Each PA Masters candidate is to complete an Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) Master Project prior to the end of the Clinical Year that is an EBM review or scholarly activity approved by the program. Completion of the Master Project is a graduation requirement.

The final outcome of the Master Project will be a manuscript ready for submission for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. This paper will be an EBM review or the outcomes of a project that is designed by the candidate. Candidates will present the completed project or project-to-date in oral, poster or other suitable form in the community or at a professional meeting and/or on campus.

Projects must be designed to have a specific and measurable impact on PA education or on community health policy and/or practice. The research must meet rigorous methodological standards and advance knowledge.

Options for topics of investigation are coordinated in the following Master Project Tracks:

• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Development and Aging
• Nutrition
• Physician Assistant Education and Administration
• Prevention of Disease and Health Promotion
• Women's Health
• Clinical Medicine

Candidates may take 1 of several paths to develop successful projects.

• Continue an on-going relationship with a community organization where the candidate previously worked as a staff member or volunteer
• Pursue an existing relationship within the Medical Center or between Wake Forest University and a community organization
• Establish a new relationship with a community organization to pursue a research question originating in other academic/experiential pursuits
• For those candidates in the education track, establish relationships with a Physician Assistant Educator and an educational organization such as the Physician Assistant Education Association

The EBM review involves the student developing a clinical question, reviewing the current literature, analyzing studies, and presenting, in written and/or oral form, at a professional meeting and/or on campus.