Program Overview

Physician Assistant, MS

Department Chair: Donna Ferrara

The Department of Physician Assistant Education currently offers a graduate program leading to the Master of Science degree. The program consists of approximately 100 weeks of pre-clinical and clinical instruction presented over a 24-month period.

The program educates skilled professionals who collaborate with physicians to practice medicine in patient-centered teams in all specialties and settings. Students learn to take medical histories, perform physical examinations, order/perform diagnostic procedures and develop patient management plans. Patient education, counseling, and health risk appraisal are also important aspects of physician assistant education and practice, as is preparation for responsibilities related to the prescribing of medications. Students and graduates are educated and employed in settings such as private and group practices, hospitals, managed care settings, nursing homes, rural and urban out-patient clinics, correctional facilities, medical research facilities, and health administration.

Physician assistants (PAs) are well utilized in healthcare because of the accessible, quality, cost-effective care they provide. The physician assistant profession’s contribution to providing primary and specialty care services to underserved areas and populations is well recognized. In keeping with this commitment, PA education at Stony Brook is heavily directed toward preparing students to work in areas of medical need.

The physician assistant program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) and the New York State Department of Education. Graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for physician assistants, administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.

Admission Requirements

• The program Web site is the definitive source of information on admissions and provides comprehensive information on the program.
• For questions that are not addressed by the Website, please contact the program directly.
• Candidates for the physician assistant program must also meet the admission requirements of the School of Health Professions.
• The requirements may be fulfilled through previously completed college studies.
• In addition to the general academic requirements for graduate status in the school, the program specifies that fulfillment of the natural science requirement consists of completion of six courses in the biological sciences to include two courses in biology, one in genetics, one in microbiology, one in anatomy, and one in physiology.
• Courses should be designated for science majors.
• Preference for interview is given to applicants who will have completed all admissions requirements by the time of interview, whose courses are within seven years of application, and who apply early in the cycle.
• The program also requires a minimum of 500 hours of direct patient care experience.
• This requirement can be fulfilled by paid or volunteer experience as an EMT, medical assistant, emergency room technician, etc.

Program Requirements

Didactic Courses

• HAP 501 - Community Health and Service Learning for Physician Assistant 2 credits
• HAP 504 - Professional Practice Issues 2 credits
• HAP 509 - Integrative Systems Physiology 4 credits
• HAP 510 - Clinical Laboratory Medicine 3 credits
• HAP 512 - Principles of Clinical Pharmacology 6 credits
• HAP 514 - The Problem Oriented Medical Record-History and Physical Examination 5 credits
• HAP 516 - Problem Based Learning (PBL) 1 Credit
• HAP 518 - Medical Director Presentation Rounds 0.5 credit (taken over two semesters, 0.5 credits each)
• HAP 521 - Clinical Medicine I 5 credits
• HAP 522 - Clinical Medicine II 7 credits
• HAP 523 - Clinical Medicine III 6 credits
• HAP 524 - Clinical Medicine IV 9 credits
• HAP 528 - Genitourinary, Sexual and Reproductive Health 4 credits
• HAP 532 - Diagnostic Imaging 2 Credits
• HAP 534 - Introduction to Clinical Psychiatry 3 credits
• HAP 545 - Ethics and Health Care for Physician Assistants 3 Credits
• HAP 549 - Clinical Skills for the Physician Assistant Student 1 credit
• HAP 551 - Research Design and Evidence-Based Medicine 2 credits
• HAP 561 - Master’s Project I 1 credit
• HAP 562 - Masters Project II 1 credit
• HAP 563 - Masters Project III 1 credit
• HBA 561 - Human Gross Anatomy for Physician Assistants 5 credits
• HBP 511 - Pathobiology for Graduate Health Care Practitioners 3 credits

Clinical Courses

• HAP 570 - Internal Medicine Clerkship 5 credits
• HAP 571 - Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship 5 credits
• HAP 572 - General Surgery Clerkship 5 credits
• HAP 574 - Emergency Medicine Clerkship 5 credits
• HAP 575 - Psychiatry Clerkship 4 Credits
• HAP 576 - Medicine Preceptorship 5 Credits
• HAP 577 - Pediatric Preceptorship 5 credits
• HAP 579 - Geriatrics Clerkship 5 credits
• HAP 580 - Orthopedic Clerkship 4 credits
• HAP 581 - Clinical Elective 4 credits

Special Academic Requirements

• In addition to the academic policies of the school, each of the following didactic courses must be passed with a minimum grade of C before a student is permitted to enter clinical clerkships:
  • HAP 509 - Integrative Systems Physiology 4 credits
  • HBA 561 - Human Gross Anatomy for Physician Assistants 5 credits
  • HBP 511 - Pathobiology for Graduate Health Care Practitioners 3 credits
  • HAP 512 - Principles of Clinical Pharmacology 6 credits
• Each of the following didactic courses must be passed with a minimum grade of B-:
  • HAP 501 - Community Health and Service Learning for Physician Assistant 2 credits
  • HAP 504 - Professional Practice Issues 2 credits
  • HAP 510 - Clinical Laboratory Medicine 3 credits
  • HAP 521 - Clinical Medicine I 5 credits
  • HAP 522 - Clinical Medicine II 7 credits
  • HAP 523 - Clinical Medicine III 6 credits
  • HAP 524 - Clinical Medicine IV 9 credits
  • HAP 528 - Genitourinary, Sexual and Reproductive Health 4 credits
  • HAP 532 - Diagnostic Imaging 2 Credits
  • HAP 534 - Introduction to Clinical Psychiatry 3 credits
  • HAP 545 - Ethics and Health Care for Physician Assistants 3 Credits
  • HAP 549 - Clinical Skills for the Physician Assistant Student 1 credit
  • HAP 551 - Research Design and Evidence-Based Medicine 2 credits
  • HAP 561 - Master’s Project I 1 credit
  • HAP 562 - Masters Project II 1 credit
  • HAP 563 - Masters Project III 1 credit
• These didactic courses are graded Satisfactory/Fail:
  • HAP 516 - Problem Based Learning (PBL) 1 Credit
  • HAP 518 - Medical Director Presentation Rounds 0.5 credit
  • HAP 549 - Clinical Skills for the Physician Assistant Student 1 credit
• In addition to the academic policies of the school, each of the following clinical courses must be passed with a minimum grade of B- before a student is permitted to graduate:
  • HAP 570 - Internal Medicine Clerkship 5 credits
  • HAP 571 - Obstetrics and Gynecology Clerkship 5 credits
  • HAP 572 - General Surgery Clerkship 5 credits
  • HAP 574 - Emergency Medicine Clerkship 5 credits
  • HAP 575 - Psychiatry Clerkship 4 Credits
  • HAP 576 - Medicine Preceptorship 5 Credits
  • HAP 577 - Pediatric Preceptorship 5 credits
  • HAP 579 - Geriatrics Clerkship 5 credits
  • HAP 580 - Orthopedic Clerkship 4 credits
  • HAP 581 - Clinical Elective 4 credits
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required to remain in good academic standing. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average for all clinical clerkships, and successfully complete all summative evaluation requirements.