THE CURRICULUM

The 24-month professional curriculum is composed of six 15-week semesters organized into a didactic phase and a clinical/culminating phase.  The didactic phase consists of a “lock-step’ curriculum divided into three consecutive semesters over 12 months.

The clinical phase is divided into three consecutive semesters over 12 months, during which students are provided with supervised clinical practice experiences through nine rotations, each lasting five weeks. Seven of the nine rotations are core rotations, which all students must complete. There are two elective rotations during this phase, which students can choose in areas of interest. During the clinical phase learning experiences, each student develops his/her identity as a healthcare practitioner and a member of the professional health care team. The rotations take place in hospitals, clinics, or private settings. The clinical year also includes graduate coursework and completion of a Capstone Master’s project.

RECOMMENDED SEQUENCE OF COURSES

SEMESTER I

SEMESTER II

SEMESTER III

SEMESTER IV

SEMESTER V

SEMESTER VI

TOTAL CREDITS IN PROGRAM = 118

CLINICAL ROTATIONS (5 credits each)

* One core rotation may be repeated as an elective.

Community Service Requirement

In keeping with the Touro College mission to serve the larger community and to sensitize its students to the realities of living with a serious health problem or disability, the School of Health Sciences requires that all students complete at least one credit of Community Service - Independent Study (currently numbered HS 201 – a new number is pending). For students enrolled in the Bay Shore/Winthrop PA program, this course must be completed before beginning clinical rotation #6.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

To qualify for graduation with a BS in Health Sciences and MS in Physician Assistant Studies, a student must fulfill all of the following:

• Successful completion of all courses and rotations, totaling 118 credits
• Overall program GPA of 2.7or better
• Successful completion of the summative evaluation (PAM 636)
• Successful completion of the capstone Master’s project
• Approval of the Academic Progress Committee

Program Honors

A student is eligible for the semester Dean’s List if he/she completes 15 or more credits with a GPA of 3.4 or higher.

The Program offers additional honors at the time of graduation, including:

Maimonides Award

Highest Academic Achievement Award

Outstanding Academic Achievement Award

Highest Clinical Achievement Award

Outstanding Clinical Achievement Award

Pi Alpha Honor Society

LICENSURE/REGISTRATION

Upon successful completion of all program requirements, a Certificate of Completion is sent to the New York State Education Department for each of the graduating students. Upon graduation, the graduate physician assistant may apply for a New York State Limited Permit, and may sit for the Physician Assistant National Certification Examination (PANCE) administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Only students who have graduated from programs accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) may sit for the PANCE.

Permanent registration (RPA) and licensure in New York State can only be obtained upon passing the PANCE. 

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP

The student body of the PA Program has a student society that is a constituent chapter of both the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the New York State Society of Physician Assistants

All students are strongly encouraged to also become individual members of these two organizations.  The PA Program itself is a member of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA).