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Master of Physician Assistant Studies at RVU

TECHNICAL STANDARDS

This program is offered at the Colorado campus.

Technical Standards were adopted by medical schools and physician assistant programs to ensure that candidates for admission and students accepted to these programs are able to successfully complete the training process. The following Technical Standards have been formally adopted by the Rocky Vista University Physician Assistant Program and apply to all candidates for admission and to all students at all times during training.

A. In order to be admitted as students in the Physician Assistant Program, candidates must meet the following Technical Standards:

  1. The candidate must be able to observe lectures, demonstrations, experiments, computer-assisted instruction and waveform readings, and must be able to use vision, hearing, and somatic senses to accurately observe patients, both near and at a distance.
  2. The candidate must communicate effectively with patients, preceptors, faculty members and other members of the health care team. Therefore, the candidate must be able to communicate accurately and clearly in spoken and written formats, and must be able to use speech, hearing, reading and writing to effectively elicit patient histories, record data and interpret data related patient care.
  3. The candidate must have sufficient motor and tactile skills to elicit information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion and other diagnostic maneuvers. The candidate must be physically able to perform standard patient care activities, including but not limited to the suturing of skin and other tissues, the performance of lumbar puncture, and performance of retraction and instrument usage necessary to assist the primary surgeon during surgical operations.
  4. The candidate must have sufficient intellectual, conceptual, reasoning and problem-solving abilities to assimilate and integrate historical information, physical findings, diagnostic test results and other patient-related data to form a diagnostic impression and a therapeutic plan for patients.
  5. The candidate must have the capacity and willingness to develop sound clinical and personal judgment, mature professional relationships and the ability to tolerate physically and emotionally stressful situations and circumstances. Candidates must have and maintain a sufficient degree of physical and mental health to provide effective, compassionate and safe health care, and must be able to respond appropriately and effectively in emergency situations.
  6. The candidate must have the capacity and willingness to recognize limitations of their skill, legal authority and authorization, and must be willing to seek appropriate supervision and direction.
  7. The candidate must be able to develop and demonstrate ethical behaviors with respect to co-workers, preceptors, faculty members, patients, the families of patients and other stakeholders in health-care training and delivery.

B. Reasonable accommodation for the Technical Standards may be requested.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The University reserves the right to change tuition and fees at any time without advanced notice. Learn more about the tuition payment schedule, individual health insurance status, and the tuition refund process.

The Physician Assistant Program processes hundreds of applications for admissions each year. Learn more about requirements for admissions including GRE scores, minimum prerequisite course work, and GPA requirements.

The MPAS curriculum is sequenced and designed to address and integrate the entrustable professional activities in which are contained the competencies the student must achieve to successfully enter the profession upon graduation.

RVU PA STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Ciera Black, PAS I
Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS)

Campus Location
Colorado Campus

Hometown:
San Diego, CA

Undergraduate studies:
Psychobiology.

Graduate studies:
Masters of Biomedical Sciences

What clubs and activities are you currently involved with?
SGA, and Cadaver Lab instructor.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am from San Diego and I moved to Colorado about 3 years ago on a whim. I fell in love with the mountains and the people here, and decided to make it home for a while. I love being outdoors and hiking with my husband and our pups. We are constantly on the road to find new rural places to camp, ride dirt bikes, and take photos. I love to teach undergraduate and high school students, so I work as a cadaver lab instructor at a local community college, alongside my PA studies.

What initially brought you to RVU? Why did you decide to pursue this degree?
I chose RVU because of its location and the PA program's emphasis on clinical education. I really wanted to be part of a developing program and RVU was the perfect fit for me. I chose to become a PA because I love the perfect balance it offers as a career. Not only does it balance team-based decision making with autonomy, it also offers a healthy work and home life balance.

What do you enjoy doing when not at RVU (family life, interests, and hobbies)?
I enjoy using my telescope and learning about space. I enjoy home improvement projects, especially ones in the yard. Overall, I am happiest when outdoors, whether I'm camping, hiking, or off-roading.

What is an interesting or little known fact about you:
I used to race dirt-bikes competitively.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given by a professor or student while at RVU?
You are studying for your patients, not for a grade.

What are your medical interests?
Pediatric emergency medicine or rural medicine.

What is a favorite memory you have from being in RVU?
My favorite memories always revolve around our in-person skills days because we get to see each other face to face and actually practice what we've been learning. My first time doing an ultrasound to see the heart and vessels was my favorite memory because you could look around the room and see how proud all of my classmates were when they successfully found the structures.

What advice do you have for prospective students?
PA school is truly the hardest thing you will have ever done in your life thus far. Actively scheduling time to focus on your mental health every single day is vital to making it through this.

Click here to read previous student spotlights

CONTACT THE PA PROGRAM

COLORADO CAMPUS
8401 South Chambers Rd.

Englewood, CO 80112
303-373-2008

For faster response, please direct inquiries to the PA Program:
admissions@rvu.edu