Master of Science Physician Assistant
Technical Standards
The CSUMB MSPA Program requires that all PA students meet technical standards for admission, promotion, and graduation from the program.
Students must possess the physical, emotional, and behavioral capabilities necessary for the practice of medicine as a PA. In order to successfully complete the CSUMB MSPA program, students must demonstrate proficiency in their academic and clinical education with regard to the technical standards below.
In certain circumstances, reasonable accommodations may be made to meet technical standards.
Observation
Students must be able to process information through sensory input in the educational and patient care settings. This includes observing patients in order to elicit information, describe changes in mood, activity and posture, and perceive nonverbal affective and gesture communication. Students must be able to use visual (near and distance), auditory, tactile, and olfactory senses to assess the patient and disease processes.
Communication
Students must be able to communicate relevant information to patients and colleagues with accuracy, clarity, and efficiency.
This includes using verbal, handwritten and electronic communication methods to complete assignments in a timely manner, accurately and sensitively document patient encounters, and relay relevant information to other members of the health care team and other relevant parties.
Motor Function
Students must be able to participate in demonstrations and experiments in the basic sciences and perform physical diagnosis and physical maneuvers. Students must be able to respond to emergency situations in a timely manner and provide general and emergency care.
This includes, but is not limited to, being able to perform inspection, palpation, auscultation, and percussion, and assist with patient maneuvers and transfers.
Cognitive
Students must have sufficient cognitive (mental) capacities to assimilate the detailed and complex material presented in the curriculum. Students must be able to learn across modalities including lectures, small group discussions, medical literature, computer technology, individual teaching settings and clinical settings.
Students must be able to memorize, measure, calculate, reason, analyze, synthesize, and transmit information across modalities, appreciate three dimensional spatial relationships among structures, and logical sequential relationships among events, and form hypotheses in order to enable effective and timely problem-solving in diagnosis and treatment of patients.
Behavioral and Social Attributes
Students must possess emotional health, maturity and self-discipline required for full use of one’s intellectual and judgmental ability in order to successfully participate in and complete all program requirements. Students must accept responsibility for learning, exercising good judgement, and promptly completing all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients.
Students must be able to relate reasonably to patients and establish a sensitive, professional, and effective relationship with patients. Students are expected to be respectful to their classmates, instructors and staff, health care team members, and patients and families.
Students must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads, to function effectively under stress, to adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, and be compassionate towards people of all backgrounds and belief systems.
Students must be able to accept constructive feedback from others, take responsibility for making appropriate positive changes, contribute to collaborative, constructive learning environments.
Ethical and Legal Standards
Students must meet the legal standards to be a licensed physician assistant. Applicants must acknowledge and provide written explanation of any felony or disciplinary action taken against them in appropriate documents throughout the application process prior to matriculation in the program.
If a student is convicted of a felony while in the program, they must immediately notify the Program Director as to the nature of the conviction. Failure to disclose prior or new offenses can lead to disciplinary action including dismissal from the program.
Safety
Students must be able to protect the safety and welfare of patients and others. Applicants with a condition that would place patients or others at significant risk may be denied admission. An otherwise qualified individual shall not be excluded from admission or participation in educational programs and activities solely based on his/her handicap or medical condition.
Students must adhere to universal precaution measures and comply with all school requirements working in a clinical environment and with hazardous materials.