Master in Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS)
Degree Plan
The Master in Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) prepares graduates with intelligence, sound judgment, intellectual honesty, appropriate interpersonal skills, and critical thinking skills. The graduate will be capable of medical patient assessment and developing a plan of action for addressing health concerns. The professional curriculum for PA education includes basic medical, behavioral, and social sciences, introduction to clinical medicine and, supervised clinical practice, and health policy and professional practice issues.
Master Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) - Degree plan
Curriculum
The Cohort System
Opening a new chapter in life can be intimidating, especially if admitted to a physician assistant program. This is why a support system is crucial. Many students rely on family to get them through, but at UTRGV, we give students even more. With our cohort system, students work and connect with people who are sharing an experience similar to theirs. Together, students learn the valuable skills needed to succeed in the physician assistant program and in the profession. A cohort is a group of students who work through the program together, taking the same courses and working on the same curriculum. Gone are the anonymous lecture halls where fellow students and professors do not know each other. Instead, students learn in a comfortable environment where student success is a priority to the program faculty. As students learn, they gain from the expertise of their student colleagues and build a network of people who share their commitment to becoming and succeeding as physician assistants.
Because the curriculum is designed with the cohort system in mind, students cannot choose which courses they take from semester to semester. All students follow the same path to success. Successful completion of all didactic coursework is required for progression to the clinical year phase of training. Likewise, successful completion of all clinical coursework is required for progression to the Master's capstone phase of training.
| Curriculum Totals | SCH* |
|
Didactic Year (First Year) |
48 36 16 |
| Total Master's Curriculum *SCH = Semester Credit Hours |
100 |
The UTRGV Department of Physician Assistant (DPA) is proposing a revised new curricula aimed to increase student success, attrition, and retention. The goal of the proposed revised curricula is to allow students to master didactic course material and develop a deeper understanding of the medical material in preparation for the application utilized in the supervised clinical practice experience phase of the curriculum. The proposed curricula increases the length of the preclinical (didactic) phase of the curriculum from 12 months to 16 months and decreases the length of the supervised clinical practice experience phase of the program from 16 months to 12 months.