Physician Assistants (PAs) are trained in the medical model, similar to how physicians are trained in medical school.  Students attending the Physician Assistant Studies (PAS) program at GVSU enter with diverse educational and health-related experiences.  The curriculum at GVSU enables all students to build on their prior knowledge and become highly competent physician assistants upon graduation.

The PAS program curriculum includes four semesters of didactic coursework (67 credits) followed by three semesters of clinical training (36 credits).  The didactic courses include human anatomy, medical physiology, statistics, clinical applications, clinical medicine, pathophysiology, clinical problem-solving, practical therapeutics, PA professional issues, and evidence-based medicine.

PAs receive 16 months of didactic training followed by 12 months of clinical training (clinical rotations) at Grand Valley State University.

* During the clinical phase of the program, students complete seven core required rotations, an integrated pediatric rotation, and eight weeks of elective rotations.

Core required rotations include emergency medicine (4 weeks), family medicine (8 weeks), internal medicine (8 weeks), psychiatry/behavioral medicine (4 weeks), underserved medicine (4 weeks), general surgery (4 weeks), and women's health (4 weeks). The pediatric rotation is integrated into the family practice, underserved, and emergency medicine clinical rotations. All students have supervised clinical practice experiences at a site with access to pediatric patient populations and with a preceptor qualified to provide care to infants, children, and adolescents to allow students to meet the pediatric rotation learning outcomes.

Students also have the opportunity to select eight weeks of elective rotations. Elective rotations vary in length from 4-8 weeks. Popular electives include, but are not limited to:  cardiology, orthopedics, hematology/oncology, neurology, ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat), dermatology, pediatrics, surgical specialties (such as Cardiothoracic, Urologic, Vascular, Neuro, etc.), and international rotations. Note: Students who select an elective international rotation are responsible for all travel and housing costs associated with the rotation. International rotations are arranged through the GVSU Padnos International Center (https://www.gvsu.edu/pic/).

PAS program faculty ensure all enrolled students are placed in supervised clinical practice experiences to allow them to meet the program learning outcomes. See the PAS Program Student Policy on Student Solicitation of Clinical Sites and Preceptors (https://www.gvsu.edu/pas/pas-student-policies-122.htm) for additional details.

Course Catalog

Please refer to the PAS Program Student Policy for Awarding the Master of Physician Assistant Studies Degree (https://www.gvsu.edu/pas/pas-student-policies-122.htm) for further details regarding program and degree requirements.