Graduate College Master of
Physician Assistant Studies About the Program Aging populations are requiring more healthcare. Recent legislation encourages more people to use community services. Fewer doctors overall — and a growing call to focus on primary care — means that physician assistants will be needed to ensure access to care. This profession is one of the fastest growing in the United States, and St. Catherine’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) degree is poised to meet that demand. Our program prepares you to practice under the supervision of a licensed physician. Physician assistants (PAs) are increasingly common in all general practice settings, as well as specialty areas, and are well-respected members of healthcare teams. As a PA, your work may include: •
Taking medical histories and performing physical exams
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Diagnosing and treating illnesses
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Ordering laboratory tests and writing prescriptions
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Counseling patients
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Assisting in surgery
Your clinical reasoning skills will deepen through instruction that’s repeated in the following key areas and applied to new topics during every sequence: •
Basic, medical and behavioral science
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Clinical medicine and clinical practice
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Patient evaluation, assessment and management
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Practice settings and systems
Sample Plan of Study YEAR 1 FALL Foundations: Medicine and Meaning Dermatology Musculoskeletal Neurology Eyes/Ears/Nose/Throat Infectious Disease Research I J-TERM Cardiovascular
Our Curriculum The 110-credit (seven semesters) MPAS degree is a full-time program that is completed in 28 months. Classes meet on our St. Paul campus in a weekday format. You are trained using a medical model, with curriculum that focuses on classroom and laboratory instruction in basic, medical and behavioral sciences, followed by clinical rotations. The curriculum is taught in a block sequence focusing on body systems, patient populations and clinical practice areas. Topics such as anatomy, pathophysiology, history taking and conducting physical examinations are interwoven. You develop problem-solving skills through casebased learning that incorporates technology and clinical observation — and become a scholar practitioner capable of assessing processes and outcomes to constantly improve patient care.
SPRING Pulmonary Gastroenterology Genitourinary Hematology and Oncology Endocrine Mental Health Research II SUMMER Women’s Health Pediatrics Aging and Elderly Special Populations Primary Care Research III