Program Overview

Physician Assistant (PA) Program

The Physician Assistant (PA) program at the University of La Verne is designed to prepare students for clinical practice. The program includes a series of courses that provide a comprehensive education in the field of physician assistant studies.

Course Descriptions

The following courses are part of the PA program:

• PA 501: Human Anatomy and Physiology I: This course teaches human anatomy for the physician assistant, preparing students for clinical practice. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 3
• PA 502: Genetics of Health and Disease for Physician Assistants: This course provides the foundation of medical genetics necessary for clinical practice. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 2
• PA 503: Human Anatomy and Physiology II: This course provides an overview of the principles of human physiology, preparing the physician assistant student for problem-solving and medical diagnosis in the clinical setting. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 3
• PA 504: Research: This course introduces research methods, including study designs, data collection procedures, data analysis procedures, sampling, and sample size calculation. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 1
• PA 505: Health Medicine and Society I: This course covers health care delivery systems, alternative and holistic health, medical care and cultural diversity, the history of medicine and society, and the history of the PA profession. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 2
• PA 506: Evidence-Based Medicine: This course introduces the principles of evidence-based practice, different types of available evidence, and the skills required to formulate focused questions and locate relevant evidence. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 1
• PA 507: Pediatrics I: This course provides the primary care physician assistant student with an introduction to the basic principles of pediatrics. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 2
• PA 508: Clinical Procedures I: This course enables the primary care physician assistant students to develop the competencies necessary for current and evolving clinical practice through learning and practicing clinical procedures and technical skills. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 2
• PA 511: General Medicine I: This course provides instruction in psychiatric and behavioral medicine, dermatology, otorhinolaryngology (HENT), and oral health. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 6
• PA 512: General Medicine II: This course provides instruction in ophthalmology, cardiology, and pulmonary medicine. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 6
• PA 513: Pathophysiology I: This course introduces pathophysiology of the human body and its organ systems. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 2
• PA 514: Physical Assessment I: This course teaches history and physical examination, patient evaluation, diagnosis, management, and documentation in psychiatric and behavioral medicine, dermatology, otorhinolaryngology (HENT), oral health, ophthalmology, cardiology, and pulmonary medicine. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 3
• PA 515: Applied Pharmacology I: This course teaches pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics in psychiatric and behavioral medicine, dermatology, otorhinolaryngology (HENT), oral health, ophthalmology, hematology, cardiology, and pulmonary medicine. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 2
• PA 516: Health Medicine and Society II: This course teaches health policy, public health, global health, cultural diversity, and changing paradigms in patient care. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 3
• PA 517: Pediatrics II: This course provides the primary care physician assistant student with an introduction to the basic principles of pediatrics. Prerequisite: Completion of PA 507. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 2
• PA 518: Clinical Procedures II: This course enables the physician assistant students to develop the competencies necessary for current and evolving clinical practice through learning and practicing clinical procedures and technical skills. Prerequisite: Completion of PA 508. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 1
• PA 521: General Medicine III: This course teaches hematology/oncology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, nephrology, and genitourinary conditions. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 8
• PA 522: General Medicine IV: This course provides instruction in infectious disease, orthopedics, rheumatology, neurology, and women's health. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 6
• PA 523: Pathophysiology II: This course teaches pathophysiology of the human body and its organ systems in hematology/oncology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, nephrology, genitourinary, infectious disease, orthopedics, rheumatology, neurology, and women's health. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 2
• PA 524: Physical Assessment II: This course teaches history and physical examination, patient evaluation, diagnosis, management, and documentation of endocrinology, gastroenterology, genitourinary, musculoskeletal, neurology, and women's health. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 3
• PA 525: Applied Pharmacology II: This course teaches pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics in hematology/oncology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, nephrology, genitourinary, infectious disease, orthopedics, rheumatology, neurology, and women's health. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 2
• PA 526: Health Medicine & Society III: This course teaches medical ethics, death and dying, the rules and regulations of physician assistant practice, professionalism, and inter-professional experiences. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 2
• PA 531: General Medicine V: This course teaches pediatrics, geriatric medicine, emergency medicine, and general surgery. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 6
• PA 532: Clinical Procedures III: This course enables physician assistant students to develop the competencies necessary for current and evolving clinical practice through learning and practicing clinical procedures and technical skills. Prerequisite: Completion of PA 518. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 2
• PA 533: Pathophysiology III: This course teaches pathophysiology of the human body and its organ systems in pediatrics, geriatric medicine, emergency medicine, and general surgery. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 2
• PA 534: Physical Assessment III: This course teaches history and physical examination, patient evaluation, diagnosis, management, and documentation of pediatrics and geriatrics. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 3
• PA 535: Applied Pharmacology III: This course teaches pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics in pediatrics, geriatric medicine, emergency medicine, and general surgery. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 3
• PA 536: Introduction to Clinical Medicine: This course teaches medical coding and billing, medical record documentation, patient safety and risk management, quality improvement, and prevention of medical errors, and orients students to supervised clinical rotations and clinical practice. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 2
• PA 601: Supervised Clinical Rotation I - Family Medicine I: This rotation provides individual 4-week off-campus clinical experiences under a program-approved supervising preceptor at a program-approved clinical setting. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 4
• PA 602: Supervised Clinical Rotation II - Family Medicine II: This rotation provides individual 4-week off-campus clinical experiences under a program-approved supervising preceptor at a program-approved clinical setting. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 4
• PA 603: Supervised Clinical Rotation III - Internal Medicine: This rotation provides individual 4-week off-campus clinical experiences under a program-approved supervising preceptor at a program-approved clinical setting. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 4
• PA 604: Masters Project I: This course teaches the foundations of clinical research. Students apply evidence-based medicine and plan and design a clinical research project related to health, community, or education. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 2
• PA 605: Intro to Medical Practice: This course provides a deeper understanding of the legal responsibilities associated with licensure as a Physician Assistant. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 2
• PA 611: Supervised Clinical Rotation IV - Pediatrics: This rotation provides individual 4-week off-campus clinical experiences under a program-approved supervising preceptor at a program-approved clinical setting. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 4
• PA 612: Supervised Clinical Rotation V - Women's Health: This rotation provides individual 4-week off-campus clinical experiences under a program-approved supervising preceptor at a program-approved clinical setting. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 4
• PA 613: Supervised Clinical Rotation VI - Psych/Behavioral Medicine: This rotation provides individual 4-week off-campus clinical experiences under a program-approved supervising preceptor at a program-approved clinical setting. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 4
• PA 614: Masters Project II: The foundations of clinical research are applied to the research proposal described in PA 604 Master's Project I. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 2
• PA 621: Supervised Clinical Rotation VII - Surgery: This rotation provides individual 4-week off-campus clinical experiences under a program-approved supervising preceptor at a program-approved clinical setting. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 4
• PA 622: Supervised Clinical Rotation VIII - Emergency Medicine: This rotation provides individual 4-week off-campus clinical experiences under a program-approved supervising preceptor at a program-approved clinical setting. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 4
• PA 623: Supervised Clinical Rotation IX - Elective: This rotation provides individual 4-week off-campus clinical experiences under a program-approved supervising preceptor at a program-approved clinical setting. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 4
• PA 624: Masters Project III: This course applies the foundations of clinical research to a completed health, community, or education project designed by students with report findings presented in written and oral forms. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 2
• PA 625: Comprehensive Review and Examinations: This course is the summative evaluation of a physician assistant student used to assess readiness for entry into clinical practice as an entry-level physician assistant. Letter grade only. Not challengeable. Semester Hours: 2