PA Curriculum
Curriculum
Academic Calendar
Published academic calendar:
The Academic Calendar can be accessed at the following web link: https://www.ttuhsc.edu/health-professions/academic-calendar/default.aspxRequired classes and activities:
Students are expected to be available during defined times on the published academic calendar. Students should reserve travel plans or activities for defined breaks between terms and/or clerkship courses.
PA Program Curriculum Overview
Curriculum Design and Philosophy:
The PA Program curriculum is designed to prepare graduates to provide excellent patient care across their lifespan. Education will be divided into 15 months of didactic coursework, followed by a year of clinical clerkship courses, providing students with a variety of experiences in different areas of medicine. The professional curriculum of the TTUHSC PA Program consists of 125 semester-equivalent hours of academic and clinical education.The curriculum includes core knowledge and skills about evolving basic and clinical preparatory sciences, interpersonal and communication skills, social and behavioral sciences, healthcare delivery and professional practice, and the application of knowledge and skills in patient care. The didactic sequencing builds a foundation of basic sciences and continues with application to clinical medicine, with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for clinical practice. Didactic courses are delivered with multiple teaching methods including lecture, laboratory, case discussions, collaborative learning experiences, and hybrid course delivery.Supervised clinical experiences provide hands-on clinical experiences in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, surgery, psychiatry, emergency medicine, and selective specialty. The student should be ready for travel by personal vehicle. Since many clinical sites are away from the Midland-Odessa area, all students must expect to be assigned to these away sites and should anticipate the need to find housing in these areas during the clinical portion of the program.Required Courses:
The required courses and course descriptions for the PA Program are available in the TTUHSC SHP catalog.Catalog: https://www.ttuhsc.edu/health-professions/catalog.aspxCurriculum: https://www.ttuhsc.edu/health-professions/master-physician-assistant-studies/curriculum.aspx
Class Schedules
Class schedules will be published on course syllabi and on SAKAI under the "Class of-" SAKAI site. Students are encouraged to check SAKAI daily for updates or other program announcements. Schedules are subject to change at any time, and therefore, flex times are posted on the calendar to allow for the scheduling needs of the program. In addition, activities required for clinical site orientations may be scheduled outside of regular class time and are required.
Scheduling of extra-curricular and outside events
Student groups wishing to schedule events may do so before or after regularly scheduled class times or during lunchtime. Approval must be received from the Program Director prior to contacting outside guest lecturers. Once approved by the Program Director, students must work with the Program Staff to reserve appropriate classroom locations and resources for the event.
Course Syllabi
Course expectations and instructional objectives to guide student acquisition of required outcomes and competencies for each didactic and clerkship course are published in the course syllabus. The course syllabus will be posted on SAKAI for each course. For clerkship courses, the course syllabi are posted on the “Class of-“ SAKAI site.
Student Expectations of Performance
The following assumptions apply to the manner in which each student is expected to meet the objectives of every course. Since all of these expectations apply to each course, these standard expectations are not repeated in each course document.- The student demonstrates a systematic, safe, accurate, timely, and efficient approach to the accomplishment of each objective and demonstrates the efficient use of materials in each activity.
- Adequate time is devoted to class and clinical activities and to preparing for each of those to meet the stated objective (i.e., 3 hours per credit hour).
- Academic integrity is demonstrated in each element of the student’s performance.
- Ethical behavior appropriate to the standards of a developing professional is maintained at all times, particularly in relation to maintaining the confidentiality of information regarding patients or clients.
- Each student maintains appropriate personal health status to accomplish expectations of the program. Professional behavior – all students are expected to exhibit consistent professional conduct in the classroom, lab, and clinic. Disruptive behaviors include, but are not limited to, tardiness, leaving early, offensive remarks, talking to others, cellular phone or electronic device use, and browsing social media.
Testing Policy and Procedures
All testing policies apply in both the didactic and clinical years. For additional Clinical Year Assessment information refer to Section 4: End of Rotation Assessment Format.Exam Time:
Examinations will be administered per the course schedule, published in the course syllabus. Students are expected to take exams at the scheduled times. Exceptions may only be made in the case of a valid excused absence.Exam Location:
You may not log in to the test from another location unless instructed to do so by the course instructor or exam proctor. You will need to discuss your absence with the instructor or your advisor at the earliest opportunity.Absences:
If a student is unable to take the examination at the designated time due to an excused absence (see the attendance policy), the student must take the examination as soon as possible after the scheduled test date. The instructor will coordinate the time and place for the student to complete the requirement. A student who misses an examination due to an unexcused absence will report immediately to their advisor or, if unavailable, the Director of Didactic Education. It is at the discretion of the instructor in consultation with the Program Director to permit the student to take the examination or receive a zero (0) for that examination. If the instructor allows the student to take an examination at another time, the above guidelines apply. Unexcused absences resulting in zero points will be an “F” for that examination.Late arrival:
If you arrive late for a quiz or test, you will not be allowed to take the test at that time and become a disruption to the testing environment. Unexcused tardiness for an examination carries the same penalty as an unexcused absence. It is at the discretion of the examination proctor to allow the student to take the examination due to unexcused tardiness.The instructor/advisor may elect to discuss your case with the Student Progress Committee (SPC) or Program Director to determine disposition. Outcomes may include: a grade of zero for the test; or you may be allowed to take a make-up test at a later date. The maximum score on a makeup quiz or test is 70%.Testing Format:
Examinations will be given by computer unless otherwise specified. Failure to bring a computer or malfunction of the computer may result in a student not being allowed to take the exam. It will be at the discretion of the instructor if the student will be allowed to take the examination at a later time or if the student will receive a zero for that examination. Availability of paper exam copies is at the discretion of the instructor.- Students are responsible for maintaining computer and software updates as recommended for optimum system performance as per the following guidelines:
- For all online tests, it is recommended to always use network cords and plug their computer into the Ethernet port BEFORE powering on the computer to ensure a “hard-wired” connection. Attempting to take a test over the Wi-Fi connection is strongly discouraged and may result in the examination not loading properly.
