Phase III (16 Weeks)

GSPA714-01 Clinical Skills I (2 credits)
This course is the first of two courses that introduces common clinical skills and procedures essential to primary care practice. Instruction will include lectures, live demonstration, video demonstration, and Team-Based Learning (TBL) exercises. Students will have the opportunity to practice the skills taught in a structured Learning environment and independently.

GSPA 728-01 Adult Clinical Medicine I (6 credits)
This is the first of a two series foundational adult medicine course. It will involve an intensive study of various medical conditions which are essential to the practice of primary care medicine. Utilizing an organ system based approach; each specific organ section will include lectures outlining the prevalence, signs, symptoms, diagnostic assessment and treatment of diseases listed in the NCCPA blueprint organ section topic list. The sequencing of the body organ units will align if possible to the corresponding unit in the Physical Exams I /II courses. The following is the unit sequence for Adult Medicine I: Hematology/Oncology Overview, Dermatology, EENT, Endocrine, Cardiology and Pulmonary Medicine.

GSPA 737-01 Pediatric Clinical Medicine I (3 credits)
This course is an introduction to normal child growth and development as well as the diagnosis and management of common childhood diseases and infections. Behavioral disorders, psychiatric disorders, psychological issues, the cardiovascular system, the system, dermatology, endocrinology and neurology in the pediatric patient will also be explored. Nutrition, immunizations and additional health wellness and prevention will be stressed for various pediatric patient populations.

GSPA744-01 Pharmacology II (2 credits)
This course continues the PA student’s study of clinical pharmacology. The course topic sequence is aligned with the topics presented in GSPA 728-01 Adult Medicine I to emphasize and correlate the fundamentals of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination. The course focuses on the relationship between drugs and receptors, adverse drug reactions, toxicity, indications and contraindications of drugs. Pharmaco-therapeutics with application to clinical patient scenarios is also incorporated in this course.

This course is designed to provide the physician assistant with basic pharmacologic information and to impart an understanding of the actions of drugs in humans so that they can apply this knowledge to the judicious use of drugs in practice as a physician assistant. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic aspects of various classes of drugs will be emphasized.

GSPA 730-01 Physical Exam Skills I (2 credits)
This sequenced course involves instruction in the art and science of performing a comprehensive physical examination. Physical examination techniques and developing an orderly approach to performing a complete physical examination will be the focus of lectures and labs using the 12^thedition of Bates. Instruction on the use of medical instruments including a stethoscope, reflex hammer, oto-ophthalmoscope, and tuning fork will be conducted. Students will be instructed and required to adequately document the physical examination as part of the medical record. Didactic lecture, small-group practice and discussion, and team-based learning approaches will be utilized.

GSPA 739-01 Research (1 credit)
This course is designed to introduce PA students to clinical research in medicine and its applications to clinical decision making through concepts and principles of evidence-based medicine. Additionally, the course will provide the student with the skills to complete a written research project through the investigation of a clinical topic utilizing the medical literature. Searching, interpreting and critically evaluating the medical literature and its application to patient care in order to promote evidence-based clinical practice will be emphasized.