They have expertise in several fields of clinical medicine, clinical research, health policy and health services management. The faculty are also active in several PA professional organizations, including the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, the Association of PA Programs, and state and local PA associations. The curriculum includes anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology, biostatistics, epidemiology, patient assessment, communication skills, and clinical medicine as well as preclinical patient experience. The educational setting is an interdisciplinary environment with courses taken with medical students, nurse practitioner students and other health sciences students. The clinical phase consists of a series of rotations that take place in a variety of inpatient and outpatient settings.
Students participate in the care of patients under physician supervision.
Students in the MS program also conduct research during their second year as part of the graduate clinical research practicum. The student, with the assistance of a faculty mentor, selects a topic of interest and performs a critical analysis of published or unpublished data. The expected result of the research is a publication-quality paper, and selected papers are formally presented to faculty and students of the School. This innovative and nationally recognized curriculum introduces students to the health care and social services in underserved areas of the Washington metropolitan area. It enables students to learn what services are available to the community, how individuals access these services, and how to make appropriate referrals.