PA curriculum

Over a 33 month period and successful completion of 118 credit hours, students earn their Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree. Classes begin in late August, with graduation held early May. Below are the classes required to obtain this degree. 

1
semester

Semester 1: Fall, first year

Call number

Description

Credits

PHAS 511

Human Anatomy

5

PHAS 514

Medical History and Physical Examination

4

PHAS 539

Christian Healthcare and Bioethics

3

PHAS 558

Medical Physiology

5

Total:

17

2
semester

Semester 2: Spring, first year

Call number

Description

Credits

PHAS 518

Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine

4

PHAS 525

PA Professional Issues

2

PHAS 533

Preventive Health

1

PHAS 559

Clinical Pathophysiology

4

PHAS 562

Medical Genetics

1

PHAS 584

Pharmacology

5

Total:

17

3
semester

Semester 3: Summer, first year

Call number

Description

Credits

PHAS 506

Evidence-based Literature Review and Application

3

PHAS 594

Master’s Capstone Project I

3

Total:

6

4
semester

Semester 4: Fall, second year

Call number

Description

Credits

PHAS 510

Clinical Nutrition

2

PHAS 515

Clinical Diagnostic Procedures

3

PHAS 531

Clinical Medicine I

6

PHAS 546

Clinical Skills I

4

PHAS 557

Electrocardiography

1

PHAS 595

Master's Capstone Project II

1

Total:

17

5
semester

Semester 5: Spring, second year

Call number

Description

Credits

PHAS 532

Clinical Medicine II

7

PHAS 534

Clinical Medicine III

3

PHAS 547

Clinical Skills II

2

PHAS 553

Diversity in Medicine

1

PHAS 564

Clinical Therapeutics

4

Total:

17

6
semester

Semester 6: Summer, second year

Call number

Description

Credits

PHAS 519

Didactic Summative

0 (Pass/Fail)

PHAS 619-630

Clinical Rotations (listed below)

12

Total:

12

7
semester

Semester 7: Fall, third year

Call number

Description

Credits

PHAS 619-630

Clinical Rotations (listed below)

16

Total:

16

8
semester

Semester 8: Spring, third year

Call number

Description

Credits

PHAS 619-630

Clinical Rotations (listed below)

16

Total:

16

Get a wide range of experience in clinical rotations.

Required clinical rotations

During the clinical year every student participates in each of the below listed 4-week* clinical rotations. Per section 6.4 of the Student Handbook of the Union College PA Program, students are never required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors. 

  • PHAS 619 Family Practice 
  • PHAS 622 Internal Medicine
  • PHAS 623 Surgery
  • PHAS 624 Obstetrics/Gynecology
  • PHAS 625 Pediatrics
  • PHAS 626 Cardiology
  • PHAS 627 Emergency Medicine
  • PHAS 628 Orthopedics/Sports Medicine
  • PHAS 629 Psychiatry

* Family Practice is an 8-week rotation

Elective Rotations: (PHAS 630)

Every student will select two 2-week or one 4-week elective clinical rotation.

Below is a list of the most popular elective rotations:

Any required rotation, Allergy/Immunology, Burn Medicine, Cardiovascular/Thoracic Surgery, Dermatology, Endocrinology, Ear-Nose-Throat, Gastroenterology, Hematology/Oncology, Infectious Disease, Interventional Radiology, Maternal Fetal Medicine, Nephrology,  Neurosurgery, Pain Management, Pediatric Specialty, Plastic Surgery,  Pulmonology, Rheumatology, Trauma Medicine, Urology

The fine print.

Notes

This sample guide is intended only to show you how a program might be arranged. Course schedules may change and it is possible that your courses will not be taken exactly in the order shown.