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Rutgers SHP Requirements for Graduation and Course Descriptions

Department of Primary Care

Physician Assistant

PHYA5249 - Physician Assistant Clinical Clerkship I

Course Description

Physician Assistant (PA) Clinical Clerkships I, II, III, and IV are the four clerkship courses of the clinical phase of the PA Program. Each clerkship is similar in structure yet comprises different rotations, otherwise known as Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences (SCPEs). Disciplines of SCPEs include Internal Medicine, Surgery, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Intensive Care, Psychiatry, Emergency Medicine, and Electives. Individual student SCPE schedules vary yet include all core disciplines and elective options. Rotations may be 3, 4, or 8 weeks in duration depending on the specialty.

During these weeks, the student participates in patient care at clinical sites, documents encounters, and studies independently to meet learning outcomes. Approximately every 4 weeks, students are called back to the campus classroom for assessment, didactic activities, and other program events. All activities and assessments align with the goal of the student becoming a competent PA Program graduate and member of the health care community

Credits/Modes of Instruction

Credits: 11

Clinical/Practicum Mode

Prerequisites

Enrollment in the Physician Assistant Program and successful completion of prior courses within the curriculum and passing the Pre-Clinical Comprehensive Examination

Course Goals and Outcomes:

Goals

Demonstrate clinical skills through various supervised clinical practice experiences

Demonstrate technical skills

Relate medical knowledge to patient conditions

Employ clinical reasoning and problem-solving abilities to optimize practice

Apply interpersonal and communication skills to collaborate with patients, companions, and health professionals

Commit to professional responsibilities and ethical principles in patient care

Outcomes

Adapt to various patient encounters

Gather a history

Demonstrate physical examination skills

Perform basic procedures

Demonstrate medical knowledge

Generate an assessment

Formulate a management plan

Recognize system influences on patient care

Apply a scientific approach to patient care

Analyze own practice

Apply a person-centered approach to communication with patients and/or their companions

Communicate effectively to collaborate with other health professionals

Demonstrate reliability

Commit to ethical principles