Program Specific Competencies

Medical Knowledge

Students will be able to obtain and establish a strong foundation in basic sciences, health and disease states including pathogenesis, etiology, epidemiology, and clinical presentation of medical and surgical problems
Students will be able to gather complete and focused histories from patients, families and medical records and perform complete and focused physical examinations with patient safety, comfort, and privacy.
Students will be able to gather information from the patient encounter and clearly, accurately, and concisely present the information, including assessment and plan, to members of the team.
Students will be able to record and document the entire medical encounter accurately and completely.
Students will be able to identify studies/ procedures/ tests most likely to establish the diagnosis, or distinguish one diagnosis from another: list appropriate special, invasive, non-routine or follow-up tests.

Students will be able to communicate effectively and honestly with patients, families, peers, and other team members of diverse backgrounds, languages, sexual orientation, religion, cultures, and communities.
Students will be able to effectively discuss sensitive and difficult topics with patients and families

Students will be able to recognize and apply the role of the PA on different teams and in different settings as well as define and value the roles of other health professionals in providing patient centered health care.
Students will be able to utilize medical and clinical knowledge and critical thinking skills to analyze data from the patient encounter and formulate a logical assessment with differential diagnosis, addressing health care maintenance, and overall comprehensive management of medical problems
Students will be able to evaluate a patient’s condition in terms of location of treatment, need for referral for surgical treatments/procedures versus other non-surgical options, and identify priority in management, specifically in acute or emergency cases.
Students will be able to identify and select appropriate management of selected conditions using a variety of therapies including medications, lifestyle modifications, rehabilitation and surgical management and follow up care.
Students will be able to perform common procedures appropriately and safely with close attention to appropriate, well-documented informed consent, patient preferences and patient comfort.
Students will be able to identify and provide appropriate counseling and education of patients and family regarding current and future problems, including risk factors related to present encounter, self-care, management plan, and further disease progression/injury prevention.

Students will be able to demonstrate a strong commitment to ethics, professionalism, ongoing self-reflection, and self- assessment, and recognize the importance of maintaining lifelong professional development.
Students will be able to demonstrate leadership skills while balancing the importance of self-awareness and recognizing the need for additional help or supervision to prioritize the needs of the patient.
Students will be able to recognize cultural considerations in heterogeneous populations and employ effective and culturally sensitive techniques for dealing with health or illness-related matters.

Students will be able to locate, critically evaluate and apply evidence from the medical literature to the care of patients.
Students will be able to develop strategies for seeking, receiving, acting upon, and delivering feedback as a member of a classroom, research, project, or as a member of the healthcare team.

Students will be able to recognize and apply the characteristics of value-based health care to provide high quality and evidence-based care for patients in a cost-effective, fiscally responsible manner.
Students will be able to describe and apply concepts of population health, patient advocacy and be able to locate and secure community resources.
Students will be able to apply knowledge of the healthcare system and to work as collaborative members of the healthcare team to promote patient safety and meet the goals of the patient.