Relationship of proposed program to existing programs
There is no PA program and no PA-specific coursework offered at the present time at UNC- Chapel Hill.
prerequisites, including biological sciences, mathematics, and chemistry, are offered at UNC- Chapel Hill in the College of Arts and Sciences. Staff in the health professions advising office will provide undergraduates with information about the new PA Program, as they do for other upper division or graduate programs in the health sciences.9
The proposed PA Program is closely related to other health profession disciplines in the
Department of Allied Health Sciences (DAHS). The similarity of missions, curriculum structure, faculty expectations, and administrative needs are closely aligned with those of the other divisions in the DAHS. As an example, administrative staff process contractual affiliation agreements with clinical sites and process applications. There are student scholarships available in the DAHS for which PA students will be eligible. While most courses in the PA Program are unique to PA, there are some courses in other DAHS divisions which may be applicable, such as courses in research, aging, early intervention, developmental disabilities, and healthcare administration. An example of this is the need for instruction in the significance and effectiveness of laboratory tests such as the detection of the abnormal cells that cause leukemia, the analysis of cardiac enzymes and the identification of the type of bacteria causing an infection which will be similar for students in the PA program and in some of the Clinical Laboratory Science programs.
Notwithstanding the challenges and opportunities that inter-professional learning presents, The UNC PA program is committed to seeking out inter-professional learning opportunities in both the didactic and clinical phases. When academic calendars, class schedules, resources and appropriate course content can be arranged, PA students will take part in learning experiences with students in other professions, e.g., medicine, nursing, pharmacy, clinical laboratory sciences, physical therapy etc. However the PA program is fully cognizant of the challenges associated with inter-professional learning. While sharing courses across multiple disciplines could result in considerable cost savings, the programs focus and attention will be to ensure that the PA students receive optimal instruction and course content is appropriate for PA students.
The most closely related discipline to PA is the medical school MD curriculum, however,
physician assistant studies are distinct in terms of content, depth, and breadth. Effective August 2014, the medical school will implement a new curriculum for medical students which
incorporates less in-class time and more self-motivated online computer based learning. These changes increase the difficulty of collaboration between the PA program and the medical students. However, after these changes have been successfully implemented, the PA program hopes to engage in a dialogue with regard to course sharing. We agree that cadaver and simulation labs will be shared.
The PA Program curriculum will be designed to meet the needs of the PA, but will coordinate courses with the MD medical student curriculum and other courses in the DAHS when applicable and feasible. Incorporating existing courses into the curriculum will be explored during further refinement of the PA Program curriculum and following discussions with other Division Directors in the DAHS. Currently the curriculum for medical students is under revision, and the PA
Program Director will be meeting again with the curriculum coordinator when decisions about medical school course content and format are finalized.
Relationship of proposed program to institution’s strategic plan
The proposed Master of Health Sciences-PA Program is in alignment with strategic planning as described in Our Time, Our Future: UNC Strategic Directions for 2013 – 2018. (January 30,
healthcare workforce. Data presented in the document indicate that the job sector requiring advanced degrees beyond the baccalaureate comprises the fastest growing job sector in North Carolina. Planning for a new PA Program also contributes to Goal 3, Serving the people of North Carolina. Overall, 70% of graduates of UNC system schools remain in the State, and it is likely that graduates of the PA program will practice in North Carolina and address the need for primary care providers in many areas of the state.
The Master of Health Sciences-PA Program is also in alignment with strategic planning in the School of Medicine and Department of Allied Health Sciences for similar reasons. An additional aspect of the strategic plans of the SOM, to increase collaboration within the SOM, will be facilitated through discussions involving sharing of courses. Dr. Menezes, UNC PA program director, has met with Dr. Julie Byerley, Vice Dean for medical education to initiate these discussions. Dr. Menezes also met with Dr. Debra Barksdale, Director UNC DNP program, and a quarterly meeting schedule has been established to discuss mutual collaboration and
opportunities for inter-professional education. Email contact has been made with Dr. Terrence Kenakin, Dept. of Pharmacology, and a meeting is being arranged for later in the fall.