The Wake Forest University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program has a unique history of innovation in medical education. From its beginning in 1969 it has featured small group, self-directed learning stimulated by real patient medical problems. The Masters Curriculum strengthens this tradition through a problem-based learning curriculum with exceptional technological support and a focus on primary health care delivery. The integrated curriculum incorporates the following educational goals of the Wake Forest University Department of Physician Assistant Studies and the School of Medicine:

• Self-directed Learning and Lifelong Learning Skills
• Core Biomedical Science Education
• Clinical Skills
• Problem Solving/Clinical Reasoning Skills
• Interviewing and Communication Skills
• Information Management Skills
• Professional Attitudes and Behavior

Pre-Clinical Year

Integrated Medical Sciences - General Description

The five Integrated Medical Science (IMS) courses extend across the Pre-Clinical Year.  The foundation of this series is centered on Problem-Based Learning in the Small Group setting: Students meet with a faculty facilitator three times per week in small groups of six to eight students to promote development of clinical reasoning skills and acquisition of basic, clinical and behavioral science knowledge.  A patient case serves as the framework from which students integrate information from many disciplines and develop clinical practice plans. Particular content areas are highlighted throughout the Pre-Clinical Year, with focused study in the disciplines of Dermatology, Hematology, Cardiology, Pulmonary Medicine, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Neurology, Orthopedics, Psychiatry, Nephrology, Urology, Geriatrics, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology. In addition to Small Group sessions, students will have the opportunity to learn via classroom lectures and hands-on activities in the Patient Simulation and Gross Anatomy Labs at WFUSM. 

The challenges of the simulated patient cases require students to develop an understanding of the basic principles and issues related to the health of populations, focus on various aspects of cultures, and individual patient care including moral and ethical considerations.  The integrative nature of medical practice requires that the modern professional acquire skills in each of the above areas and demonstrate proficiency in each discipline.

Apart from the content-based activities, these five consecutive courses promote the development of cooperative and self-directed learning skills, interpersonal skills, and professional behavior.  Faculty assessments of student performance will be made at the midpoint and end of each Unit. Evaluations include small group participation, problem-sets, simulated patient encounters, and computer based examinations.

Integrated Medical Sciences Courses

PA 611 IMS I (3 hrs.)
PA 613 IMS II (3 hrs.)
PA 615 IMS III (3 hrs.)
PA 617 IMS IV (3 hrs.)
PA 619 IMS V (3 hrs.)  

Clinical Applications - General Description

Students will develop professional attitudes and behaviors that are adaptable to different healthcare practice environments.  Skills in medical inquiry will be refined through performance in medical interviewing, physical examination and communication with patients, families and other health care professional.  Patient centered communication skills and medical interviewing techniques will be incorporated throughout the course activities.  Evaluation is performance based and includes standardized patient examination.

Standardized patient cases will require students to develop an understanding of the basic principles and issues relating to the health of populations.  The focus will be on the study of the clinical sciences involving clinical problem solving methodology, medical history taking, physical examination which affects decision making regarding diagnostic studies, imaging studies, and physician office laboratory procedures addressed in other courses. Students will continue to develop the habit of accessing and critically reviewing the medical literature and demonstrate the efficient use of good evidence in the care of patients.  Clinical experiences will be assigned throughout the five courses (e.g. Emergency Medicine observational opportunities, inpatient history and physical exams, DEAC Clinic, and Geriatrics clinical observations).

Clinical Application Courses

PA 612 CLNAP I (2 hrs.)
PA 614 CLNAP II (2 hrs.)
PA 616 CLNAP III (2 hrs.)
PA 618 CLNAP IV (2 hrs.)
PA 620 CLNAP V (2 hrs.)

Diagnostic Medical Skills – General Description

This three-course sequence focuses on providing the physician assistant student with a functional understanding of the appropriate uses and interpretations of clinical diagnostic testing.  Through exploration of each of the major body systems, this courses presents instruction in medical procedures used in the diagnosis and treatment of the common disorders of each system.  Students will learn to select, interpret and evaluate clinical laboratory, imaging and other diagnostic tests used for diagnosing, treating, and managing patient needs, as well as perform the basic clinical laboratory procedures most often done in an ambulatory practice.

Diagnostic Medical Skills Courses

PA 621 DMS I (2 hours)
PA 622 DMS II (2 hours)
PA 623 DMS III (2 hours)

Pharmacology – General Description

This five course series extends across the entire first-year curriculum.  Medical management of diseases affecting the major body systems will be covered, including the principles of pharmacology as they pertain to therapeutic agents.  Students learn the principal mechanisms of action of the major classes of therapeutic agents and refine their understanding of representative drug's absorption, metabolism, distribution, uses, side effects, and toxicities. This knowledge is applied in case-based learning activities that develop a student's ability to make evidence-based therapeutic decisions regarding risk versus benefit for an individual patient encounter. This course is closely integrated with Integrated Medical Sciences and Evidence-Based Medicine.

Pharmacology Courses

PA 631 Pharmacology I (1 hour)
PA 632 Pharmacology II (1 hour)
PA 633 Pharmacology III (1 hour)
PA 634 Pharmacology IV (1 hour)
PA 635 Pharmacology V (1 hour)

Preparing Future Professionals – General Description

The profession of medicine encompasses more than the interview, physical examination, diagnosis, and management of illnesses. A knowledge and appreciation for other aspects of medicine is necessary for the understanding of modern medical practice. This course is designed to aid in your transition into the medical profession and serves as an introduction to professional practice issues and the health care system.

