Didactic Course Descriptions
- Acute Care: This course covers a wide range of topics pertinent to emergency medicine and critical care practice. It utilizes the concentrations of Clinical Medicine, Lab Medicine, Physiology, Pathophysiology, Radiology, Physical Diagnosis, Pharmacotherapeutics, Clinical Reasoning/Intervention and Medical Humanities to provide students with the analytical and technical skills necessary to manage patients in acute care clinical settings.
- Behavioral Health: The Behavioral Health course will provide students with an understanding of definitions, recognition and treatment of psychiatric conditions. Concentrations will focus primarily on clinical medicine and pharmacotherapeutics. The use of small group discussions will lead to a greater understanding of the humanities and clinical reasoning and interventions. Comprehension of the neuropsych examination will also be integral to the course. At the conclusion of the course, students will have an understanding on how to approach, diagnose and treat a wide range of psychiatric conditions.
- Capstone: The Capstone course is offered during the final three weeks of the didactic phase. The purpose of the course is to provide the student with many procedural skills necessary for success in the clinical phase. Capstone also contains a testing component to assure students are competent in their physical examination skills. As a final component, students will participate in an online curriculum for health professionals known as the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Open School (IHI). The IHI curriculum will develop student’s understanding of inter-professional practice, methods to reduce medical errors, health systems, and patient- and family-centered care.
- Cardiology: The Cardiology discipline is a comprehensive course utilizing multiple concentrations in order to provide a thorough understanding of the organ system. Through the following concentrations: Clinical Medicine, Lab Medicine, Physiology, Pathophysiology, Radiology, Physical Diagnosis, Pharmacotherapeutics, Clinical Reasoning/Intervention and Medical Humanities; this course will provide the students with the analytical and technical skills necessary to manage patients in the clinical setting.
- Dermatology: The Dermatology course is designed to provide students with the ability to recognize many dermatologic conditions and how they are most appropriately managed. Topics in clinical medicine, pathophysiology, and pharmacotherapeutics will be presented. Students will also engage in small group exercises in clinical reasoning, intervention, the humanities and special physical examination techniques. At the conclusion of the course, students will have the knowledge and skills necessary to address a wide range of dermatologic conditions.
- Endocrinology: The Endocrinology course provides students with a thorough understanding of the endocrine system including pancreatic, thyroid, adrenal, and other systems. Students will gain knowledge of numerous discipline concentrations including pathophysiology, radiology, physiology, clinical medicine, laboratory medicine, and pharmacotherapeutics. Students will also participate in small group exercises to hone their clinical reasoning and decision-making skills and to cover topics in the humanities. At the conclusion of the course, students will have acquired the medical and analytical skills to investigate and address endocrinopathies across the lifespan.
- Gastroenterology: The Gastroenterology course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of diseases of the GI tract, including the associated viscera. In addition to small group exercises in clinical reasoning and intervention, the course will provide a wide range of lectures in clinical medicine, laboratory medicine, pharmacotherapeutics, physiology, radiology and physical examination techniques. At the conclusion of the course, students will have a thorough understanding of management of the myriad of GI pathologies.
- HEENOT: The HEENOT (head, eyes, ears, nose, oral cavity, and throat) discipline is a comprehensive course utilizing multiple concentrations in order to provide a thorough understanding of these organ systems. Through the following concentrations: Clinical Medicine, Lab Medicine, Physiology, Pathophysiology, Radiology, Physical Diagnosis, Pharmacotherapeutics, Clinical Reasoning/ Intervention and Medical Humanities; this course will provide students with the analytical and technical skills necessary to manage patients in the clinical setting.
- Hematology: The Hematology course covers blood, blood forming elements and hematologic-based diseases. Crucial to understanding hematologic clinical medicine is a thorough understanding of the concentrations of laboratory medicine and pharmacotherapeutics. This course will provide students with the ability to order appropriate testing to interpret hematologic disease.
