Mar 29, 2024  
2004-2005 Springfield College Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2004-2005 Springfield College Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]


Physician Assistant Home Page

Physician Assistant



Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Undergraduate Curricula

The mission of the Physician Assistant program is to educate students in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in clinical, community, and academic service to humanity, building upon the College’s foundations of humanics and academic excellence. The Springfield College physician assistant program trains primary care physician assistants eligible for employment in a wide variety of medical settings and specialties.

This is a five-year program with students earning a bachelor of science degree and a master of science degree in physician assistant studies upon successful completion of the program. The program is divided into two distinct phases: a preprofessional phase in which students complete the General Education Program and basic science program requirements, and the professional phase, which includes 16 months of didactic education and 11 months of clinical rotations. The didactic portion includes courses in clinical medicine, pharmacology, applied clinical skills, history taking and physical assessment, mental health issues, clinical decision making, foundations of research, advanced statistics, research project, and seminar courses. Clinical education includes inpatient medicine, family medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, and emergency medicine. Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the National Commission of Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) Certification Examination and to apply for state licensure.

A graduate program for students with a bachelor’s degree is also available. The graduate program allows the student to complete the professional phase of the program in 27 months and be awarded a Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies.

For more information about the physician assistant program, contact Jennifer Hixon, M.S., P.A.C, the physician assistant program director, at (413) 748-3554 or the Admissions Office at (800) 343-1257.


Download a Physician Assistant Program Checksheet


CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS


I. General Education Program (46 s.h. in addition to courses taken for the major)


To integrate the humanics philosophy into their lives, Springfield College students engage in the search for knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of values through a variety of courses in the sciences and humanities. In addition to those General Education courses, students must complete 6 s.h. of Writing-Across-the-Curriculum (WAC) courses. For more information see the General Education Program and WAC courses. In the major requirements listed below, selected courses which fulfill General Education categories are marked with an asterisk; selected WAC courses are marked with a “W”.

II. Preprofessional Phase Core (46 s.h.)


NOTE: Students must complete at least 240 hours of healthcare experience and 20–40 hours of physician assistant observation prior to entering the professional phase of the program.

III. Professional Phase Core (116 s.h.)


  • EMSM 251 - Advanced Cardiac Life Support Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PAST 512 - History Taking and Physical Assessment I Credits: 4 s.h.
  • PAST 513 - Mental Health Issues in Primary Care Credits: 3 s.h.
  • PAST 514 - Principles of Clinical Decision Making Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PAST 515 - Human Anatomy Laboratory I Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PAST 523 - Pharmacology I Credits: 2 s.h.
  • PAST 521 - Applied Clinical Skills I Credits: 3 s.h.
  • PAST 522 - History Taking and Physical Assessment II Credits: 4 s.h.
  • PAST 533 - Pharmacology II Credits: 2 s.h.
  • PAST 524 - Clinical Medicine I Credits: 6 s.h.
  • PAST 525 - Human Anatomy Laboratory II Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PAST 531 - Applied Clinical Skills II Credits: 3 s.h.
  • PAST 532W - History Taking and Physical Assessment III Credits: 4 s.h.
  • PAST 533 - Pharmacology II Credits: 3 s.h.
  • PAST 534 - Clinical Medicine II Credits: 6 s.h.
  • PAST 535 - Human Anatomy Laboratory III Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PAST 540 - Professional Issues in PA Practice Credits: 3 s.h. 
  • PAST 544 - Clinical Medicine III Credits: 6 s.h.
  • PAST 543 - Pharmacology III Credits: 2 s.h.
  • PAST 626 - PA Research Project Credits: 3 s.h.
  • PAST 640W - PA Seminar VIII Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PAST 650W - PA Seminar IX Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PAST 660W - PA Seminar X Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PAST 671 - Inpatient Medicine Credits: 6 s.h.
  • PAST 672 - Ambulatory Medicine Credits: 6 s.h.
  • PAST 673 - General Surgery Credits: 6 s.h.
  • PAST 674 - Emergency Medicine Credits: 6 s.h.
  • PAST 675 - Obstetrics and Gynecology Credits: 6 s.h.
  • PAST 676 - General Pediatrics Credits: 6 s.h.
  • PAST 677 - Psychiatry Credits: 6 s.h.
  • PAST 680 - Preceptorship Credits: 6 s.h.

