Curriculum


 

The program competencies are based on the Accreditation Standards for Physician Assistant Education as established by the ARC-PA wordmarkAccreditation 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

NumberCourse TitleCredit Hours
PADP 6030Clinical Gross Anatomy5
PADP 6040Human Physiology4
PADP 6050Introduction to Clinical Medicine3
PADP 6200History and Physical Exam I2
PADP 6001Principles of PA Practice I 1
PADP 6510Pharmacology and Therapeutics I1
Total Credit Hours16

Spring

NumberCourse TitleCredit Hours
PADP 6520Pharmacology and Therapeutics II3
PADP 6210History and Physical Examination II3
PADP 6150Clinical Medicine I5
PADP 6010Diagnostic Methods I3
PADP 6002Principles of PA Practice II2
Total Credit Hours16

Summer

NumberCourse TitleCredit Hours
PADP 6020Diagnostic Methods II3
PADP 6250Clinical Medicine II4
PADP 6220History and the Physical Examination III3
PADP 6530Pharmacology and Therapeutics III1
PADP 6003Principles of PA Practice III1
Total Credit Hours12

Fall II

NumberCourse TitleCredit Hours
PADP 6690Introduction to Clinical Practice6
PADP 6800Behavioral Medicine and the Psychosocial Issues in Health Care2
PADP 6650Surgery and Emergency Medicine Skills4
PADP 6640Evidence-Based Medicine2
PADP 6004Principles of PA Practice IV1
Total Credit Hours15

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

NumberCourse TitleWeeksCredit Hours
PADP 6310Behavioral Medicine Clinical Practicum44
PADP 6335Internal Medicine Clinical Practicum I44
PADP 6336Internal Medicine Clinical Practicum II44
PADP 6325Family Medicine Clinical Practicum I44
PADP 6326Family Medicine Clinical Practicum II44
PADP 6340General Surgery Clinical Practicum44
PADP 6350Emergency Medicine Clinical Practicum44
PADP 6360Pediatrics Clinical Practicum44
PADP 6370Women's Health and Prenatal Care Clinical Practicum44
PADP 6380Geriatrics Clinical Practicum44
PADP 6390International Medicine Clinical Practicum (elective)42
PADP 6395Physician Assistant Studies Clinical Practicum42
PADP 6501Bridge to Professional Practice I11
PADP 6502Bridge to Professional Practice II11
Total Credit Hours46
Total Weeks48