This three sequence course covers the entire didactic year of training. A variety of methods may be used for instruction, including assigned readings, viewing of videos, student presentations, written assignments, and classroom discussions on professional issues of current interest and importance. Areas of study include history of the physician assistant profession, professional organizations, professionalism, reimbursement issues including Medicaid and Medicare, biomedical ethics, health literacy, diversity issues, domestic violence, liability, and end of life issues.

Evaluations of student performance will be made at the end of each unit and at the end of each semester. Assessment will be based on classroom assignments, level of participation, professionalism development, and professionalism essays on unit examinations, among other items.

Preparing Future Professionals Courses

PA 641 PFP I  (1 Hour)
PA 642 PFP II  (1 Hour)
PA 643 PFP III  (1 Hour)

Evidence Based Medicine – General Description

Each PA Masters candidate is to complete a Masters Project or an evidence-based medicine review prior to the end of the Clinical Year.  The primary focus of the Masters Project is to facilitate the development of skills needed to identify a question and the data necessary to answer the question, arrive at a conclusion based on data analysis, and to prepare a final paper of publishable quality.  The primary focus of the evidence-based medicine review is to facilitate the development of the skills needed to apply current research to answering a clinical question.  The student will prepare a paper and present their conclusions.

PA 603 Evidence-Based Medicine I (1 hrs.)
This is the first in the sequence of evidence-based medicine courses.  This course will cover the importance of evidence-based medicine and review basic statistical, research methods, and ethical standards in research.

PA 607 Evidence-Based Medicine II (2 hrs.)
This is the second in the sequence of evidence-based medicine courses.  This course will cover the interpretation and application of various types of clinical articles to answering a clinical question and prepare the student for the project to be completed during the clinical year.  The students will work in groups to complete a final project and presentation to the class, utilizing all the skills developed in the prior evidence-based medicine course.

PA 691 Clinical Year Preparation (2 hrs.)

This 3-4 week course follows Unit 5 and precedes the start of the Clinical Year. The course will provide focused instruction to students on skills that prepare them to participate in the mandatory and elective clinical rotations. General topics include surgical skills (e.g. suturing, knot tying, OR/Scrubbing, wound care, casting/splinting, gross anatomy, other procedures); mandatory preceptor site information (e.g. Blood-Borne Pathogen exposure, Employee Health communication, HIPAA); refreshers of fundamental clinical skills (e.g. EKG, Xrays, Fluid and Electrolyte Management, ABGs), and specialty-specific sessions and workshops (e.g. ACLS, Fetal Monitor strip interpretation, Pediatrics, Labor and Delivery, Geriatrics.)  Students will undergo orientation to the rotation structure and schedules, departmental guidelines, rules and expectations for the upcoming Clinical Year.  

Medical Spanish – General Description

PA 711  Medical Spanish I (1 hr.)
This course is intended for pre-clinical year physician assistant students.  It is designed to prepare the beginning Spanish speaking clinical student to communicate with Spanish speaking patients as they conduct a medical history and physical examination.  The informal classroom format is designed to reduce tension and promote interaction amongst participants.  Basic medical vocabulary and comfort with the spoken language is the focus of this course. 

Clinical Year

Masters Project Course Descriptions

PA 708A Masters Seminar (2 hrs.)
Candidates will complete the work required for their masters project.  Candidates will present the completed Master Project in oral, poster or other suitable form at a professional meeting, the Wake Forest University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program Masters Symposium and will be required to submit a paper of publishable quality related to their project. 

Clinical Rotation Descriptions - Required

PA 701 Family Medicine (4 hrs)
This four week course provides the PA student with experience in outpatient evaluation of pediatric and adult patients, including health maintenance exams and acute and chronic illness.

PA 702 Surgery (4 hrs)
This four week clinical course provides the PA student with hands-on experience in the operating room as well as pre- and postoperative assessment and outpatient follow-up.

PA 703 Emergency Medicine (4 hrs)
This four week clinical course provides the PA student with experience in triage, evaluation, and management of patients in the emergency room setting.

PA 704 Obstetrics and Gynecology (4 hrs)
This four week course provides the PA student with experience in managing common gynecologic disorders. Obstetric experience will include labor and delivery plus routine prenatal and postpartum care.

PA 705 Pediatrics (4 hrs)
This four week course provides the PA student with experience in outpatient and some in-patient management of pediatric patients. The student will have the opportunity to perform well child exams as well as problem oriented exams under the supervision of a preceptor working in the pediatric specialty.

PA 706 A & B Internal Medicine (4 hours each)
These two four-week clinical courses provide the PA student with experience in internal medicine and other medicine specialties. The student will gain in-depth knowledge of a variety of medical problems and learn the skills necessary for providing patient care in an in-patient setting for four weeks and an outpatient setting for 4 weeks.

PA 709 Psychiatry (4 hrs.)
This four week course will expose students to both in-patient and out-patient psychiatric and psychological disorders & diseases. A generalistic emphasis underlies the objectives of this rotation.

Clinical Rotation Electives

PA 707A Elective I (4 hrs.)
PA 707B Elective II (4 hrs.)
PA 707C Elective III (4 hrs.)
Each four-week course is chosen from all of the medical specialties and subspecialties.  Each student will take three of these rotation electives during the clinical year.