The Master of Physician Assistant Practice (MPAP) is a broad undifferentiated degree requiring general knowledge in all fields of medicine and the basic skills required for PA practice. Essential characteristics and abilities required for completion of the MPAP degree consists of certain minimum physical, cognitive, and emotional abilities to provide reasonable assurance that candidates can complete the entire course of study and participate fully in all aspects of medical training.
The Keck School of Medicine of USC Primary Care Physician Assistant Program expects its graduates to become fully competent physician assistants capable of completing the educational program, passing licensing exams, obtaining physician assistant licenses, and providing competent care.
The Keck School of Medicine is committed to diversity and to attracting and educating students who will make the population of healthcare professionals’ representative of the national population. Diversity enriches the educational and clinic settings and informs the quality of care we provide to patients and their families. Therefore, we welcome the diverse experiences of learners with unique lived experience.
The Keck School of Medicine of USC Primary Care Physician Assistant Program has an ethical responsibility for the safety of patients with whom the candidates will come into contact both before and after graduation. Therefore, patient safety is a major factor in establishing requirements for physical, cognitive, and emotional capabilities of candidates for admission, promotion and graduation.
All PA students must possess those intellectual, ethical, physical, and emotional capabilities necessary to undertake and achieve levels of competence in the full curriculum required by the principal faculty. An avowed intention to practice only a narrow part of clinical medicine does not alter the requirement that all students take and achieve full competence in the full curriculum.
8 Essential characteristics and abilities prescribed here are a prerequisite for admission, promotion and graduation from the Keck School of Medicine of USC Primary Care Physician Assistant Program. All matriculates, students, and graduates must meet all prescribed essential characteristics and abilities, with or without reasonable accommodations.
After reasonable training and experience, the Candidate must be able to observe and participate in demonstrations and experiments in the basic sciences, including but not limited to examination of gross specimens in gross anatomy and pathology laboratories, preparation of microbiologic cultures, and microscopic studies of microorganisms and tissues in normal and pathologic states necessary for such studies. Observation of gross and microscopic structures necessitates the functional use of the senses of vision and touch and is enhanced by the functional sense of smell or the functional equivalent.
Candidates must be able to communicate with, to receive communication from, and to observe patients in order to elicit information, describe changes in mood, activity and posture, and perceive nonverbal affective and gestural communication. These communication skills also must enable the candidate to obtain a medical history in a timely fashion from a variety of patients, and communicate effectively, efficiently and sensitively with all members of the healthcare team, other professionals, patients and their families. Communication includes speech and writing. The student must be able to produce a written “write-up” in the clinical rotations, which includes patient history, physical examination and assessment. The candidate must be able to comprehend written material sufficiently to understand common medical records, laboratory reports, and pharmacological prescriptions. Also, the student must be able to utilize computerized information technology to access and manage on-line medical information, participate in computerized testing as required by the curriculum, prepare multimedia presentations, and participate in the management of computerized patient records and assessments.
After reasonable training and experience, Candidates must be capable of performing a complete physical examination, including inspection, palpation, percussion and auscultation. The candidate must be capable of using instruments, such as, but not limited to a stethoscope, an ophthalmoscope, an otoscope, and a sphygmomanometer. The Candidate must be capable of performing clinical procedures such as, but not limited to, the following: suturing simple lacerations, pelvic examination, digital rectal examination, drawing blood from veins, giving intramuscular injections, basic cardiopulmonary life support, and simple gynecological procedures. The candidate must be capable of performing basic laboratory tests, using a calculator and a computer, interpreting an ECG, and interpreting common imaging tests. The applicant must be able to move and otherwise physically respond in the clinical setting so as to act quickly in emergencies. At the conclusion of the first three didactic semesters, the student should demonstrate proficiency in the skills described above. By the conclusion of the clinical rotations, the student should achieve full competence in the skills described above, including the ability to synthesize and organize these skills.
Candidates must have sufficient cognitive capacities to assimilate the technically detailed and complex information presented in formal lectures, small group discussions, medical literature review, individual teaching settings, and in clinical settings. They must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze and synthesize information across modalities, appreciate three- dimensional spatial relationships among structures and logical sequential relationships among events, and form and test hypotheses in order to enable effective and timely problem-solving in the diagnosis and treatment of patients.
Candidates must possess the emotional health, maturity and self-discipline required for successful participation in, and completion of, the course of study leading to the MPAP degree. These include but are not limited to attendance, integrity, honesty, conscientiousness, professionalism, teamwork and other attributes described in Standards, Policies, and Procedures of the Keck School of Medicine of USC Primary Care Physician Assistant Program and the USC Student Handbook. Candidates must accept responsibility for learning, exercise good judgment, and promptly complete all responsibilities necessary for sensitive and effective relationships with patients and others. Candidates must be capable of interacting with patients and healthcare personnel in a caring and professional manner. Candidates must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads, to function effectively under stress, and to adapt to changing environments. Candidates must demonstrate a respectful and professional manner in all interactions, including in their online and social media presence and in communicating with or about others, including individuals with whom they may have significant differences. A candidate must possess self-awareness of limitations, beliefs, and values, and must not disrupt or interfere with the learning of others. Candidates must be willing and able to interact with, and care for, all individuals of the community, regardless of gender, race, age, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, or any other protected status identified in the university’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Keck School of Medicine of USC has the responsibility to consider the safety and welfare of patients and others. Students must be able to comply with all requirements (including vaccination requirements) to participate in all educational, clinical, and research settings, including all applicable policies and protocols issued by the university, the School, and any healthcare facilities with which the candidate may interact as part of their program of study. They must also be able to understand and follow instructions given to them by supervising faculty, physicians, and administrators. Candidates should be capable of being vaccinated against known pathogens transmitted during physical contact with vulnerable individuals and populations.
Candidates are expected to understand the legal and ethical aspects of the practice of medicine and function within the law and ethical standards of the PA profession. THey must conduct themselves at a level of ethical and moral behavior commensurate with the role of a physician in all interactions. Candidates for admission must acknowledge and provide written explanation of any felony offense or disciplinary action taken against them prior to matriculation in the Keck School of Medicine; in addition, should the candidate be convicted of any felony offense while in school, they agree to immediately notify the PA Program. Failure to disclose in a timely manner prior or new offenses will lead to disciplinary action by the Keck School of Medicine and/or PA Program that may include dismissal. VII. SAFETY: The Keck School of Medicine of USC Primary Care Physician Assistant Program has responsibility to consider the safety and welfare of patients and others. Should a candidate have a condition that would place patients or others at significant risk, that condition may be the basis for denial 120 of admission or dismissal from school. An otherwise qualified individual shall not be excluded from admission, or participation in educational programs and activities solely because of their disability or medical condition. Students must adhere to universal precaution measures. Students must be able to comply with all school requirements working in a clinic environment and with hazardous materials.
The Keck School of Medicine of USC Primary Care Physician Assistant Program may require that an accepted student undergo an evaluation at the school’s expense for the purpose of determining whether an accepted applicant or student meets these essential characteristics and abilities. The Keck School of Medicine of USC Primary Care Physician Assistant Program does not discriminate against otherwise qualified individuals who apply for admission to the MPAP Program or who are enrolled as students. The designated disabilities coordinator for enrolled physician assistant students is the Coordinator Director of Disability Issues Services who may be contacted at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Reasonable accommodations will be granted upon request; requests should be directed to the appropriate disabilities coordinator.