Physician Assistant

Degree(s): Bachelor of Science (B.S.) with a major in Health Science
Master of Science (M.S.) with a major in Physician Assistant Studies

(a minimum of 149 credits at the undergraduate level)
(a minimum of 51 credits at the graduate level)

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 in Health Science 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 (40 - 46 credits)

The General Education program at Springfield College is informed by its century-old Humanics tradition of educating the whole person in spirit, mind, and body, for leadership in service to humanity. These requirements have the goal of developing literate, thoughtful, socially responsible students, and instilling in them a spirit of inquiry into the nature of humankind and the universe. Towards those ends, the requirements emphasize and encourage: the acquisition of knowledge, understanding, and competency essential for the improvement of the human condition in a diverse society; a search for personal and spiritual values; and the development of an understanding and appreciation of physical well-being. For specific requirements, see the General Education Program section or the Program Checksheet for this major.

II. Major Requirements

A. Core Requirements

BIOL 121 - Bioscience I Credits: 3
BIOL 122 - Bioscience II Credits: 3
BIOL 123 - Bioscience I Laboratory Credits: 1
BIOL 124 - Bioscience II Laboratory Credits: 1
BIOL 214 - Introduction to Medical Microbiology Credits: 3
BIOL 250 - Human Structure and Function I Credits: 3
BIOL 251 - Human Structure and Function II Credits: 3
BIOL 252 - Human Structure and Function I Laboratory Credits: 1
BIOL 253 - Human Structure and Function II Laboratory Credits: 1
BIOL 280 - Genetics Credits: 3
BIOL 281 - Genetics Laboratory Credits: 1
CHEM 121 - General Chemistry I Credits: 3
CHEM 122 - General Chemistry II Credits: 3
CHEM 123 - General Chemistry I Laboratory Credits: 1
CHEM 124 - General Chemistry II Laboratory Credits: 1
CHEM 211 - Organic Survey Credits: 3
CHEM 331 - Biological Chemistry Credits: 3
EMSM 251 - Advanced Cardiac Life Support Credits: 1
MATH 115 - College Algebra Credits: 3
or
MATH 125 - Precalculus Mathematics Credits: 3
MATH 215 - Probability and Statistics Credits: 3
or
PSYC 211 - Introduction to Statistics Credits: 3
PAST 101 - PA Seminar I Credits: 1
PAST 102 - PA Seminar II Credits: 1
PAST 221 - PA Seminar III Credits: 1
PAST 222 - PA Seminar IV Credits: 1

B. Related Requirements

PAST 512 - History Taking and Physical Assessment I Credits: 4
PAST 513 - Mental Health Issues in Primary Care Credits: 3
PAST 514 - Principles of Clinical Decision Making Credits: 1
PAST 521 - Applied Clinical Skills I Credits: 3
PAST 522 - History Taking and Physical Assessment II Credits: 3
PAST 523 - Pharmacology I Credits: 2
PAST 524 - Clinical Medicine I Credits: 6
PAST 525 - Human Anatomy Laboratory II Credits: 1
PAST 531 - Applied Clinical Skills II Credits: 3
PAST 532 - History Taking and Physical Assessment III Credits: 3
PAST 533 - Pharmacology II Credits: 2
PAST 534 - Clinical Medicine II Credits: 6
PAST 535 - Human Anatomy Laboratory III Credits: 1
PAST 540 - Ethical and Professional Issues in PA Practice Credits: 3
PAST 543 - Pharmacology III Credits: 2
PAST 544 - Clinical Medicine III Credits: 6
PAST 626 - PA Research Project Credits: 3
PAST 640 - PA Seminar VIII Credits: 1
PAST 650 - PA Seminar IX Credits: 1
PAST 660 - PA Seminar X Credits: 1
PAST 671 - Inpatient Medicine Credits: 6
PAST 672 - Family Medicine Credits: 6
PAST 673 - General Surgery Credits: 6
PAST 674 = Emergency Medicine Credits: 6
PAST 675 - Obstetrics and Gynecology Credits: 6
PAST 676 - General Pediatrics Credits: 6
PAST 677 - Psychiatry Credits: 6
PAST 680 - PreceptorshipCredits: 6
RSCH 610 - Fundamentals and Methods of Research Credits: 3
RSCH 612 - Proposal Design Credits: 2
RSCH 620 - Educational and Psychological Statistics I Credits: 3

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.

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