- Students are advised to have a power cable connected to their computer to avoid the risk of losing battery power during the examination.
- Students must turn off all automatic updates for any and all programs (i.e. Windows, Adobe, Java, etc…). If a computer initiates an automatic update and the student is “kicked out” of the examination and is unable to log back in, the student will only receive credit for the questions submitted.
- Computerized examinations may be given via multiple electronic formats including Sakai, ExamSoft, and Exam Driver. Students must have their computers appropriately updated with software prior to the exam. It is the student’s responsibility to work with software support and have the latest, up-to-date version of all software and/or web browsers installed on their computers and operational.
A privacy screen is required for all computer examinations. Failure to bring a privacy screen may result in not being allowed to take the examination. A paper version will be offered at the discretion of the instructor.Dress Code for Examinations:
During examinations, the following dress code must be adhered to:- No hats
- No headbands, scarves, or large accessories
- No watches or large jewelry
- Any clothing or accessories deemed a risk for academic integrity will be removed or the student asked to leave
Testing Environment:
Desks must be cleared of all items except for the student’s computer, LAN cord, and mouse. This includes all drinks, food, or other items. All personal belongings MUST be put away in a locker prior to entering the room for an exam. Scratch paper may be provided by the examination proctor at the discretion of the instructor.- There will be no bathroom breaks during exams.
- Students must log in IMMEDIATELY after receiving the exam code from the proctor.
- During the examination, the proctor may not answer questions related to the content of the examination.
- Earplugs and scratch paper may be provided at the discretion of the instructor. No headphones are allowed.
- Proctoring will be at the discretion of the course director and may be administered by staff, faculty, or other proctoring services.
- Upon completion of the examination, rise quietly, collect all testing materials, proceed to the proctor for collection as applicable, and depart the room. Re-entry is not allowed.
- Instructors may have additional policies posted in the course syllabus related to the testing environment.
Timed Testing:
Tests are timed. Generally, the time allowance for questions is one minute per question, consistent with NCCPA PANCE testing guidelines. Once a student begins an examination, the examination must be completed within the allotted time and will be graded. Once time has expired for the examination, the computerized testing program will automatically “force submission.” Paper examinations will be collected by the examination proctor.Exam Scores and Grading:
Every effort will be made to release the grades within three (3) business days after the administration of the examination.Students may approach the primary instructor with perceived grading discrepancies. The instructor will review an examination with any student who desires to do so after grades have been released. The student is expected to act in a professional manner when reviewing an examination. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure the accuracy of responses on computer or paper answer sheets. Challenges to examination questions will be accepted for 1 week after the return of scores. Challenges must be submitted in writing via email with two written sources with at least one from recommended course readings.Virtual Testing
- Remote proctoring services may be used during the didactic or clinical year and may include ExamMonitor, Monitor EDU, or Zoom. All exams are closed-book, and the review sessions, if offered, are also closed-book. There are several acts of misconduct during an exam or review that could result in disciplinary action, including dismissal from the program. So, please make sure that you strictly adhere to the following guidelines, the class syllabus, and the student handbook:
- Make sure that you orient yourself, as well as the camera so that you will be seen during the entire time you take the exam and review your answers. We need to see your entire face, not just your eyebrows, forehead, or scalp. Make sure that you do not block the camera while taking the exam or during the review.
- Do not vocalize the questions and the responses out loud.
- Using any material (e.g. notebooks, sheets of paper) or equipment (besides the computer you use to take the exam; e.g. mobile phones*) is not allowed.
- Wearing headphones or earphones is not permitted during exams. If you need earplugs (to minimize distractions), they will be provided by the program.
- Recording, writing down, or taking pictures of exam questions during the exam or during the review that follows is not allowed.
- Any review following an exam, if offered, is also fully recorded. Treat the review like an exam.
- These rules apply to all closed-book exams that are administered through ExamSoft and ExamMonitor.
- *Monitor EDU and Zoom monitoring DO require the use of the student's phone to proctor the testing environment for the duration of the exam.
- Please do not discuss anything related to the exam with anyone while taking the exam or during the review.
- Tests are timed. Generally, the time allowance for questions is one minute per question, consistent with NCCPA PANCE testing guidelines.
- If an immediate review is allowed, passwords for the review will be provided.
- As always, personal integrity is paramount.
PAEA PACKRAT and End of Rotation Exams:
PAEA Assessments are used during the program. During and after examinations, students are responsible for the following:- Adhering to the PAEA Assessment academic integrity instructions and procedures as outlined.
- Adhering to the PAEA Assessment content security instructions and procedures outlined.
- Abiding by all institutional and program academic integrity policies and procedures as well as proctor instructions.
Prior to beginning any exam through Secure Client, the student must agree to the terms and conditions as posted on the exam.Information regarding the PAEA Exam Honor Code and student responsibilities are available at https://paeaonline.org/assessment/assessment-resourcesAll students should read and be familiar with these policies prior to all PAEA exams being administered.
