Physician Assistants (PAs) are health professionals licensed to practice medicine
with physician supervision.
PAs are qualified by graduation from an accredited physician assistant educational
program and certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants
(NCCPA).
Within the physician/PA relationship, PAs exercise autonomy in medical decision-making
and provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services.
The clinical role of PAs includes primary and specialty care in medical and surgical
practice settings in rural and urban areas.
PA practice is centered on patient care and may include educational, research, and
administrative activities.
Accreditation for the Physician Assistant Studies Program
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc.
(ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Duquesne University Physician
Assistant Program sponsored by Duquesne University. Accreditation-Continued is an
accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance
with the ARC-PA Standard
Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation
process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards.
The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will
be September 2032. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the
Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.
The program's accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website.
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Professional competencies for physician assistants include the effective and appropriate
application of medical knowledge, interpersonal and communication skills, patient
care, professionalism, practice-based learning and improvement, and systems-based
practice. The mission of the PA department is to prepare physician assistant students
to become highly competent and qualified physician assistants who practice collaboratively
in a professional and inclusive manner. Upon completion of the Duquesne University
PA Program, each student will meet the following Learning Outcomes and Core Competencies.
Students will perform an accurate, problem-focused and/or comprehensive history and
physical examination in patients of ages across the lifespan.
Students will be able to communicate with patients, patients' families and other members
of the healthcare team in a supportive and effective manner.
Students will document relevant patient data using various formats including written,
oral and electronic modalities while being mindful of legal ramifications and overall
patient safety.
Students will be able to order and interpret pertinent diagnostic studies to develop
an appropriate, prioritized differential diagnosis.
Students will accurately integrate medical knowledge to implement treatment plans
in order to comprehensively manage both medical and surgical patients.
Students will competently perform both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures across
the lifespan in various disciplines of medicine.
Students will compassionately provide education and counseling while serving as a
patient advocate.
Students will maintain an understanding and respect for the patients' culture and
provide inclusive care for all patients.
Students will work collaboratively with all members of the healthcare team to provide
safe and exceptional patient care.
Students will engage in ethical and professional behavior with the patient, patient
families and other members of the healthcare team.
Students will analyze and interpret current, evidence-based medical literature and
contribute via scholarly work to benefit the profession and society as a whole.
Students will develop the skills necessary to become lifelong learners and demonstrate
commitment to stay current with medical knowledge.
Students will participate in scholarly activities to further the profession and provide
service to the communities at large.
The pre-professional component consists of 91 credits of humanities, basic sciences
and medical sciences. This educational component is completed in three academic calendar
years. The accredited component is completed over 27 months, consisting of 89 credits,
and is divided into two phases:
Phase 1 is composed of 14 months of didactic and case-based courses in clinical and
behavioral sciences, clinical laboratory science, and applied clinical skills.
Phase 2 consists of 12 months of Supervised Clinical Practice, in which students participate
in the evaluation and management of patients in a wide variety of clinical areas.
Students also participate in case-based coursework, as well as complete an evidence-based
medicine Master's project, suitable for publishing.
Cultural Fluency & Responsivity competency - 3 cr.
PHIL or THEO elective - 3cr.
Health Science elective - 3 cr.
Fall Semester - 14 credits
Communication and Professional Civility - 3 cr.
Anatomy I/Lab - 4 cr.
Physiology I- 3 cr.
Histology - 1 cr.
Medical Sciences I - 3 cr.
Spring Semester - 14 credits
Anatomy II/Lab - 4 cr.
Physiology II - 4 cr.
Medical Sciences II - 3 cr.
Psychological Disorders Applied - 3 cr.
Summer Semester - 13 credits
Introduction to PA Profession - 2 cr.
History & Physical Examination I / Lab - 3 cr.
Clinical Lab Methods - 3 cr.
Pathophysiology - 3 cr.
Introduction to Patient Counseling and Education - 1 cr.
Intro to Concepts in Pharmacology - 1 cr.
Fall Semester - 17 credits
Clinical Medicine I / Lab - 3 cr.
Clinical Pharmacology - 4 cr.
Applied Clinical Methods I / Lab - 3 cr.
History & Physical Examination II / Lab - 3 cr.
Pathophysiology II - 3 cr.
Seminar in Diagnostic Test Interpretation - 1 cr.
Spring Semester - 18 credits
Clinical Medicine II / Lab - 3 cr.
Clinical Encounters - 0 cr.
Clinical Seminar I - 3 cr.
Applied Clinical Methods II / Lab - 3 cr.
Fundamentals of Pediatrics / Lab - 2 cr.
History & Physical Examination III / Lab - 3 cr.
Health Policy - 2 cr.
Principles of Research - 2 cr.
Summer Semester - 11 credits
Clinical Seminar II - 3 cr.
Fundamentals of Surgery / Lab - 3 cr.
Clinical Medicine III / Lab - 3 cr.
Applied Pharmacology - 2 cr.
Fall Semester - 12 credits
PHYA 506 Clinical Seminar III - 3 cr.
PHYA 529 Clinical Externship I (Emergency Medicine) - 3 cr.
PHYA 530 Clinical Externship II (Behavioral Health) - 3 cr.
PHYA 531 Clinical Externship III (General Surgery) - 3 cr.
Spring Semester - 9 credits
PHYA 513 Essentials in Clinical Practice - 0 cr.
PHYA 532 Clinical Externship IV (Pediatric) - 3 cr.
PHYA 533 Clinical Externship V (Primary Care - Family Medicine) - 3 cr.
PHYA 534 Clinical Externship VI (Primary Care - Internal Medicine I) - 3 cr.
Summer Semester - 9 credits
PHYA 535 Clinical Externship VII (Primary Care - Internal Medicine II Specialty/Women's
Health) - 3 cr.
PHYA 536 Clinical Externship VIII (Elective) - 3 cr.
PHYA 540W Master's Independent Research / Study - 3 cr.
All students are assigned the above eight clinical rotations. The order in which
the student completes each rotation may vary.
For those students who do not choose to complete a full women's health rotation as
their elective or internal medicine specialty, each student must complete a 1 to 2-week
women's health experience to satisfy the clinical requirements.
Students are not required to provide their clinical sites or preceptors. The Duquesne
University Physician Assistant Program takes full responsibility for site development
and maintenance. Students can recommend new sites for elective rotations and may provide
additional leads to the Clinical Coordinator. The Program takes full responsibility
for coordinating clinical sites and preceptors for all rotations.
Our Faculty
The faculty of the Duquesne University Physician Assistant Studies Program possess
clinical expertise in a variety of specialties and subspecialties, including internal
medicine and family practice, women's health, surgery, orthopedics, urgent care, infectious
disease, oncology, hematology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, HIV/AIDS, transplant
medicine, and pediatrics.
With many years of experience educating PA students and other healthcare professionals,
the faculty serves as mentors and resources for students throughout their college
careers. They work closely with students to ensure the development of their professional
skills to the highest level.
