Required Curricular Components:
Academic Courses:
(*The academic course of study is 15 months in duration, didactic courses are mainly in-person with occasional on-line or hybrid sessions.)
Semester 1 – Summer Session
| Course Number | Subject | Credit Hour | Delivery Method |
| PA 500 | Anatomy | 4 | In-person |
| PA 506 | Health Systems and Risk Management | 3 | In-person |
| PA 507 | Physiology | 3 | In-person |
| PA 509 | Introduction to Pharmacology | 1 | In-person |
| PA 511 | Introduction to the PA Profession | 1 | In-person |
| PA 512 | Fundamentals of Medical Science | 2 | In-person |
| PA 513 | Interpersonal Communication and History Taking | 2 | In-person |
Total: 16 Credit Hours
Semester 2 – Fall Session
| Course Number | Subject | Credit Hour | Delivery Method |
| PA 520 | Clinical Medicine I | 5 | In-person |
| PA 522 | Physical Exam I | 3 | In-person |
| PA 524 | Clinical Skills and Procedures I | 2 | In-person |
| PA 528 | Pediatrics | 2 | In-person |
| PA 530 | General Surgery | 1 | In-person |
| PA 626 | Pharmacotherapy I | 2 | In-person |
Total: 15 Credit Hours
Semester 3 – Spring Session
| Course Number | Subject | Credit Hour | Delivery Method |
| PA 636 | Pharmacotherapy II | 2 | In-person |
| PA 630 | Clinical Medicine II | 5 | In-person |
| PA 632 | Physical Exam II | 3 | In-person |
| PA 634 | Clinical Skills and Procedures II | 2 | In-person |
| PA 638 | Emergency Medicine | 2 | In-person |
| PA 639 | Geriatrics | 1 | In-person |
Total: 15 Credit Hours
Semester 4 – Summer II Session
| Course Number | Subject | Credit Hour | Delivery Method |
| PA 640 | Clinical Medicine III | 5 | In-person |
| PA 642 | Physical Exam III | 3 | In-person |
| PA 644 | Clinical Skills and Procedures III | 2 | In-person |
| PA 646 | Pharmacotherapy III | 2 | In-person |
| PA 648 | Research | 3 | Hybrid |
Total: 15 Credit Hours
Clinical Courses:
** Clinical courses are conducted primarily in person, with possible telemedicine experiences in which preceptors are present in the room, except for the psychiatry rotation, which may be primarily via telemedicine.)
(clinical course rotations are each 4 weeks)
Definitions:
Rotation: A supervised clinical practice experience (SCPE) for which there are published expected learning outcomes and student evaluation mechanisms. (rotation and clerkship are synonymous)
Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences (SCPE): Supervised student encounters with patients, either in-person or by telemedicine, that include comprehensive patient assessment, involvement in patient care decision-making, and result in a detailed plan for patient management. (SCPE’s occur within Rotations)
| Course Number | Course Rotation | Credit Hour | Delivery Method |
| PA 710 | Family Medicine | 4 | In-person |
| PA 711 | Women’s Health | 4 | In-person |
| PA 712 | Pediatric | 4 | In-person |
| PA 713 | Behavioral & Mental Health | 4 | In-person |
| PA 714 | Emergency Medicine | 4 | In-person |
| PA 715 | Internal Medicine | 4 | In-person |
| PA 717 | General Surgery | 4 | In-person |
| PA 718 | Elective I (Primary Care) | 4 | In-person |
| PA 719 | Elective II | 4 | In-person |
| Course Number | Academic Course | Credit Hour | Site |
| PA 720 | Transition to Practice | 1 | In-person |
Total Academic Credits offered = 98
Definition of Credit Hour: The unit of measurement of University course work is the semester hour. Semester hours are also referred to as credit hours or credits. One semester hour for lecture is defined as one class hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction per week and an expectation of at least two hours of out-of-class student work each week. One semester hour for laboratory is defined as a minimum of 2-3 class hours of work each week in a laboratory under the supervision of a lab supervisor/instructor and an expectation of at least one hour of additional out-of-class student work each week.
Progression through the Program:
*Students must complete his or her degree within a six-year period, achieve course grades of B or better, and maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average in order to progress through the Francis Marion University Physician Assistant Program.