PA Welcome
PA Program
Welcome
Welcome to the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program! The professional curriculum of the TTUHSC PA Program is a 27-month program consisting of 125 semester equivalent credit hours of academic and clinical education. Students will spend 15 months completing didactic coursework at the Midland campus. Students will then enter the clinical phase, completing 8 supervised clinical practice experiences in various medical disciplines. Students will also learn principles of evidence-based medicine and complete a master's project paper during the clinical year. The program is competency-based, meaning that to graduate, each student must be able to demonstrate :Medical Knowledge
Clinical and Technical Skills
Interpersonal and Communication Skills
Professionalism
Community Consciousness and Societal Health
Clinical Reasoning and Problem Solving
Upon completion of the program, students are awarded the Master of Physician Assistant Studies Degree and are eligible for the National Commission for Certification of the Physician Assistant (NCCPA) PANCE examination.This handbook will guide you through the twenty-seven months of the TTUHSC PA Program. You are responsible for reading and understanding this handbook, and your performance evaluations will reflect your adherence to departmental policies. Periodically, the information in the Student Handbook may change. Every effort will be made to keep you informed through suitable lines of communication. In addition, the School of Health Professions policies and the University’s official operating procedures are updated regularly and can be accessed online. To meet the dynamic and complex demands of the PA profession, your education will be comprised of didactic and clinical coursework that will be more rigorous than your previous undergraduate college experience. Upon entering the TTUHSC PA Program, you will become a professional graduate student. It will be your responsibility, and you will be expected to, develop professional attitudes and clinical judgment. The faculty and staff are completely committed to supporting you in your academic success, professional growth, and clinical endeavors. We are available to help you in your commitment to becoming a PA.Acknowledgment of Receipt
The Student Handbook is an important document intended to assist the physician assistant student in becoming familiar with the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Health Professions, Department of Laboratory Sciences and Primary Care, Physician Assistant Program. The provisions of this Handbook do not constitute a contract, express or implied, between any student or faculty member and Texas Tech University System, TTUHSC, School of Health Professions, Department of Laboratory Sciences and Primary Care, or the Physician Assistant program.The University has a responsibility to maintain order within the University community and to discipline those who violate its standards, rules, and/or policies. Enrollment requires students to share this responsibility. Students agree to abide by the standards, rules, and/or policies set forth in this Student Handbook, the TTUHSC Student Handbook Code of Professional Conduct, all TTUHSC Operating Policies and Procedures, and the individual Schools’ catalogs and any other official University publications. All University, School, and PA Program Policies apply to all students, principal faculty, and the program director regardless of location.The contents of this handbook may be changed at any time at the discretion of the Department and Program. The Department and Program maintain their rights and prerogative to make and change policies as necessary and without prior notice. The most current edition of this publication will be available on the School of Health Professions website. The Handbook supersedes all previous editions. Students are responsible for periodically accessing any revisions to the publications online.All students in the Physician Assistant Program are required to sign a statement acknowledging responsibility to read the Student Handbook and be familiar with its contents.
