Preclinical

The first year of the program is devoted to preclinical studies. All courses are required, no transfer credit is accepted, and no credit is awarded for pre-admission experiential learning. Students will complete 19 required courses and 58 course credits for the preclinical year. The preclinical year curriculum builds on the prerequisite coursework and clinical experiences that students have completed prior to matriculation.

• Initial instruction in courses such as Basic Medical Sciences, Anatomy, and Physiology forms the foundation for the integrated medicine courses that follow.
• The multi-term Clinical Medicine, Pharmacology and Diagnostic Methods courses form the backbone of the preclinical year curriculum and are presented concurrently in body system units to reinforce content and help students synthesize material across disciplines.
• The multi-term Patient Assessment and Counseling courses offer instruction in history taking, physical examination, counseling, and presenting and documenting medical information.
• The multi-term Practice and the Health System course covers social drivers on health and health disparities, an introduction to the structure and administrative principles used in healthcare organizations, a review of professional organizations, health policy trends, third party payment, legal issues, and the unique place that PAs hold in the healthcare system. Additionally, students will learn how to critically appraise the medical literature and apply it to patient care.
• In the robust Surgery course, students learn the concepts, skills, and medical procedures to function in primary care and major surgical areas.