JOINT MASTER OF SCIENCE IN HEALTH SCIENCES IN THE FIELD OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT AND MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH Program Co-Directors J. Cawley and H. Straker Mission Statement As the U.S. health care system continues to evolve, market forces and changing personnel requirements create new and expanding roles for health care professionals. The joint physician assistant master of science in health sciences/master of public health PA MSHS/MPH program strives to fill the need for a new type of health care professional: one who has both the depth of medical knowledge and the range of leadership and policy skills to meet the challenges of future practice. Based in both the Milken Institute School of (SPH) Department of Prevention and Community, and the School of Medicine and Sciences (SMHS), the PA MSHS/ MPH program presents a graduate curriculum that blends two important traditional paradigms of health care the biomedical and the preventive. care professionals in the future U.S. health system must be prepared as competent and caring clinicians, as well as bring a broad view of population health and prevention to their work. Graduates of the GW PA/MPH program will be leaders in clinical practice in primary care and preventive medicine and will have the preparation to assume high level positions in education, research, and policy. Goals The PA MSHS/MPH provides the opportunity for students to obtain the competencies necessary to succeed in the rapidly evolving American and global health systems. The major goals of GW's PA MSHS/MPH program are to: Recruit diverse and intellectually curious students and develop in them a strong clinical medical and prevention knowledge base necessary to deliver the highest quality patient-centered health care in a variety of clinical settings worldwide; Educate future health care professionals who are competent clinicians who can bring a population health orientation to their practice setting; Develop practitioners for the future who integrate concepts of prevention, community-oriented primary care, and population health; Graduate collaborative clinicians who will serve the health care needs of a worldwide community with intelligence, compassion, and integrity; Foster analytic thinking skills such that graduates will be able to perform a wide range of clinical tasks working with physicians, as well as assessing community health problems and addressing population health needs; Nurture a sensitivity and respect for the cultural and personal beliefs of all patients and an understanding of how social, economic, and other system forces can impact health and health care and how these impact patient morbidity and mortality; Encourage graduates to be responsive to the needs of patients and society and advocate for quality patient care regardless of patient population; Graduate practitioners who will have the information technology and research skills necessary to access and interpret the medical literature and support their ongoing professional development; and Expect graduates to practice collaboratively, professionally, legally, ethically, and with integrity. The PA MSHS/MPH program draws from a faculty in both the School of Medicine and Sciences and the Milken Institute SPH to provide instruction in a wide range of subjects in medicine, public health, and professional leadership. The purpose of the PA MSHS/MPH program is to provide future clinicians with a wide range of skills in leadership, policy development, and community and preventive medicine. Students in the program prepare as clinicians fulfilling all of the requirements for national certification as a physician assistant (PA) in the GW Physician Assistant program. In addition, public health coursework provides an orientation to population and community health. For example, in the Community Oriented Primary Care (COPC) track, students acquire skills in community health assessment, community based interventions, and the application of COPC principles in community based practice settings. GW's SPH coursework in health care administration, management, and health care economics prepares students to be leaders in a wide variety of clinical settings, office practices, outpatient clinics, community-based health centers, and health care institutions. Students are also exposed to the formulation of health policy. Set in the center of the health policy in the nation, the PA MSHS/MPH program affords students the chance to interact with individuals in both the public and private sector who are involved in policy research, practice, and legislation. Visit the MPH program website (http://publichealth.gwu.edu/ academics/graduate/masters-programs) for additional information. Visit the PA program website (https://smhs.gwu.edu/physicianassistant/pa-program) for additional information. Admissions Requirements If you are interested in the joint PA/MPH program you will be receiving correspondence from both the School of Medicine and Sciences (for the PA-MSHS) and the Milken Institute SPH and School of Medicine and Services (for the MPH) regarding the completion of your application and admissions decisions. Should you be accepted to one degree program and not the other, you may accept the admissions offer from the 1 Joint Master of Science in Sciences in the Field of Physician Assistant and Master of
program to which you were accepted, because decisions are made separately. 1. Submit the P.A. Application (CASPA and PA Secondary Application) according to the instructions on the website (http://smhs.gwu.edu/pas/program/prospective-students/ admissions). 2. You should submit the P.A. Secondary Application within two weeks of submitting the CASPA. 3. October 1 is the deadline for complete applications to include GRE score receipt. To save you time and money, the School of Medicine and Services will copy your application materials and send them to the Admissions Office of the Milken Institute SPH. Do not complete the SOPHAS application or the SPH secondary application, as this will delay the processing of your application and result in your accruing increased application fees. COMMUNITY-ORIENTED PRIMARY CARE The following requirements must be fulfilled: 136 credits, in public health core courses, 10 credits in prevention and community health courses, and 13 credits in community oriented primary care track courses. Physician Assistant Curriculum, Justice, and Society II Role of PA in American Care Women's Clinical Practicum Physiology for Sciences Students Anatomy for Sciences Students I (Community-Oriented Primary Care) Curriculum Public health core Environmental and Occupational PA 6111 Evidence Based Practice for PA/MPH Students Prevention and community health Joint Master of Science in Sciences in the Field of Physician Assistant and Master of 2
PUBH 6500 PUBH 6501 PUBH 6014 Planning and Implementing Promotion Programs Program Evaluation Practicum Community-oriented primary care track PUBH 6504 Social and Behavioral Science Research Methods, Justice, and Society II Role of PA in American Care PUBH 6510 PUBH 6512 Community-Oriented Primary Care Principles and Practice Community-Oriented Primary Care Policy and Issues PUBH 6513 Community Management PUBH 6516 Community Information Resources ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE AND POLICY The following requirements must be fulfilled: 136-138 credits, in public health core courses, 20 credits in environmental health courses, and 3 credits in electives. Consideration will be given to waive the 2 credit practicum. Physician assistant courses Women's Clinical Practicum Physiology for Sciences Students Anatomy for Sciences Students I MPH courses PUBH 6001 Biological Concepts in Environmental and Occupational PA 6111 Evidence Based Practice for PA/MPH Students 3 Joint Master of Science in Sciences in the Field of Physician Assistant and Master of
PUBH 6121 PUBH 6126 Environmental and Occupational Assessment and Control of Environmental Hazards, Justice, and Society II PUBH 6122 Protecting and the Environment: Policies, Politics, and Programs PUBH 6123 PUBH 6124 PUBH 6131 Toxicology: Applications for Public Policy Problem Solving in EOH Applied Data Analysis in Environmental and Occupational Role of PA in American Care Women's Clinical Practicum 3 credits in SPH courses selected with the advisor's approval. *The practicum may be cross-credited for Elective Clinical Practicum I with advanced approval by Practicum Director. EPIDEMIOLOGY The following requirements must be fulfilled: 138 credits, in public health core courses, 18 credits in epidemiology track courses, 4 credits in selective courses, and 3 credits in elective courses. Physician Assistant Curriculum Anatomy for Sciences Students Physiology for Sciences Students () Curriculum MPH core I Environmental and Occupational Joint Master of Science in Sciences in the Field of Physician Assistant and Master of 4
track PUBH 6014 PUBH 6247 PUBH 6249 Practicum Design of Studies Use of Statistical Packages: Data Management and Data Analysis PA 6111 Evidence Based Practice for PA/MPH Students PUBH 6252 Advanced Methods, Justice, and Society II PUBH 6260 Selective 4 credits from the following: PUBH 6242 Advanced Data Analysis for Public Clinical and Public : Reading the Research Role of PA in American Care PUBH 6244 Cancer PUBH 6245 Infectious Disease Women's Clinical Practicum PUBH 6250 of HIV/AIDS PUBH 6259 4 credits of GWSPH graduate courses Surveillance in Public GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH The following requirements must be fulfilled: 138 credits, in public health core courses, 22 credits in health policy track courses, and 3 credits in elective courses. Anatomy for Sciences Students * PUBH 6001 Physiology for Sciences Students Biological Concepts in I Environmental and Occupational * 5 Joint Master of Science in Sciences in the Field of Physician Assistant and Master of
PUBH 6121 PUBH 6126 Environmental and Occupational Assessment and Control of Environmental Hazards PUBH 6128 PUBH 6400 PUBH 6435 Global Environmental and Occupational Global Frameworks Global Program Development and Implementation, Justice, and Society II PUBH 6411 PUBH 6131 Global Qualitative Research Methods Applied Data Analysis in Environmental and Occupational Role of PA in American Care Women's Clinical Practicum 2 credits in SPH courses selected with the advisor's approval. Up to 15 credits may be taken online in the MPH@GWU program. * may be crosscredited for with advanced approval by Practicum Director. HEALTH POLICY The following requirements must be fulfilled: 138 credits, including 100 credits in physician assistant courses, 10 credits in public health core courses, 25 credits in health policy track courses, and 3 credits in elective courses. Physician Assistant Curriculum Anatomy for Sciences Students Physiology for Sciences Students ( Policy) Curriculum Public health core I Environmental and Occupational policy track Joint Master of Science in Sciences in the Field of Physician Assistant and Master of 6
PUBH 6305 PUBH 6310 PUBH 6315 Fundamentals for Policy: Public and Care Statistical Analysis in Policy Introduction to Policy Analysis ADD: Advanced Policy Selective (2 or 3 credits)* PUBH 6325 PUBH 6335 PUBH 6242 PUBH 6243 Federal Policymaking and Policy Advocacy and Law Clinical and Public : Reading the Research Topics in Clinical and : Reading the Research ADD: Services Management Selective (2 credits)* ()) PUBH 6014 Practicum Selective Options available on SPH Website 3 or 4 credits of GWSPH graduate courses 7 Joint Master of Science in Sciences in the Field of Physician Assistant and Master of