summative exam over material presented during the tenure in the PA program. The PA student will also present the capstone research project in the form of a research paper and a formal presentation to the class of the research findings. The PA student may elect to submit the research project for publication at the recommendation of the assigned PA faculty member. | 3 credits |
Questions about the PA program?
We would love to answer any questions about the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program that you may have.
Deanna Matzen
Admissions Coordinator
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