Oct 09, 2024  
2003-2004 Springfield College Graduate Catalog 
    
2003-2004 Springfield College Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Physician Assistant


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The mission of the Springfield College 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 entry-level program with students earning a bachelor of science degree and a master of science in physician assistant studies upon successful completion of the program. A graduate program for students with a bachelor’s degree is also available. This would allow 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.

The program is divided into two distinct phases: a pre-professional phase in which students complete All-College Requirements and basic science program requirements; and the professional phase which includes 16 months of didactic education and 11 months of clinical rotations. The didactic year includes courses in clinical medicine, pharmacology, applied clinical skills, history taking and physical assessment, human anatomy, mental health issues, clinical decision making, foundations of research, advanced statistics, computer concepts in research, 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 apply for state licensure.

For more information about this program, contact Jennifer Hixon, M.S., P.A.-C., the Program Director of the Physician Assistant Program at (413) 748-3554 or the Admissions Office at (800) 343-1257.

1 Accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission of Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA)

Professional phase core/master of science PA curriculum


  • PAST 680 - Preceptorship Credits: 6 s.h.
  • PAST 626 - PA Research Project Credits: 3 s.h.

Program Minimal 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.

Sample Program by Year


First Year


Fall and Spring total: 31 s.h.

  • BIOL 121 - Bioscience (UG) Credits: 3 s.h.
  • BIOL 123 - Bioscience Lab (UG) Credits: 1 s.h.
  • CHEM 121 - General Chemistry (UG) Credits: 3 s.h.
  • CHEM 123 - Chemistry Lab (UG) Credits: 1 s.h.
  • ENGL 113 - Written & Oral English (UG) Credits: 3 s.h.
  • MATH 115 or 125 - College Algebra or Precalculus Math (UG) Credits: 3 s.h.
  • CISC 105/130 - Computer Science (UG) Credits: 3 s.h.
  • PEAC XXX - PE Elective (UG) Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PAST 101 - PA Seminar I (UG) Credits: 1 s.h.
  • BIOL 122 - Bioscience (UG) Credits: 3 s.h.
  • BIOL 124 - Bioscience Lab (UG) Credits: 1 s.h.
  • CHEM 122 - General Chemistry (UG) Credits: 3 s.h.
  • CHEM 124 - Chemistry Lab (UG) Credits: 1 s.h.
  • ENGL 114 - Written & Oral English (UG) Credits: 3 s.h.
  • PAST 102 - PA Seminar II (UG) Credits: 1 s.h.

Second Year


Fall and Spring total: 31 s.h.
Year 1 and 2 total: 62 s.h.

  • BIOL 250 - Human Structure & Function (UG) Credits: 3 s.h.
  • BIOL 252 - Human Structure & Function Lab (UG) Credits: 1 s.h.
  • BIOL 214 - Medical Microbiology (UG) Credits: 3 s.h.
  • CHEM 211 - Organic Survey (UG) Credits: 3 s.h.
  • PEAC XXX - PE Elective (UG) Credits: .5 s.h.
  • PAST 221 - PA Seminar III (UG) Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PSYC/MATH 211 or 215 - Statistics (UG) Credits: 3 s.h.
  • BIOL 251 - Human Structure & Function (UG) Credits: 3 s.h.
  • BIOL 253 - Human Structure & Function Lab (UG) Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PAST 222 - PA Seminar IV (UG) Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PEAC XXX - PE Elective (UG) Credits: .5 s.h.
  • PSYC/RHDS 422/370 - Interviewing & Counseling (UG) Credits: 3 s.h.
  • ACR XXX - ACR Courses (UG) Credits: 8 s.h.

Third Year (Fall Semester)


Fall Total: 20 s.h.
Total UG & ACLS: 82 s.h.

  • CHEM 331 - Biochemistry (UG) Credits: 3 s.h.
  • PEAC XXX - PE Elective (UG) Credits: 1 s.h.
  • ACR XXX - ACR Courses (UG) Credits: 16 s.h.

Professional Courses


Third Year (Spring Semester)


Spring Total: 13 s.h.

  • PAST 310 - PA Seminar V (UG) Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PAST 626 - PA Research Project (G) Credits: 3 s.h.

Third Year (Summer Semester)


Summer Total: 17 s.h.

  • PAST 330 - PA Seminar VII (UG) Credits: 1 s.h.

Fourth Year (Spring Semester)


Spring Total: 18 s.h.
Total for BS: 147 s.h.

  • EMSM 251 Advanced Cardiac Life Support (UG) Credits: 1 s.h.
  • PAST 310 PA Seminar V (UG) Credits: 1 s.h.

Fourth Year (Summer Semester)


Summer Total: 13 s.h.

Fifth Year (Fall Semester)


Fall Total: 19 s.h.

Fifth Year (Spring Semester)


Spring Total: 19 s.h.
Total Grad.: 116 s.h.

  • PAST 680 - Preceptorship (G) Credits: 6 s.h.

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