Program Defined Competencies

1. Knowledge for Practice

• Demonstrate investigative and critical thinking in clinical situations
• Access and interpret current and credible sources of medical information
• Understand and apply the fundamental principles of epidemiology to identify health problems, risk factors, and disease prevention
• Discern among acute, chronic, and emergent disease states
• Recognize normal and abnormal health states
• Formulate a differential diagnosis
• Develop and implement patient management plans
• Understand the pathophysiology of disease processes in order to formulate a treatment plan for the patient
• Distinguish and order appropriate laboratory and diagnostic tests based on the differential diagnosis of the patient
• Analyze laboratory and diagnostic tests that are ordered based on the patient’s diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis
• Formulate a plan for the administration of medications including an understanding of pharmacologic principles
• Recognize patient acuity for proper triage to the appropriate treatment setting (i.e. outpatient, inpatient, emergency department, surgery)
• Initiate management and provide supportive care for acute life-threatening emergencies
• Demonstrate core knowledge about established and evolving biomedical and clinical sciences and the application of this knowledge to patient care
• Apply principles of clinical sciences to diagnose disease and utilize therapeutic decision-making, clinical problem-solving, and other evidence-based practice skills
• Demonstrate understanding of and apply technical skills to satisfy assessment parameters as outlined in course syllabi

2. Interpersonal and Communication Skills

• Demonstrate sensitivity, honesty, and compassion to provide quality, equitable, and culturally competent care
• Communicate effectively to elicit and provide information
• Accurately and adequately document medical information for clinical, legal, quality, and financial purposes
• Demonstrate emotional resilience, stability, adaptability, and flexibility to maintain effective interpersonal communication
• Utilize appropriate patient education techniques for management, treatment, and preventative care 

3. Person-centered Care

• Elicit a detailed, accurate, and comprehensive patient history
• Organize and present data from the history and physical examination
• Perform an appropriate physical examination for all ages to include prenatal, infants, children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly, in multiple settings, and with various presenting complaints
• Elicit, acknowledge, and apply the context of the individual’s environment and cultural influences to their care
• Develop, implement, and monitor effectiveness of patient management plans
• Counsel and educate patients and families to participate in their care and enable shared decision-making
• Recognize appropriate referral patterns, indications for consultation and interdisciplinary services
  

4. Interprofessional Collaboration

• Communicate effectively with colleagues and other professionals to establish and enhance interprofessional teams
• Recognize when to refer patients to other disciplines to ensure that patients receive optimal care at the right time and appropriate level
• Demonstrate competence in working collaboratively as a member of an inter-professional, patient-centered healthcare team
• Consistently maintain a professional relationship with all members of the healthcare team, patients and their family members
  

5. Professionalism and Ethics

• Adhere to standards of care in the role of the PA in the health care team
• Demonstrate cultural humility and responsiveness to diverse patient populations
• Show commitment to ethical principles pertaining to provision or withholding of care, confidentiality, patient autonomy, informed consent, business practices, and compliance with relevant laws, policies, and regulations
• Demonstrate compassionate behaviors when working with patients and their families
• Demonstrate timely attendance, appropriate dress and accomplishment of assigned tasks on time
• Demonstrate the ability to openly seek and positively respond to constructive criticism and feedback from preceptors and staff
  

6. Practice-based Learning and Quality Improvement

• Demonstrate an enthusiasm in learning and expand knowledge through self-directed learning
• Access and interpret current and credible sources of medical literature and information

7. Society and Population Health

• Recognize the cultural norms, needs, influences, and socioeconomic, environmental, and other population-level determinants affecting the health of the individual and community being served
• Recognize the potential impacts of the community, biology, and genetics on patients and incorporate into clinical decision-making