- Infectious Disease: The Infectious Disease course provides students with knowledge of numerous disease and treatment regimen for infectious processes not covered in the other systems-based courses. The course will rely on lectures in clinical medicine, laboratory medicine and to a great extent, pharmacotherapeutics. Clinical reasoning, intervention and physical examination techniques will also be presented in a small group format. At the conclusion of the course, students will have an understanding of the complexities of treating specific infectious disease processes in the out- and in-patient setting.
- Introduction to Human Form: The Introduction to Human Form (IHF) course is a comprehensive course utilizing multiple concentrations to provide an understanding of human anatomy and basic guiding principles of disease and healing mechanisms of the body. The IHF course will also introduce methods of patient interaction and physical examination, the historical context of the profession and a primer in medical terminology. Through the following concentrations: Clinical Anatomy, Pathophysiology, Physical Diagnosis, Medical Terminology, Introduction to the Profession and Pharmacology; this course will introduce students to the analytical and technical skills necessary to manage patients in the clinical setting.
- Musculoskeletal: The Musculoskeletal discipline is a comprehensive course utilizing multiple concentrations in order to provide a thorough understanding of the organ system. Through the following concentrations: Clinical Medicine, Lab Medicine, Physiology, Pathophysiology, Radiology, Physical Diagnosis, Pharmacotherapeutics, Clinical Reasoning/Intervention and Medical Humanities; this course will provide the students with the analytical and technical skills necessary to manage patients in the clinical setting.
- Neurology: The Neurology course will provide PA students with an understanding of developmental and acquired diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. Content will focus on physiology, pathophysiology, imaging studies, pharmacotherapeutics and laboratory medicine related to the neuraxis. Students will also engage in exercises to enhance clinical reasoning and improve their skill and understanding of the physical examination of the nervous system. At the conclusion of the course, students will have a working knowledge to provide medical care to patients presenting with the myriad diseases and syndromes related to the nervous system.
- Nutrition: The Nutrition course provides the student with a comprehensive understanding of the nutritional demands of metabolism in the health individual and in those with disease. Special emphasis will be placed on TPN, special diets for DM, CHF, and hepato-renal disease. In addition to covering topics in clinical medicine, students will participate in small group sessions focused on clinical reasoning and intervention related to a patient’s specific nutritional needs. At the conclusion of the course, students will have an understanding of how to manage the nutritional needs of patients in the inpatient and outpatient settings.
- Pediatrics: The Pediatrics course is designed to provide students with a thorough understanding of the special needs of the pediatric population. The course will focus on pharmacotherapeutics, clinical medicine topics and laboratory medicine specific to the newborn, infant, and child. The course will also present physical diagnostic techniques specific to the pediatric population, including comprehension of developmental milestones. At the conclusion of the course, students will have an understanding of how to manage the special needs of the child.
- Pulmonology: The Pulmonary course offers students a comprehensive understanding of pulmonary disease with lectures in clinical medicine, laboratory medicine, radiology, pharmacotherapeutics, physiology and pathophysiology. Students will also develop clinical reasoning skills and perfect physical examination techniques in small group sessions. At the conclusion of the course, students will have been provided the clinical decision-making and technical skills necessary to address diseases of the pulmonary system.
- Urinary System: The Urinary System course provides a thorough understanding of diseases of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Disease of the male reproductive system will also be presented in this course. Basic and clinical science lectures will be provided in clinical medicine, pathophysiology, physiology, laboratory medicine, radiology, and pharmacotherapeutics. Clinical reasoning, physical examination techniques and topics in humanities will also be presented in small group sessions. At the conclusion of the course, students will have the clinical knowledge and analytical tools to care for patients with urologic disease.
- Women's Health: The OB/GYN discipline is a comprehensive course utilizing multiple concentrations in order to provide a thorough understanding of the organ system. Through the following concentrations: Clinical Medicine, Lab Medicine, Physiology, Pathophysiology, Radiology, Physical Diagnosis, Pharmacotherapeutics, Clinical Reasoning/Intervention and Medical Humanities; this course will provide the students with the analytical and technical skills necessary to manage patients in the clinical setting.
