Curriculum Review | Physician Assistant Department

Curriculum

The UMES PA Program is a 28-month, full-time graduate professional medical sciences program designed to be taken over nine consecutive semesters with a curriculum emphasis on primary care medicine and clinical methods. The program operates within The School of Pharmacy and Health Professions and trains learners to become ethical, compassionate and professional health care providers while preparing them for certification and licensing as graduate PAs. A Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MMS-PAS) degree is awarded upon successful program completion.

It is important to note that all courses must be taken at UMES while enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program to count toward a student’s MMS-PAS degree. At this time, the UMES PA Program does not award or grant advanced placement. Under no circumstances will graduate level courses taken during a student’s undergraduate education, or at any time prior to beginning the Physician Assistant Program, count towards the MMS-PAS degree. For example, if a student takes the required Applied Anatomy prior to his/her first semester in the PA Program, the course will not count towards his/her MMS-PAS degree and the student will be required to retake the course as part of his/her PA education. Furthermore, transfer credits will not be accepted.

Didactic Year

The didactic year is sixteen (16) months and provides students with a firm background in basic medical science, stressing the importance of patient interaction and teamwork in medicine through courses such as clinical medicine, history and physical examination, pharmacology, scientific basis of medicine, and diagnostic tests.

Clinical Year

The clinical year is twelve (12) months and consists of eight (8) five (5) week rotations. Students will participate in callback activities on the Thursday and Friday of the fifth week of each rotation.