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Introduction 

The Physician Assistant Program curriculum is designed to provide the student with a broad foundation in medicine. The courses aim to broaden understanding of clinical medicine,professional practice issues, procedural skills, and diagnostic acumen while enhancing the ability to communicate effectively with patients, peers and colleagues.

There are two Master of Science in Medicine curriculum tracks:
               STANDARD TRACK: 143 Credit hours (77 phase I, 66 phase II)
               DECELERATION/REMEDIATION TRACK: (144- 223 Credit hours)

Preclinical Phase - Standard Track

The first phase of the program, commonly referred to as the preclinical phase, consists of 77 credit hours in five continuous academic semesters. Beginning in May of the first year, these courses take students through the preclinical phase with completion the following August. This portion of the curriculum utilizes classroom, laboratory, and clinical settings that provide a thorough theoretical and practical background in the basic health sciences and in clinical medicine.

Summer I   Fall I Spring I Summer II
Anatomy Lab Cross-cultural Medicine Essentials of Musculoskeletal Care Emergency Medicine
Anatomy and Physiology Clinical Medicine I-III
Diagnostic Medicine I-IV 
Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics I-IV
Fundamentals of Medical Science I-IV
Professional Development I-IV
Behavioral and Community Medicine I EBM I Behavioral and Community Medicine II Behaviroral and Community Medicine III

Courses and Credit Hour

Credit Hours Course
 8  Anatomy & Physiology w/lab
 20  Clinical Medicine
 7  Diagnostic Medicine
 7  Diagnostic Medicine Lab
 8  Pharmacology & Pharmacotherapeutics
 7  Fundamentals of Medical Science
 6  Professional Development
 5  Behavioral & Community Medicine
 2  Cross-Cultural Medicine
 3  Evidence-Based Medicine
 1  Essentials of Musculoskeletal Care
 3  Emergency Medicine

Clinical Phase - Standard Track

The clinical phase consists of 66 credit hours of academic work. During the series of clinical practicums I-VIII students will be assigned to eight clinical rotations conducted at a variety of clinical sites. In accordance with accreditation standards, students (prospective or enrolled) are never required to provide or solicit clincial sites or preceptors. Five weeks of the clinical rotation are spent on site, and one week is spent on campus for exams, lectures, board preparation, and course work. The rotation specialties include Emergency Medicine (6 weeks), Family Medicine (6 weeks), Internal Medicine (6 weeks), Pediatrics (6 weeks), Surgery (6 weeks), Behavioral Health (6 weeks), Women's Health (6 weeks), and an elective (6 weeks) of the student’s choice.  Students must complete all eight rotations to complete the practicum series.   The final semester of the clinical phase is the Advanced Clerkship. During this course, students choose an area of concentration and spend part of or the entire semester at one training site. During the clinical phase, students will engage in a capstone project that gives them an opportunity to conduct scholarly work for the MSM degree including a literature review, professional poster, and reflection portfolio. 

Clinical Coursework

  • Advanced Professional Seminar I-IV - 10 credit hours
  • Evidence-Based Medicine II - 2 credit hours
  • Clinical Practicum I-VIII - 5 credit hours each
  • Advanced Clerkship - 14 hours

Clinical Practicums include:

  • Family Medicine
  • Internal Medicine
  • Surgery
  • Pediatrics
  • Women's Health
  • Behavioral Health
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Elective

Advanced Clerkships Include:

  • Any area of medicine, based on availability and approval of the clinical team.

Deceleration/Remediation Track

In addition to completing all of the 143 credit hours in the Standard Track, students recommended for enrollment in the Deceleration/Remediation Track will also be required to complete up to 80 credit hours selected from the following courses, as recommended by the Physician Assistant Progress and Promotions Committee:

                PAS 6901 - Selected Topics in Medicine I 1-10 hours
                PAS 6902 - Selected Topics in Medicine II 1-10 hours
                PAS 6903 - Selected Topics in Medicine III 1-10 hours
                PAS 6904 - Selected Topics in Medicine IV 1-10 hours
                PAS 6910 - Selected Clinical Experiences I 1-10 hours
                PAS 6920 - Selected Clinical Experiences II 1-10 hours
                PAS 6930 - Selected Clinical Experiences III 1-10 hours
                PAS 6940 - Selected Clinical Experiences IV 1-10 hours

Notice: The Mississippi College Physician Assistant Program reserves the right to modify curriculum requirements as necessary to ensure the academic integrity of its Program. Students will be notified of any changes in curriculum or Program requirements prior to implementation in accordance with ARC-PA Standards.