The OHSU PA program offers a full‑time, 26‑month curriculum that leads to a Master of Physician Associate Studies (MPAS) degree and prepares you for clinical practice.  

You will build a strong science foundation, develop hands‑on skills and learn to deliver patient‑centered care.

On this page:

• Pre-matriculation curriculum
• Academic year curriculum
• Academic year courses
• Clinical year curriculum

Pre-matriculation curriculum

You'll gain access to the pre-matriculation curriculum 60 days before classes begin. This self-paced online program includes:

• Anatomy and basic sciences review
• Overview of medical terminology
• Strategies for success in PA school

Academic year curriculum

During your 12-month academic year, you'll prepare for clinical rotations by building foundational knowledge, developing clinical skills and learning to provide equitable, team-based care.

Clinical foundation and patient care

• Build a strong foundation in basic sciences
• Gain exposure to primary care and specialty medicine
• Get an introduction to patient care through experiences with community physician and physician associate mentors
• Take patient histories, perform physical exams and develop care plans
• Gain hands-on experience with point-of-care ultrasound 

Clinical reasoning and evidence-based practice

• Develop clinical reasoning through weekly small-group problem-based learning sessions
• Apply medical informatics and evidence-based medicine to improve clinical decision-making
• Receive regular evaluations of your clinical skills and competencies 

Equity, ethics and collaboration

• Learn to recognize bias and social determinants of health that impact patient outcomes 
• Work with students from other health professions to learn team-based patient care
• Explore ethical practice through quarterly lectures on topics such as emerging technologies, including AI in healthcare settings

Academic year courses

For detailed course descriptions, visit the OHSU course catalog.

Summer quarter (21 total credits)

• PAST 510 Physical Diagnosis (4 credits)
• PAST 511 Physical Diagnosis Lab (2 credits)
• PAST 518A Principles of Professional Practice I (3 credits)
• PAST 528 Introduction to Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Medicine (2 credits)
• PAST 571 Intro to Pathophysiology/Mechanisms of Disease (3 credits)
• PAST 572 Intro to Pharmacotherapeutics (2 credits)
• ANAT 511 UNI Foundations of Clinical Anatomy (5 credits), Summer B only

Fall quarter (17 total credits)

• PAST 545 Clinical Medicine I (6 credits)
• PAST 565 Basic Sciences I (2 credits)
• PAST 575 Clinical Pharmacotherapeutics I (1 credit)
• PAST 518B Principles of Professional Practice II (2 credits)
• PAST 515 Clinical Medicine Tutorials I (3 credits)
• PAST 509 Clinical Practicum I (3 credits)
• IPE 501 Foundations of Patient Safety and Interprofessional Practice (0 credits)

Winter quarter (17 total credits)

• PAST 546 Clinical Medicine II (6 credits)
• PAST 566 Basic Sciences II (2 credits)
• PAST 576 Clinical Pharmacotherapeutics II (1 credit)
• PAST 520 Principles of Professional Practice III (2 credits)
• PAST 516 Clinical Medicine Tutorials II (3 credits)
• PAST 509A Clinical Practicum II (3 credits)
• IPE 501 Foundations of Patient Safety and Interprofessional Practice (0 credits)

Spring quarter (20 total credits)

• PAST 547 Clinical Medicine III (6 credits)
• PAST 567 Basic Science III (3 credits)
• PAST 577 Clinical Pharmacotherapeutics III (1 credit)
• PAST 521 Principles of Professional Practice IV (2 credits)
• PAST 517 Clinical Medicine Tutorials III (3 credits)
• PAST 509B Clinical Practicum III (3 credits)
• PAST 507A Electrocardiography (1 credit)
• IPE 501 Foundations of Patient Safety and Interprofessional Practice (1 credit)

Clinical year curriculum

During your 14-month clinical year, you'll complete Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences (SCPEs) at hospitals, clinics and care centers across Oregon and Southwest Washington. Most rotations are outside metropolitan Portland, giving you the opportunity to work in rural and medically underserved communities.

During this year you will:

• Rotate through a variety of clinical settings, including outpatient clinics, inpatient wards, emergency departments and operating rooms
• Care for patients across the lifespan, and provide prenatal and obstetric, surgical, and behavioral or mental healthcare
• Complete four-week rotations under the supervision of qualified preceptors, with all sites and preceptors arranged for you by the program
• Develop clinical PA competencies through hands-on, supervised patient care
• Design and deliver a community outreach project that directly impacts underserved communities

To graduate, you must pass all clinical coursework and end-of-curriculum assessments, including a comprehensive multiple-choice exam and a clinical skills evaluation.

Clinical rotations

During your SCPE rotations, you'll work with a licensed preceptor to take patient histories, perform physical exams, diagnose conditions, create treatment plans, perform procedures and educate patients. You'll also practice communication and professional skills throughout your rotations.

Core SCPE rotations

You'll complete nine required core SCPE rotations, each four weeks long and worth five credits.

• Behavioral medicine: Work with patients facing mental health and behavioral conditions, developing skills in assessment, diagnosis and treatment planning
• Emergency medicine: See and treat patients in a fast-paced emergency setting, managing a wide range of urgent and critical conditions
• Family medicine: Care for patients of all ages in an outpatient setting, managing both acute and chronic conditions across the lifespan
• Inpatient internal medicine: Manage hospitalized patients, focusing on complex and chronic conditions that require ongoing monitoring and care
• Obstetrics and gynecology: Provide prenatal and gynecologic care, including acute, chronic and preventive conditions
• Pediatrics: Care for infant, child and adolescent patients, adapting your approach to meet the needs of patients at different stages of development
• Primary care I: See patients across a broad range of ages and conditions in an outpatient setting, focusing on prevention, diagnosis and ongoing care
• Primary care II: Build on Primary care I, continuing to develop your clinical skills across a broad range of outpatient conditions
• Surgery: Rotate through outpatient and inpatient settings, gaining experience in pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative care and assisting in surgical procedures

Non-core SCPE rotations

You’ll complete two non-core SCPE rotations, each four weeks long and worth five credits.  You will be assigned non-core rotations based on availability and your areas of interest.

In addition to many other specialties, non-core rotations may include:

• Cardiology
• Cardiothoracic surgery
• Dermatology
• Endocrinology
• Gastroenterology
• Geriatrics
• Nephrology
• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedics
• Pediatric subspecialties

The list above is a sample. More elective options are available.

Clinical year courses

For detailed course descriptions, visit the OHSU course catalog.

• Applied Clinical Skills I (2 Credits)
• Applied Clinical Skills II (4 Credits)
• Bridge to Professional Practice (3 Credits)
• Community outreach project (5 Credits)