PA Program Core Competencies

The Meharry Medical College (MMC) Physician Assistant (PA) Sciences Program adopted the following competencies to serve as a roadmap to enter clinical medicine with the skills, attributes, and behaviors to practice as a competent physician assistant. The four main professional organizations for the physician assistant profession in accreditation, governance, education, and certification developed Competencies for the Physician Assistant Profession, and stated: “While some competencies will be acquired during formal PA education, others will be developed and mastered as physician assistants progress through their careers. The PA profession defines the specific knowledge, skills, attitudes, and educational experiences requisite for physician assistants to acquire and demonstrate these competencies.” (ARC-PA, NCCPA, PAEA, AAPA)

General Competency Areas: Medical Knowledge (MK), Interpersonal and Communication Skills (ICS), Patient Care (PC), Professionalism (P), Practice-Based Learning and Improvement (PBLI), and System-Based Practice (SBP). (ARC-PA, NCCPA, PAEA, AAPA)

Upon completion of the didactic and clinical years curriculum, the graduating PA student should be able to perform the following global competencies as adopted by Meharry Medical College Physician Assistant Sciences Program curriculum: