Refer to the University Catalog for full SPAS course sequence and additional information.

Didactic Phase

The didactic phase of the physician assistant curriculum provides the foundation for clinical practice with instruction in applied medical sciences, patient assessment, clinical medicine, and pharmacotherapeutics. The curriculum is organized into systems-based courses which integrate anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, clinical medicine, clinical skills, patient assessment, diagnostic testing, and pharmacotherapeutics taught in an organized and integrated sequence with a strong emphasis on active learning. Other courses include professional ethics, evidence-based practice, and public and population health. Students will also participate in interprofessional education courses and will participate in supervised simulated or real patient interactions. All didactic courses must be successfully passed to progress to the clinical phase of the program.

Clinical Phase

The clinical phase of the physician assistant curriculum focuses on direct patient care in various clinics, hospitals, and health centers. The purpose of the clinical phase is to enable the student to develop fundamental clinical knowledge and skills under the supervision of a state-licensed medical provider. To obtain a greater appreciation for ethnically diverse or disadvantaged populations, at least one rotation, either required or elective, will be completed in a medically underserved setting, which may or may not be rural in nature. In order to graduate, students must successfully complete all of their clinical rotations, clinical phase courses including the Graduate Seminars and Masters Capstone Project, as well as summative evaluations.

Additionally, students must have reliable means of transportation to and from the clinical rotation. It is the student's responsibility to provide his/her own transportation to and from rotation sites.  Transportation difficulties will not excuse a student from attending rotations. If transportation problems delay the student's arrival at a site, the preceptor and the Director of Clinical Education must be contacted immediately to inform them of the situation.

Students must secure all living accommodations during the clinical phase. The School and clinical sites are not responsible for locating housing for rotations. Many resources are available to assist the student in locating suitable housing, including previous students who have been at the site, housing websites, etc. Housing options posted on Exxat have not been evaluated by faculty members or the Clinical Team. Please note that some of the sites are more than 50 miles from the University campus, and in states other than California. No student will be required to complete a rotation outside of California unless they specifically request it.