About the Curriculum
In developing the curriculum for the School of Physician Assistant Studies, the PA Curriculum Committee relies on three major documents to direct the course of both the academic and clinical years of the curriculum.
NCCPA Blueprint
The National Commission for Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) publishes a “Content Blueprint” aimed at preparing those who plan to sit for the national certifying exams (PANCE, PANRE & Pathway II). The material on NCCPA’s certification and recertification exams can be organized in two dimensions: (1) Organ systems and the diseases, disorders and medical assessments physician assistants encounter within those systems; and (2) The knowledge and skills physician assistants should exhibit when confronted with those diseases, disorders, and assessments.
The content of each of these dimensions provides a sound basis for curriculum development and is closely followed by the UF School of Physician Assistant Studies.
Competencies of the Physician Assistant
To address the public demand for higher quality and greater accountability in health care within the PA profession that has been growing steadily over the last several years, the four national PA organizations have joined together to define PA competencies. Their efforts represent a critical starting point to identify opportunities for improvement in the development and assessment of those competencies. Each student in the UF School of Physician Assistant Studies is given a copy of this document as a guideline for future clinical practice.
All PAs can use this document to evaluate their individual strengths and opportunities for personal growth, to help guide their choice of future CME and other training activities, and ultimately to become ever better clinicians.
Essentials of an Accredited PA Program
Every accredited PA Program must adhere to the standards established in the Essentials of an Accredited Physician Assistant Program in order to continue to be re-accredited and hence to operate as an educational program. The Essentials establishes the minimum requirements for each program’s curriculum content, administrative structure, and evaluation design. The UF School of Physician Assistant Studies follows closely all requirements in the Essentials. Based on the required curriculum content, the School’s educational objectives for every academic course and every clinical rotation reflect the standards established in this document.