Location:

Columbus, United States

Program Type:

Full Degree

Degree Level:

Master

Specialty:

Physician Assistant

Program Overview

Program Description:

To help meet the escalating need for well-educated and professionally trained health care professionals, Ohio Dominican University has developed a clinical Master of Science degree program in Physician Assistant Studies. Physician Assistant Studies students will receive an in-depth study of anatomy (including cadaver dissection in the PA Program building), genetics, pathophysiology, microbiology and clinical medicine including, but not limited to, internal medicine, physical diagnosis, family practice, surgery, emergency medicine, women’s health and pediatrics. Classroom instruction is reinforced through clinical experiences in various institutions and practices in the Columbus area, beginning the first semester. Following the successful completion of the 15-month didactic phase of the program, students enter the clinical rotation part of their training. Students will participate in 4 to 8 week rotations in seven core areas of study: family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, psychiatry/behavioral health, women’s health and pediatrics. Additionally, Ohio Dominican PA students may participate in up to three 4-week elective rotations the program provides, or they may set up their own elective rotation (subject to program approval). In keeping with Ohio Dominican University’s commitment to service, PA students will engage in clinical experiences in area free or low-cost clinics, also beginning in the first semester of study. The didactic phase concludes with a series of core competency examinations. The student must successfully pass these in order to advance to the clinical phase. The clinical year concludes with a comprehensive written examination and may include a comprehensive practical or problem-oriented practical examination. Students must successfully pass these in order to graduate. As the only program in the Columbus area, Ohio Dominican’s Physician Assistant graduates are well-placed and well-prepared to meet the growing need for healthcare practitioners in an ever-changing environment. Further, the PA program is committed to supplying practitioners for underserved populations in the region.

Additional Program Information

Accreditation:

We are undergoing the accrediting process. Ohio Dominican University is currently accredited by such bodies as the Ohio Board of Regents and the Higher Learning Commission. The Accreditation Review Commission on Education of Physician Assistants (ARC-PA) and the Ohio Board of Regents conducted a site visit of ODU on August 11 and 12, 2011. The ARC-PA commission meets in March, 2012 to render a final decision. A decision is forthcoming from the Ohio Board of Rgents and we are undergoing the accreditation process with the Higher Learning Commission. In the event the program is not granted provisional accreditation, all student deposits for the PA program will be returned.