Program Policies
Graduation Requirements
Criteria for Successful Completion of the FSU PA Program
In order to graduate from the Florida State University Physician Assistant Program, students must complete the following requirements:
- Earn a "C" or better in each required course in the curriculum,
- Have a 3.0 cumulative GPA at the time of graduation,
- Successfully complete all program required patient encounters and clinical procedural skills,
- Complete all graduate surveys
- Demonstrate successful completion of a summative evaluation, which includes:
- A Comprehensive Written Examination (knowledge)
- An Objective Structured Clinical Exam - OSCE (clinical skills and professional behavior)
- A Professional Behavior Assessment (summary of assessments of professional behavior by core faculty, professionalism assessment tool, PA competency self-assessment, clinical site visitor and clinical preceptors made throughout the curriculum)
- Complete payment of all tuition, program and campus fees.
Program Competencies
1) PATIENT CARE: Provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health
1.1 Perform all medical, diagnostic, and surgical procedures considered essential for the area of practice
1.2 Gather essential and accurate information about patients and their condition through history-taking, physical examination, and the use of laboratory data, imaging and other tests
1.3 Organize and prioritize responsibilities to provide care that is safe, effective, and efficient
1.4 Interpret laboratory data, imaging studies, and other tests required for the area of practice
1.5 Make informed decisions about diagnostic and therapeutic interventions based on patient information and preferences, up-to-date scientific evidence, and clinical judgment
1.6 Develop and carry out patient management plans
1.7 Counsel and educate patients and their families to empower them to participate in their care, showing consideration for their perspective throughout treatment
1.8 Provide appropriate referral of patients including ensuring continuity of care throughout transitions between providers or settings, and following up on patient progress and outcomes
1.9 Provide health care services to patients, families, and communities aimed at preventing health problems or maintaining health
1.10 Provide appropriate role modeling
1.11 Perform supervisory responsibilities commensurate with one’s roles, abilities, and qualifications
2) KNOWLEDGE FOR PRACTICE: Demonstrate knowledge of established and evolving biomedical, clinical, epidemiological and social-behavioral sciences, as well as the application of this knowledge to patient care
2.1 Demonstrate an investigatory and analytic approach to clinical situations
2.2 Apply established and emerging bio-physical scientific principles fundamental to health care for patients and populations
2.3 Apply established and emerging principles of clinical sciences to diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making, clinical problem-solving, and other aspects of evidence-based health care
2.4 Apply principles of epidemiological sciences to the identification of health problems, risk factors, treatment strategies, resources, and disease prevention/health promotion efforts for patients and populations
2.5 Apply principles of social-behavioral sciences to provision of patient care, including assessment of the impact of psychosocial-cultural influences on health, disease, care-seeking, care-compliance, barriers to and attitudes toward care
2.6 Contribute to the creation, dissemination, application, and translation of new health care knowledge and practices
3) PRACTICE-BASED LEARNING AND IMPROVEMENT: Demonstrate the ability to investigate and evaluate their care of patients, to appraise and assimilate scientific evidence, and to continuously improve patient care based on constant self-evaluation and life-long learning
3.1 Identify strengths, deficiencies, and limits in one’s knowledge and expertise
3.2 Set learning and improvement goals
3.3 Identify and perform learning activities that address one’s gaps in knowledge, skills or attitudes
3.4 Systematically analyze practice using quality improvement methods, and implement changes with the goal of practice improvement
3.5 Incorporate feedback into daily practice
3.6 Locate, appraise, and assimilate evidence from scientific studies related to patients’ health problems
3.7 Use information technology to optimize learning
3.8 Participate in the education of patients, families, students, trainees, peers and other health professionals
3.9 Use information technology to obtain and utilize information about individual patients, populations of patients being served or communities from which patients are drawn to improve care
3.10 Continually identify, analyze, and implement new knowledge, guidelines, standards, technologies, products, or services that have been demonstrated to improve outcomes
4) Interpersonal and Communication Skills: Demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients, their families, and health professionals
4.1 Communicate effectively with patients, families, and the public, as appropriate, across a broad range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds
4.2 Communicate effectively with colleagues within one’s profession or specialty, other health professionals, and health related agencies
4.3 Work effectively with others as a member or leader of a health care team or other professional group
4.4 Act in a consultative role to other health professionals
4.5 Maintain comprehensive, timely, and legible medical records
4.6 Demonstrate sensitivity, honesty, and compassion in difficult conversations about issues such as death, end-of-life issues, adverse events, bad news, disclosure of errors, and other sensitive topics
4.7 Demonstrate insight and understanding about emotions and human responses to emotions that allow one to develop and manage interpersonal interactions
5) PROFESSIONALISM: Demonstrate a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities and an adherence to ethical principles
5.1 Demonstrate compassion, integrity, and respect for others
5.2 Demonstrate responsiveness to patient needs that supersedes self-interest
5.3 Demonstrate respect for patient privacy and autonomy
5.4 Demonstrate accountability to patients, society and the profession
5.5 Demonstrate sensitivity and responsiveness to a diverse patient population, including but not limited to diversity in gender, age, culture, race, religion, disabilities, and sexual orientation
5.6 Demonstrate a commitment to ethical principles pertaining to provision or withholding of care, confidentiality, informed consent, and business practices, including compliance with relevant laws, policies, and regulations
6) SYSTEMS-BASED PRACTICE: Demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care, as well as the ability to call effectively on other resources in the system to provide optimal health care
6.1 Work effectively in various health care delivery settings and systems relevant to their clinical specialty
6.2 Coordinate patient care within the health care system relevant to their clinical specialty
6.3 Incorporate considerations of cost awareness and risk-benefit analysis in patient and/or population-based care
