Students acquire knowledge while they develop their clinical reasoning, self-directed learning, and teamwork skills. Students are encouraged to seek out all available learning resources, thus developing skills necessary for the life-long learning that a medical practitioner must use. Physician Assistant Studies students at Chatham are required to participate in clinical experiences, which are five to six weeks long. There are 10 rotations including primary care, pediatrics, women's health, psychiatry, general surgery, orthopedics, and emergency medicine. One rotation must be completed in a medically under-served community.
Students also complete a capstone master's project focusing on some aspect of health care.
The U.S. Department of Labor indicates that job opportunities for the Physician Assistant will remain excellent through the year 2005, especially in settings such as rural or inner-city clinics that have difficulty attracting a sufficient number of physicians to serve the patient population. The Department of Labor also expects the need for Physician Assistants to grow faster, on average, than any other occupation through the next decade. Physician Assistant Studies graduates are currently practicing in a variety of locations and specialties. The Anatomy and Physiology requirements can be fulfilled by either completing a separate Anatomy course and a separate Physiology course, or by completing a combined Anatomy and Physiology I and II sequence. Accreditation Eligibility for practice as a Physician Assistant requires passing a national certifying examination given by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.