M.S. Physician Assistant  Curriculum

Evidence-based medicine, cooperative learning, and top technology. 
The NWC PA Program curriculum teaches students the necessary skills and knowledge for clinical practice. The medical courses are delivered in a system and case-based approach so that students can integrate learning from clinical medicine, pharmacology, pathophysiology, anatomy, and procedural skills and apply this to patient care scenarios and simulations.

Students learn through innovative and advanced educational experiences in conjunction with traditional cadaver lab teaching. Northwestern College has a newly renovated cadaver lab, giving graduate students the opportunity to learn through dissection. 

The state-of-the-art Sectra virtual cadaver tables (made by ToLTech), provide students with three-dimensional human anatomy images in an interactive touch screen. Students and instructors can perform virtual dissections of the images, isolate specific components of the anatomy, and complete lab activities and assessments. The virtual interface enables students to toggle between detailed anatomical drawings, captioned illustrations, and actual radiologic images (CT and MRI), promoting knowledge integration and assessment. 

Program course rotation

Program total:   116 credits
*Each student will have an individualized schedule for clinical rotations. Every student must complete the core rotations (Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Behavioral Health, Emergency Medicine, Women’s Health, and Pediatrics) as well as 8 weeks total of any combination of elective rotations. Students may complete clinical rotations at any institution with an established affiliation agreement with Northwestern College. All students should expect to complete a minimum of 30% of their rotations outside of Northwest Iowa. This requirement provides students with a variety of practice settings to ensure that each student receives a well-rounded education. 

Rotation Requirements
The Director of Clinical Education and the Clinical Site Recruitment and Retention Coordinator will coordinate clinical sites and preceptors for required rotations. Physician Assistant students are not required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors. 

Advanced resources and PANCE-specific preparation

Students will learn in state-of-the-art facilities and have access to valuable online medical resources, including two of the most frequently used resources in clinical practice: UpToDate and Access Medicine. Students will learn to integrate their use in a case-based practice setting from the first day. The program has also purchased access to an extensive PANCE question bank, allowing students to practice their testing skills and prepare appropriately for the certification exam.

Student employment policy  
The physician assistant curriculum is very demanding and is designed for full-time students. Various lectures and labs will be scheduled outside of normal business hours, and students will be expected to flexibly adjust their schedules to be available during these times. We encourage students to avoid any routine work schedules so they can commit themselves to this demanding, full-time course of study. 

Advanced placement policy 
The Northwestern PA Program does not grant advanced placement to any applicants. All students in the program must complete all curricular requirements through Northwestern College.  Courses that are required as prerequisites to enrollment in the PA program cannot be substituted for any content within the program.  

Accreditation

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Northwestern College Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Northwestern College. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards. 

Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be September 2034. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy. 

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at https://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-historynorthwestern-college/.