6.4 Advocate for quality patient care and optimal patient care systems
6.5 Participate in identifying system errors and implementing potential systems solutions
6.6 Work in inter-professional teams to enhance patient safety and improve patient care quality
7) INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION: Demonstrate the ability to engage in an inter-professional team in a manner that optimizes safe, effective patient- and population-centered care
7.1 Work in cooperation with other professionals to establish and maintain a climate of respect, dignity, diversity, ethical integrity, and trust in order to enhance team functioning and serve the needs of patients, families, and populations
7.2 Utilize and enhance one’s own expertise by understanding and engaging the unique and diverse knowledge, skills, and abilities of other professionals to enhance team performance and maximize the quality of patient care
7.3 Exchange relevant information effectively with patients, families, communities, and other health professionals in a respectful, responsive, and responsible manner, considering varied perspectives and ensuring common understanding of, agreement with, and adherence to care decisions for optimal outcomes
7.4 Participate in and engage other members of inter-professional patient care teams in the establishment, development, leadership, and continuous enhancement of the team in order to provide care that is safe, timely, efficient, effective, and equitable
8) PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Demonstrate the qualities required to sustain lifelong personal and professional growth
8.1 Develop the ability to use self-awareness of knowledge, skills and emotional limitations to engage in appropriate help-seeking behaviors
8.2 Demonstrate healthy coping mechanisms to respond to stress
8.3 Manage conflict between personal and professional responsibilities
8.4 Practice flexibility and maturity in adjusting to change with the capacity to alter behavior
8.5 Demonstrate trustworthiness that makes colleagues feel secure when one is responsible for the care of patients
8.6 Provide leadership skills that enhance team functioning, the learning environment, and/or the health care delivery system
8.7 Demonstrate self-confidence that puts patients, families, and members of the health care team at ease
8.8 Recognize that ambiguity is part of clinical health care and respond by utilizing appropriate resources in dealing with uncertainty
9) FSU COM MISSION: Demonstrate responsiveness to community needs – especially elder, rural, minority and underserved populations
9.1 Describe the social determinants of health, and identify how they create opportunities for and barriers to wellness for underserved populations.
9.2 Identify community resources and the ways physicians can partner with them to improve individual and population health and address social determinants of health.
9.3 Discuss the process and components of community health assessment.
9.4 Illustrate how community health assessment is used to identify the health needs and issues of a given population and inform decision making to improve population health status.
Advanced Placement
The Florida State University Physician Assistant Program does not offer advanced placement.
Student Employment
Training to become a physician assistant demands a full-time commitment. Due to the rigorous nature of the curriculum, it is recommended that students not engage in outside employment. If a student chooses to work during the academic year, the work schedule must not interfere with class performance or clinical rotation schedules. FSU PA Program Faculty, including the Clinical Education Director, will not accommodate work schedules in arranging clinical experiences.
Students may not work for the FSU PA program. Students with specific prior knowledge, experience and skills may assist faculty in didactic and laboratory sessions to share their knowledge and skills. During clinical clerkships, students must not be used to substitute for clinical or administrative staff at clinical sites.
Financial Responsibility
Financial Responsibility refers to the process of managing money and other similar assets in a way that is considered productive and is also in the best interest of the individual, or family. Students in the PA Program are individually responsible for all tuition, fees, books, background checks, required medical screenings, medical equipment, required protective equipment not otherwise provided by the PA program or clinical sites, personal medical costs (including those related to exposures to infectious and environmental hazards) and living expenses while a student at Florida State University. This includes expenses related to exposures, injuries or illnesses incurred while performing clinical clerkships/rotations.
Withdrawal and Refunds
The Florida State University policy on withdrawal and tuition refunds can be found at: https://dos.fsu.edu/withdrawal/refund-of-tuition
Student Solicitation of Preceptor or Clinical Sites
The PA program recruits, develops, maintains and determines student placements for all supervised practice experiences (clinical sites and preceptors). Coordinating supervised clinical practice sites (SCPEs/clinicals) by the program's faculty involves identifying, contacting and evaluating sites and preceptors for suitability and student safety as a required or elective rotation experience.
Students may suggest or provide information regarding potential preceptors or clinical sites to the program's faculty, but no student will be required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors. Any clinical site or preceptor recommended to the program by a student will be reviewed, evaluated for educational suitability and student safety by the program.
At its September 2022 meeting, the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) extended Accreditation-Probation status for the Florida State University School of Physician Assistant Practice program sponsored by Florida State University until its next review in September 2024.
Probation accreditation is a temporary accreditation status initially of not less than two years. However, that period may be extended by the ARC-PA for up to an additional two years if the ARC-PA finds that the program is making substantial progress toward meeting all applicable standards but requires additional time to come into full compliance. Probation accreditation status is granted, at the sole discretion of the ARC-PA, when a program holding an accreditation status of Accreditation - Provisional or Accreditation - Continued does not, in the judgment of the ARC-PA, meet the Standards or when the capability of the program to provide an acceptable educational experience for its students is threatened.
Once placed on probation, a program that fails to comply with accreditation requirements in a timely manner, as specified by the ARC-PA, may be scheduled for a focused site visit and is subject to having its accreditation withdrawn.
Specific questions regarding the Program and its plans should be directed to the Program Director and/or the appropriate institutional official(s).
The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-florida-state-university/