Program Overview

Physician Assistant Program Overview

The Physician Assistant (PA) program at Tufts University is a 25-month continuous program that begins in January. The first year focuses on foundational medical science, disease pathophysiology, and therapeutics, while the second year is dedicated to clinical rotations.

Program Structure

• The program is divided into two years: the first year focuses on didactic coursework, and the second year is dedicated to clinical rotations.
• The first year includes coursework in clinical anatomy, internal medicine, pharmacology, medical physiology, and principles of behavioral medicine.
• The second year consists of supervised clinical practice experiences in various medical disciplines, including emergency medicine, family medicine, inpatient internal medicine, surgery, behavioral medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, and orthopedics.

Didactic Course Sequence

The didactic coursework in the first year is organized into three semesters, with the following courses:

Semester 1

• PA 201: Clinical Anatomy I (4 credits)
• PA 203: Internal Medicine I (4 credits)
• PA 206: Pharmacology I (3 credits)
• PA 208: Medical Physiology (3 credits)
• PA 210: Principles of Behavioral Medicine (3 credits)
• PA 213: Professional Practice (2 credits)
• PA 215: Physical Diagnosis I (4 credits)
• PA 218: Nutrition (2 credits)
• PA 235: Primary Care I (3 credits)

Semester 2

• PA 202: Clinical Anatomy II (4 credits)
• PA 204: Internal Medicine II (4 credits)
• PA 207: Pharmacology II (3 credits)
• PA 212: OB/GYN (3 credits)
• PA 216: Physical Diagnosis II (4 credits)
• PA 217: Principles of Surgery (2 credits)
• PA 225: Emergency Medicine (2 credits)
• PA 229: Diagnostic Imaging (1 credit)
• PA 236: Primary Care II (2 credits)
• PA 239: Principles of Electrocardiography (1 credit)

Semester 3

• PA 205: Internal Medicine III (4 credits)
• PA 220: Evidence-Based Medicine (1 credit)
• PA 221: Principles of Neuroscience (3 credits)
• PA 222: Pediatrics (3 credits)
• PA 223: Orthopedics (3 credits)
• PA 226: Clinical Reasoning Workshop (1 credit)
• PA 227: Principles of Critical Care Medicine (1 credit)
• PA 230: Geriatrics (2 credits)
• PA 231: Introduction to Interprofessional Practice (2 credits)
• PA 237: Primary Care III (2 credits)
• PA 240: Procedural Workshops (3 credits)

Clinical Rotations

The second year of the program consists of supervised clinical practice experiences in various medical disciplines, including:

• PA 301: Emergency Medicine Core Rotation (4 credits)
• PA 302: Family Medicine Core Rotation (4 credits)
• PA 303: Inpatient Internal Medicine Core Rotation (4 credits)
• PA 304: Surgery Core Rotation (4 credits)
• PA 305: Behavioral Medicine Core Rotation (4 credits)
• PA 306: Pediatrics Core Rotation (4 credits)
• PA 307: OB/GYN (Women’s Health) Core Rotation (4 credits)
• PA 308: Orthopedic Core Rotation (4 credits)
• PA 309: Elective Rotation (4 credits)
• PA 312: Ambulatory Care/Outpatient Selective Rotation (4 credits)
• PA 313: Inpatient Medicine Selective Rotation (4 credits)

Graduation Requirements

To meet the program's graduation requirements and earn the degree of Master of Medical Science, students must:

1. Pass all didactic courses with a minimum of a B-
2. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better
3. Successfully complete all Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences
4. Pass a comprehensive written examination
5. Pass the Objective Standardized Clinical Examination
6. Demonstrate professional conduct throughout the entire program

Capstone Project

The Capstone Project is an individual effort on a medical topic chosen by the student, requiring considerable effort, including library research and clinical insight, culminating in a poster presentation to PA students, faculty, and staff.

Preparation for Clinical Practice

The Preparation for Clinical Practice seminar is a multi-faceted course that encompasses callback days and interprofessional activities during the clinical year, including formative assessments and a summative assessment (End of Curriculum Examination and OSCE) to evaluate foundational medical knowledge, history taking, physical examination, diagnosis, management of a patient complaint, and patient education.