IV. Program Minimum Technical Standards


Technical standards define the attributes considered necessary for students to possess in order to complete their education and training, and subsequently enter clinical practice. These standards are prerequisites for entrance, continuation, and graduation from the Springfield College/Baystate Health System Physician Assistant Program. Students must possess aptitude, ability, and skills in five areas: 1) observation, 2) communication, 3) sensory and motor coordination and function, 4) conceptualization, integration, and quantitation, and 5) behavioral and social attributes. These functions are critically important and must be autonomously performed by the student. It should be understood that these are standards for minimum competence in the program. More information on technical standards is available from the Office of Admissions and can be found in the Physician Assistant Program Student Handbook.

Students are required to follow the procedures and adhere to the policies of the physician assistant program as outlined in the Physician Assistant Program Student Handbook.

V. Sample Program By Year


The program listed below is a sample–courses are not guaranteed to be offered during the semester or year listed. It is the student’s responsibility to insure that all requirements are met on atimely basis and that needed prerequisite courses are completedbefore taking upper-level requirements; therefore, they should consult carefully with an advisor when planning their program.

In addition to the courses identified below, the following General Education categories need to be fulfilled for this major: Computer Science, Physical Education, Literature, Second Language/Culture, Visual and Performing Arts, History, Social Science, Social Justice, Philosophy, and Religion.

Courses marked with an * fulfill or partially fulfill a General Education category. Courses marked with a w may fulfill a Writing-Across-the-Curriculum (WAC) requirement, depending on the year taken.

A. Preprofessional Phase


First Year - Fall Semester


First Year - Spring Semester


Second Year - Fall Semester


Third Year - Fall Semester


  • Any uncompleted General Education courses

B. Professional Phase


Third Year - Spring Semester


  • PAST 540 - Professional Issues in PA Practice Credits: 3 s.h.
  • PAST 626 - PA Research Project Credits: 3 s.h.
  • RSCH 610 - Research Methods Credits: 3 s.h.
  • RSCH 620 - Educational and Psychological Statistics Credits: 3 s.h.

Fourth Year - Summer Semester


  • PAST 512 - History Taking and Physical Assessment I Credits: 4 s.h.
  • PAST 513 - Mental Health Issues in Primary Care Credits: 3 s.h.
  • PAST 515 - Human Anatomy Laboratory I Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PAST 523 - Pharmacology I Credits: 2 s.h.
  • PAST 524 - Clinical Medicine I Credits: 6 s.h.

Fourth Year - Fall Semester


  • PAST 514 - Principles of Clinical Decision Making Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PAST 521 - Applied Clinical Skills I Credits: 3 s.h.
  • PAST 522 - History Taking and Physical Assessment II Credits: 4 s.h.
  • PAST 533 - Pharmacology II Credits: 2 s.h.
  • PAST 525 - Human Anatomy Laboratory II Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PAST 534 - Clinical Medicine II Credits: 6 s.h.

Fourth Year - Spring Semester


  • PAST 531 - Applied Clinical Skills II Credits: 3 s.h.
  • PAST 532W - History Taking and Physical Assessment III Credits: 4 s.h.
  • PAST 535 - Human Anatomy Laboratory III Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PAST 543 - Pharmacology III Credits: 2 s.h.
  • PAST 544 - Clinical Medicine III Credits: 6 s.h.

Fifth Year - Summer


  • PAST 640W - PA Seminar VIII Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PAST 672 - Ambulatory Medicine Credits: 6 s.h.
  • PAST 673 - General Surgery Credits: 6 s.h.

Fifth Year - Fall Semester


  • PAST 650W - PA Seminar IX Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PAST 674 - Emergency Medicine Credits: 6 s.h.
  • PAST 675 - Obstetrics and Gynecology Credits: 6 s.h.
  • PAST 676 - General Pediatrics Credits: 6 s.h.

Fifth Year - Spring Semester


  • PAST 660W - PA Seminar X Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PAST 671 - Inpatient Medicine Credits: 6 s.h.
  • PAST 677 - Psychiatry Credits: 6 s.h.
  • PAST 680 - Preceptorship Credits: 6 s.h.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Undergraduate Curricula