The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies is a broad degree attesting to general knowledge in all fields of medicine and the basic skills required for PA practice. Essential characteristics and abilities required for completion of the MSPAS degree consist of certain minimum physical and cognitive abilities and sufficient mental stability to provide reasonable assurance that candidates can complete the entire course of study and participate fully in all aspects of medical training. Bryant University expects its graduates to become fully competent physician assistants and will provide reasonable accommodation to prepare its students to reach this goal.
The program has an ethical responsibility for the safety of patients with whom the candidates will encounter both before and after completion of the MSPAS degree. Patient safety is a major factor in establishing program core technical standards required for admission to the program, promotion within the program and graduation.
All Bryant 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 faculty. All students must meet technical standards to graduate from the program and ultimately enter into clinical practice. Inability to meet these technical standards is grounds for dismissal.
The technical standards are housed within broader categories as listed below. Detailed descriptions of the technical standards follow.
1. Observation
2. Participation
3. Communication
4. Motor Skills
5. Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities
6. Behavioral and Social Attributes
1. Observation
The student must be able to observe demonstrations and experiments in the basic sciences, including but not limited to physiologic and pharmacologic demonstrations, microscopic studies of microorganisms, and tissues in normal and pathologic states. Students must be able to observe all classroom demonstrations of clinical skills. Students must also be able to inspect or observe a patient accurately at a distance and close at hand. Students should have the ability to visualize written documents, images, telemetry monitors, EKGs, and interpret diagnostic studies. Students should be sufficiently capable of using observations to draw appropriate conclusions about patient care. Observation necessitates the functional use of the sense of vision. It is enhanced by the functional use of the sense of smell.
2. Participation
The student must participate in all components of the program to include, but not limited to, classroom activities, lab sessions, peer-to-peer clinical skills practice, and clinical rotations.
3. Communication
Students should be able to speak to, listen to, and observe non-verbal communication in patients to elicit accurate information. Communication includes speech, reading, and writing. The student must be able to communicate respectfully, professionally, sensitively, and efficiently in oral and written form with the patient, the patient’s family, and all members of the healthcare team.
Students must be able to communicate respectfully and professionally with peers, instructors, and mentors in both oral and written formats at all times.
4. Motor Skills
Students should have sufficient motor function, skill, and dexterity to carry out basic laboratory experiments and anatomical dissections. Students must be able to use clinical examination skills to elicit information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion, and other diagnostic maneuvers. Students should have the motor skills to accurately perform all elements of the physical examination and use instruments and tools appropriately to gather clinical information. Motor skills include the ability to obtain laboratory, radiologic, and other diagnostic testing, as well as perform diagnostic procedures. Students should possess sufficient motor skills to be able to provide general and emergency care to patients as well as surgical care. Motor skills must be accurate and able to be performed safely. Such actions require coordination of both gross and fine muscle movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision.
5. Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities
Physician assistant students must possess intellectual ability that includes visual-spatial understanding, measuring, calculating, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Each of these skills is required for critical thinking and problem solving. Students must combine these skills with evidence-based medicine and sound judgment to patient care to formulate a reasonable diagnosis and treatment plan.
6. Behavioral and Social Attributes
Students should have the physical and emotional well-being required for full application of their intellectual abilities, exercise of sound judgment, prompt completion of all responsibilities relative to patient care, and fostering of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients and all members of the healthcare team. Students must display compassion, integrity, and altruism in the face of patient care. Students should be flexible, adaptable, and able to learn in a multitude of environments.
Professionalism and respect are inherent to core qualities of a physician assistant. All students must treat faculty, staff, peers, preceptors, colleagues, and patients and their families with utmost respect and professionalism.
