Curriculum
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Program Year One, Didactic Year: January–December
Spring, Summer and Fall Semesters
Spring Semester: 18 credits
| Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours |
| PAS 501 | Professional Development I | 1 |
| PAS 505 | The Science of Medicine | 2 |
| PAS 511 | Patient Assessment/Counseling I | 2 |
| PAS 515 | Anatomy for Physician Assistants* | 5 |
| PAS 521 | Clinical Medicine I | 4 |
| PAS 528 | Medical Decision-Making I | 1 |
| PAS 531 | Diagnostic Methods I | 1 |
| PAS 541 | Pharmacology I | 2 |
Summer Semester: 21 credits
| Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours |
| PAS 502 | PA Professional Development II | 1 |
| PAS 512 | Patient Assessment/Counseling II | 2 |
| PAS 516 | Pathophysiology I | 2 |
| PAS 522 | Clinical Medicine II | 4 |
| PAS 524 | Clinical Medicine III | 4 |
| PAS 525 | Evidence Based Medicine I | 2 |
| PAS 529 | Medical Decision-Making II | 2 |
| PAS 532 | Diagnostic Methods II | 2 |
| PAS 542 | Pharmacology II | 2 |
Fall Semester: 21 credits
| Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours |
| PAS 503 | PA Professional Development III | 1 |
| PAS 513 | Patient Assessment/Counseling III | 2 |
| PAS 517 | Pathophysiology II | 2 |
| PAS 526 | Clinical Medicine IV | 4.5 |
| PAS 527 | Clinical Medicine V | 4.5 |
| PAS 530 | Medical Decision-Making III | 1 |
| PAS 533 | Diagnostic Methods III | 2 |
| PAS 543 | Pharmacology III | 2 |
| PAS 560 | Medical Spanish | 1 |
| PAS 665 | Evidence Based Medicine II | 1 |
Total credits for Year One (Didactic Year) = 60 credit hours
*The Anatomy for Physician Assistant course is taught in lecture and lab format. Anatomy lab is approached in a two-fold manner: half of lab time is spent studying virtual cadavers with the Anatomage Table, and half the time is spent in traditional cadaveric study.
Program Year Two, Clinical Year: January–December
Note: The order of clinical rotations will vary among students
Spring, Summer and Fall Semesters
| Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours |
| PAS 600 | Bridge Course | 2 |
| PAS 610 | Emergency Medicine | 4 |
| PAS 615 | Internal Medicine | 4 |
| PAS 620 | OB/GYN | 4 |
| PAS 625 | Pediatrics | 4 |
| PAS 630 | Family Medicine | 4 |
| PAS 635 | Behavioral Medicine | 4 |
| PAS 640 | General Surgery | 4 |
| PAS 645 | Primary Care Selective | 4 |
| PAS 650 | Elective #1 | 4 |
| PAS 655 | Elective #2 | 4 |
| PAS 660 | Senior Seminar | 2 |
| PAS 666 | Evidence Based Medicine III | 1 |
| PAS 667 | Evidence Based Medicine IV | 1 |
Total credits for Year Two (Clinical Year) = 46 credit hours
Total credits for the Physician Assistant Studies Program = 106 credit hours
Accreditation Statement
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Dominican University Physician Assistant Studies Program sponsored by Dominican University. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.
Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be September 2030. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.
The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website.
View the ARC-PA Student Attrition Report on our Outcomes webpage.