Two-Year Curriculum Outline
School of Physician Assistant Studies Curriculum

Curriculum by Semester

Semester 1 – Summer B

  • Gross & Radiographic Anatomy — 4 cr.hrs.
  • Medical Communications — 2 cr.hrs.

Semester 2 – Fall

  • Behavioral & Community Medicine I — 1 cr.hr.
  • Human Physiology — 4 cr.hrs.
  • Introduction to Medicine I — 6 cr.hrs.
  • Pharmacotherapeutics — 4 cr.hrs.
  • Physical Diagnosis — 2 cr.hrs.

Semester 3 – Spring

  • Behavioral & Community Medicine II — 1 cr.hr.
  • Clinical Problem Solving/Differential Diagnosis — 1 cr.hr.
  • Clinical Procedures — 1 cr.hr.
  • EKG/Lab Medicine — 1 cr.hr.
  • Introduction to Medicine II — 6 cr.hrs.
  • Patient Evaluation & Hospital Practicum — 2 cr.hrs.

Semester 4 – Summer A

  • Advanced Clinical Practicum — 2 cr.hrs.
  • Evidence-Based Medicine — 3 cr.hrs.

TOTAL ACADEMIC YEAR SEMESTER HOURS = 40

Clinical Year

Summer B & Fall ; Spring & Summer A

  • Clinical Year Major Training Areas: Gainesville, Jacksonville, Orlando, Pensacola, and Tampa
  • As part of the Schools support for the primary care health needs of rural populations, all students will take at least one of their primary care clinical rotations in a rural area.

Typical Schedule and Number of Months

  • Elective — 2
  • Emergency Medicine — 1
  • Intensive Care Medicine — 1
  • Internal Medicine — 1
  • Internal Medicine Selective — 1
  • Obstetrics/Gynecology — 1
  • Pediatrics — 1
  • Primary Care — 2
  • Psychiatry — 1
  • Surgery, General — 1
  • Clinical Practicum — 12 four-week rotations, 3 credits each = 36 credit hours
  • Special Topics seminar — 1 credit for each of the four semesters = 4 credit hours

TOTAL CLINICAL YEAR SEMESTER HOURS = 40

No advanced placement or advanced standing is granted, nor is transfer credit or credit for experiential learning accepted in lieu of PA courses.

PA classes are open to enrolled PA students only.

All PA students must complete the entire PA curriculum to be considered eligible for graduation and completion of the program.  The UF PA School Curriculum is a 24 month length of study. Students are expected to complete the didactic phase of the curriculum within the prescribed 12 month time frame further delineated by semesters as outlined above. The clinical phase of the curriculum immediately follows the didactic phase, students are expected to complete their rotations in 4 week intervals over the course of a 12 month time period. The clinical phase culminates with graduation.

Any course grade below a “C” (or a failure in a pass/fail course) in either the academic or clinical year of the PA curriculum may be grounds for dismissal for academic reasons, subject to the decision of the School of Physician Assistant Studies’ Professional Standards and Promotions Committee. If a student earning a grade below a “C” is retained in the School, s/he will be placed on probation for the duration of his/her time in the School and will be required to complete any remedial work prescribed by the faculty; this may result in the student’s delayed graduation.

Master’s Capstone Project

Completion of a Master’s capstone project is required of UF PA students in their clinical year. Students work in pairs or individually to answer a clinical question relevant to medical practice. Under the mentorship of a faculty advisor students develop their ideas with the goal to implement original research, provide a service, education, or quality improvement project, or develop an indepth systematic review of the existing literature with publication in mind. Student must demonstrate skills in scientific writing of an abstract and manuscript. The capstone project is introduced in conjunction with the Evidence-Based Medicine (PAS 5013) course at the end of the first year and concludes with presentations of instructional posters at the end of the Fall semester. Students may opt to apply for presenting their posters in UF’s annual College of Medicine Research Poster Session in the spring.