SIUC Physician Assistant Program

Physician Assistant Program

Physician Assistant Program Our mission is…

• To prepare healthcare professionals who will provide primary health care, especially to underserved populations in rural and health professional shortage areas.

• To prepare medical providers dedicated to their communities and profession.

• To use the academic setting of this University to foster creative, analytical thinking.

• To prepare physician assistants with strong communication skills as well as the in-depth knowledge the medical field demands.

We’ll take you there…

At SIUC, the Physician Assistant Program is offered through the School of Allied Health in the College of Applied Sciences and Arts in collaboration with the Department of Family and Community Medicine in the School of Medicine.

A Physician Assistant is a health care professional who treats patients under the supervision of a physician. Some of the advantages to a career as a Physician Assistant include: • flexible working hours • ability to join the profession after an intensive, post baccalaureate 26-month program, less debt than accrued in medical school. PAs may work in any health care setting, from primary health care to emergency medicine to surgery, within any medical speciality, or in medical research.

What’s your reason for choosing the Physician Assistant Program at SIUC? • Clinical rotations begin in first-year curriculum • Problem-based learning format prepares graduates to be primary care providers • Small class size and low student-to-faculty ratio • 100% job placement within 3 months • 99% pass rate for national certification

Our graduates work independently and with physicians to: collect patient data • order lab tests • diagnose and treat patients • prescribe medication, therapy, or treatment • evaluate psychological aspects of a patient and provide counseling • provide patient education • make referrals • perform medical procedures such as EKGs, venipuncture, suturing, injections, splinting, casting, etc • assist in surgery

Our curriculum: Our 26-month program • Phase I – Didactic Phase – 54 credit hours – SIUC campus This is a Summer, Fall, Spring sequence using a Problem-Based Learning curriculum focused on anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, clinical medicine, Evidence-Based Medicine, and analytical thinking.

• Phase II – Clinical Rotation Phase – 30 credit hours This is a Summer, Fall, Spring sequence continuing ProblemBased Learning in which students complete clinical rotations.

Clinical sites are located in Southern Illinois and Kentucky.

Illinois cities include: Carbondale, Decatur, Mattoon, Olney, Pekin, Peoria, Quincey and Springfield.

• Phase III – Preceptorship – 6 credit hours The curriculum is sequential and all courses are required of all students.

No advance placement is awarded toward completion of the PA program courses, even if you are already licensed as a medical doctor.

What degrees do you offer?

• Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPA) • Master’s Completion Program (MCP) – this is a distance-learning, degree completion program for students who already hold a PA-C certificate

What are the prerequisites?

What is Problem-Based Learning?

Problem-based learning uses real case studies to engage students in practical learning in clinical and behavioral sciences. This method helps students synthesize, recall, and apply what they learn. In PBL, students work together with a faculty tutor to investigate the patient cases and identify specific learning points. PBL creates life-long learners who are prepared to stay at the forefront of the ever-changing medical field.

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university • GRE, MAT or MCAT test scores • For specific physician assistant prerequisite courses, see the attached prerequisite sheet.

What about clinical rotations?

In your first year, you are paired with a physician or PA-C with whom you work on a weekly basis to build your clinical skills and to learn in the field. The traditional clinical rotation phase begins in the second year.

For more details visit our website. You may also speak with an academic advisor at 618/453-5527 or email paadvisement-L@listserv.siu.edu.

www.paprogram.siuc.edu

Physician Assistant Program Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Is

Southern in my

future?

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SIUC offers the best of both worlds. You won’t get lost in the shuffle here, yet you will benefit from such big school amenities as a major research library. We are ranked as a High Research Activity University by the Carnegie Research Universities classification – giving our students the advantages of a major research institution. Yet, we offer a faculty devoted to teaching as well as to research and a low student-toteacher ratio – particularly in the Physician Assistant program.

Higher education is pricey – and in today’s world value must be part of your plans for the future. You should know that we are one of the 170 institutions selected for inclusion in the 2009 America’s Best Value Colleges published by The Princeton Review.

What can I expect to find in Carbondale and in Southern Illinois?

Carbondale is a college town with a population of about 26,000. The city offers a blend of urban and small town atmosphere, with a business district featuring brand-name retail, shopping and strip malls and movie theaters. The downtown and “Strip” host boutiques, coffee-shops, independent restaurants featuring international cuisine, and are home to a vibrant live-music scene and active nightlife.

The area surrounding Carbondale is famed for its natural beauty, and includes the Shawnee National Forest and such state parks as Ferne Clyffe, Giant City and Garden of the Gods, for those who like to hike and climb, and such sites as Little Grassy, Devil’s Kitchen, and Crab Orchard for those more inclined to the water.

For those looking for a long weekend get-away or a “one-tank trip,” notice that we are within a day’s drive or less of St. Louis, Mo., Nashville or Memphis, Tenn., Chicago, Ill., or Indianapolis, Ind.

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