Curriculum
The program competencies are based on the Accreditation Standards for Physician Assistant Education as established by the 
Accreditation Review Commission for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). These competencies focus on the knowledge and skills required for PA practice which include: medical knowledge, interpersonal, clinical and technical skills, professional behaviors, and clinical reasoning and problem-solving abilities.
The curriculum for the PA program is divided into 2 phases. The Didactic phase is 15 months long (4 semesters) and consists of 59 semester credit hours taught at ECU’s College of Allied Health Science campus in Greenville North Carolina. The Clinical phase is 12 months long (3 semesters) and consists of 46 semester credit hours that occur during Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences in diverse healthcare settings located primarily in Eastern North Carolina.
Didactic
The didactic curriculum is oriented toward primary care infused with the content related to unique problems and issues of healthcare delivery in rural settings.
Fall I
| Number | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PADP 6030 | Clinical Gross Anatomy | 5 |
| PADP 6040 | Human Physiology | 4 |
| PADP 6050 | Introduction to Clinical Medicine | 3 |
| PADP 6200 | History and Physical Exam I | 2 |
| PADP 6001 | Principles of PA Practice I | 1 |
| PADP 6510 | Pharmacology and Therapeutics I | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours | 16 |
Spring
| Number | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PADP 6520 | Pharmacology and Therapeutics II | 3 |
| PADP 6210 | History and Physical Examination II | 3 |
| PADP 6150 | Clinical Medicine I | 5 |
| PADP 6010 | Diagnostic Methods I | 3 |
| PADP 6002 | Principles of PA Practice II | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours | 16 |
Summer
| Number | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PADP 6020 | Diagnostic Methods II | 3 |
| PADP 6250 | Clinical Medicine II | 4 |
| PADP 6220 | History and the Physical Examination III | 3 |
| PADP 6530 | Pharmacology and Therapeutics III | 1 |
| PADP 6003 | Principles of PA Practice III | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours | 12 |
Fall II
| Number | Course Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PADP 6690 | Introduction to Clinical Practice | 6 |
| PADP 6800 | Behavioral Medicine and the Psychosocial Issues in Health Care | 2 |
| PADP 6650 | Surgery and Emergency Medicine Skills | 4 |
| PADP 6640 | Evidence-Based Medicine | 2 |
| PADP 6004 | Principles of PA Practice IV | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours | 15 |
Clinical
The twelve month clinical phase consists of more than 1900 patient contact hours. Twelve clinical rotations are conducted at a variety of clinical sites located primarily in eastern North Carolina.
Spring II, Summer II and Fall III
| Number | Course Title | Weeks | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| PADP 6310 | Behavioral Medicine Clinical Practicum | 4 | 4 |
| PADP 6335 | Internal Medicine Clinical Practicum I | 4 | 4 |
| PADP 6336 | Internal Medicine Clinical Practicum II | 4 | 4 |
| PADP 6325 | Family Medicine Clinical Practicum I | 4 | 4 |
| PADP 6326 | Family Medicine Clinical Practicum II | 4 | 4 |
| PADP 6340 | General Surgery Clinical Practicum | 4 | 4 |
| PADP 6350 | Emergency Medicine Clinical Practicum | 4 | 4 |
| PADP 6360 | Pediatrics Clinical Practicum | 4 | 4 |
| PADP 6370 | Women's Health and Prenatal Care Clinical Practicum | 4 | 4 |
| PADP 6380 | Geriatrics Clinical Practicum | 4 | 4 |
| PADP 6390 | International Medicine Clinical Practicum (elective) | 4 | 2 |
| PADP 6395 | Physician Assistant Studies Clinical Practicum | 4 | 2 |
| PADP 6501 | Bridge to Professional Practice I | 1 | 1 |
| PADP 6502 | Bridge to Professional Practice II | 1 | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours | 46 | ||
| Total Weeks | 48 |