School of Health Professions

PA Program Clinical Curriculum

Master
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Clinical Curriculum

Content

Our location in the heart of the world’s largest medical center affords the opportunity for students to train in a number of settings. Students care for varied populations throughout the 36-week core clinical curriculum.

 

Clinical Course Grid

 

4 Weeks

4 Weeks

4 Weeks

Clinical Core
(36 Credit Hours)

Internal Medicine Inpatient

Internal Medicine
Outpatient

Gynecology
& Obstetrics

Psychiatry

Surgery

Pediatrics
Outpatient

Pediatrics
Inpatient

Emergency
Medicine

Integration Core
(12 Credit Hours)

4 Weeks

4 Weeks

4 Weeks

Geriatric
Medicine

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Community & Family Medicine

Research Core
(13 Credit Hours)

4 Weeks

4 Weeks

4 Weeks

Research 1

Research 2

Research 3

Master's Paper

Courses
(6.5 Credit Hours)

Cultural Competency II

Health Behavioral Counseling II 

Preparation for Clinical Practice

Professional Role Issues II

Content

A mix of public and private institutions and community-based facilities provides a rich exposure to patients across the lifespan with medical, surgical, women’s health, and behavioral and mental health conditions and from many cultures and ethnic groups. Exposure to health beliefs and practices influenced by cultural origins provides an understanding of how to approach providing patient-centered care.

View our affiliates
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Clinical Core

Content

The 36-week Clinical Core provides in-depth instruction in the evaluation and management of patients seeking medical care across the lifespan to include infants, children, adolescents, adults and elderly, women’s health care to include prenatal and gynecologic care, care for conditions requiring surgical management including preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative, and care for behavioral and mental health conditions. Students evaluate and manage patients with preventive, emergent, acute and chronic illness, and injury alongside medical students, residents and faculty in emergency medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry and behavioral medicine, and surgery within the affiliated institutions and community practice settings of Baylor College of Medicine. While in these settings students interview and examine patients, assess and stratify illness risk, identify problems requiring behavioral, medical and surgical management, communicate patient information in verbal and written form to physicians, obtain specimens for and order diagnostic tests, participate in surgeries and deliveries, monitor programs of evaluation and therapy, and discuss preventive health care behaviors with patients and families.

See descriptions of all Clinical Core rotations and courses.

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Integration Core

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The 16-week Integration Core is comprised of four-week rotations in Geriatric Medicine and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and an eight-week rotation in Family and Community medicine. The earlier training experiences conducted in the ambulatory clinic, emergency center, nursery, operating room, and hospital ward settings prepare PA students to deliver health care services to diverse patient populations of all ages including infants, children, and adolescents, adult and elderly with a range of preventive, emergent, acute and chronic medical, surgical and mental health and behavioral conditions. During the Family and Community Medicine rotation, students may be assigned to practices in rural community settings across Texas, or urban or suburban settings in Houston and surrounding areas. Each of these settings emphasizes the principles and practices of community-oriented primary care offering the student greater understanding of the health and disease status of individuals in the psychosocial and economic context of the family.

See descriptions of Integration Core rotations.

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Research Core

Content

The remaining Research Core is comprised of two four-week research practicums and the Master’s Paper Project.

Learn about research opportunities and requirements.

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Admissions

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Ready to take the next step toward your career goals? Apply today.