DMSC - Medical Science

This course will cover the area of healthcare quality and improvement in all facets of healthcare including, but not limited to, private practice, clinical settings, hospital systems, and other healthcare facilities. Through a series of topics that range from teamwork, analysis, and communications, to risk analysis, accreditation, and personnel factors, the course will help the learner navigate facets of quality improvement that impact every corner of the healthcare environment. General government processes, regulations, and descriptions of accountability will also be explored.

This is the first in a series of two courses that will allow the student to advance their skills and knowledge within their given specialty. Students will identify areas that they wish to implement improvements or change within their healthcare system at any level. Students will also have the opportunity to reflect on this process and refine their strategies for improvement.

This is the second in a series of two courses allowing students to advance their skills and knowledge within their given specialty. This second course will build upon Advanced Clinical Practice I. Students will continue with projects to improve their clinical abilities and learn more advanced ideas and concepts within the healthcare structure and systems. Students will continue working with an identified preceptor or healthcare administrator to identify personal skills they wish to advance in the clinical setting or areas to implement improvements or change within their healthcare system at any level. Students will also have the opportunity to reflect on this process and refine their strategies for improvement. Students will also be exposed to professional colleagues who will provide expertise in several areas of healthcare, including leadership, research, and administration.

This course is an overview of writing and the organizational skills necessary for completion of the Capstone and submission of articles for publication. It focuses on the development of writing.

This is the second in a series of 3 Capstone courses in which students will continue working on their scholarly publication and enhance their knowledge of the grant process. This semester, students will explore the detailed components of the grant application process. The major milestone of this course will be the submission of a second rough draft of the student’s scholarly publication.

This is the third in a series of three Capstone courses in which students will complete the scholarly manuscript and further their knowledge of the grant process. The two major milestones of this course will be the completion of a complete grant application and the submission of their scholarly manuscript to a reputable medical journal.

This course explores the importance of learning assessment and evaluation in health education.  Students will navigate the learning assessment and evaluation process, including identifying the fundamentals of assessment, discovering evaluation and assessment methods, and evaluating these methods for quality, validity, and reliability.  Topics specific to health professions education will also be discussed, including the use of situation judgement tests and simulation in assessment.

This course will explore the fundamental theories of health policy, including its innovations, implementation, and analysis, emphasizing its impact on the PA profession. The course will prepare doctoral physician assistants to critically analyze health policy and its potential impact on the PA profession.  Doctoral students will be expected to write critical analyses on various health policy topics.

This course is a brief overview of organizational and leadership structures in academia and PA Programs. PA Program accreditation is emphasized in the planning and execution of the PA educational curriculum.  Additionally, the course prepares doctoral students to plan and evaluate appropriate instructional methods to enhance learner achievement.