The student will develop the knowledge and skills to achieve competency in EPA-9 (Collaborate as a member of an interprofessional team). These two institution-level courses are required for all RVU students.

The student will develop a foundational knowledge of normal physical, social and psychological development and function across the lifespan. Self-care for the student professional will be an integral part of the course.

The student will develop the foundational knowledge needed in pharmacology, biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, physiology, and microbiology in order to understand the pathophysiology of illness and disease and the rationale for therapeutic intervention.

The student will develop the knowledge and skills to correlate human anatomy with structure, function, and the clinical assessment of pathology. Lecture, cadaveric dissection, and virtual dissection will provide the student the opportunity to integrate the appropriate use of diagnostic imaging with clinical anatomy.

The student will develop the knowledge and skills to function effectively within the existing US healthcare environment and to advocate for positive change in the future.  The course will explore both macro and micro approaches to health care and its delivery by incorporating the principles of public health, cultural competency, communication competency, social determinants of health, patient advocacy, biomedical ethics, informed consent, patient safety, the impaired provider, and healthcare financing. Central to each of these discussions will be the role of the PA and the PA profession. This course will introduce the knowledge and skills to achieve competency in EPA 11 (obtain informed consent for tests and/or procedures) and EPA 13 (identify system failures and contribute to a culture of safety and improvement).

The student will develop a foundational knowledge of illness and disease using an organ system approach. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the presentation, pathophysiology, diagnosis, prevention and management of the most common diagnoses.

The student will develop the knowledge and skills to achieve competencies within EPA-7 (formulate clinical questions and retrieve evidence to advance patient care) and EPA-6 (provide an oral presentation of a clinical encounter).  This course will provide the foundational knowledge from which the student will formulate a research proposal and design the capstone project.

The student will develop the knowledge and skills to achieve competency for EPA-1 (Gather a history and perform a physical examination), EPA 3 (recommend and interpret common diagnostic and screening tests) and EPA-5 (document clinical encounters in the patient record), EPA 8 (Give or receive a patient handover to transition care responsibility), and EPA 12 (perform general procedures).

The student will develop the knowledge and skills to achieve competency for EPA-2 (Prioritize a differential diagnosis following a clinical encounter), EPA 10 (Recognize a patient requiring urgent or emergent care and initiate evaluation and management), EPA-4 (develop and implement patient orders and management plans) and EPA-7 (formulate clinical questions and retrieve evidence to advance patient care) through integration of content from other courses and facilitated interprofessional small group sessions.

The student will be oriented for entry into the 48 weeks of SCPE. Expectations, competencies, assessments and the successful completion of the graduate portfolio will be discussed.  Training for the clinical tracking system will be provided.  The student must pass the clinical assessments in order to progress to the SCPE.