Preface

 The CUNY School of Medicine (CUNY Medicine) Physician Assistant Program outlines school-wide and program- specific policies and regulations for the students in the Program. The handbook is designed to supplement, rather than supplant existing college policies and procedures, including those found in the Graduate Bulletin of the City College of New York. The August 2024 edition of the handbook supplants any previous version of the Handbook.

 While this Handbook covers policies for the entire curriculum, there are more specific guidelines and additional regulations for the clinical year. A separate Clinical Year Handbook, with additional policies specific to the clinical year, will be distributed and reviewed during the clinical year orientation.

 Newly enrolled students will be bound to the academic policies delineated in the handbook of their admitting cohort, unless revisions were needed and students are made aware of new changes. Returning students (e.g., those who took leaves of absence) will be bound by the handbook of the cohort they join upon return to the CUNY Medicine PA Program. Therefore, all students entering in calendar year 2025 or prior years will be bound by this edition of the handbook.

 All CUNY Medicine PA Program policies apply to all students, principal faculty and the program director regardless of location. Policies listed and detailed on the CUNY Medicine and the City College of New York Web Pages and in the CUNY Medicine PA Program Student Handbooks are subject to change.

Enrolled students are informed when significant changes are made to published policies.

Importantly, CUNY Medicine PA Program Policies may differ from policies noted in the CUNY Medicine and/or City College of New York. When a difference exists, the CUNY Medicine PA Program policy should be considered the policy of record.

Program Mission

The mission of the CUNY School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program is to improve the health of underserved communities by providing increased access to physician assistant education to students from historically underrepresented populations. Through education and mentoring, we will create a workforce that will provide highly skilled health services to the communities of greatest need.

 Program Learning Outcomes, Goals, and Achievements

The CUNY School of Medicine PA Program goals and competencies align with the PA Profession, and were updated and approved in 2021 by the four leadership organizations of the PA Profession (AAPA, ARC-PA, PAEA and NCCPA). We are committed to graduating students with the following attributes:

 ·         Patient Care -We are committed to practicing high quality compassionate care, and to developing sensitivity and competence in communication skills with diverse populations.

·         Scholarship - We are committed to providing the skills necessary to apply new knowledge at the point of care and to engage in scholarly activity relevant to health and disease.

 ·         Community-We inspire graduates to work in communities with health workforce shortage and with patient populations out of the mainstream of health care delivery. We encourage graduates to be advocates at the local, regional, and national level for the best care for patients and their community.

 ·         Leadership- We promote the assumption of leadership positions within the profession and the community.

 ·         Professionalism-We are committed to creating an environment where collegiality, respect, and ethical practice are fostered and valued.

 ·         Interdisciplinary teams-We value collaborative learning and working styles that facilitate full participation in interdisciplinary medical teams.

 ·         Life-long learning-We actively encourage intellectual curiosity and critical thinking necessary for life-long learning leading to the continual improvement of patient care.

Brief Program Description

The CUNY Medicine PA Program is designed as a full-time 28-month, 80 semester credit hour program consisting of seven consecutive semesters. The semesters are divided between a 16-month didactic phase and a 12-month clinical phase. All program courses must be completed.

 Physician Assistant Graduate Functions and Tasks

Any graduate of the CUNY School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program will be expected to demonstrate competence in the following functions and tasks:

·         Elicit a detailed and accurate medical history, perform a complete physical examination, and record all pertinent data in written or electronic form as a medical note.

·         Interview using the patient-centered model of care.

·         Generate an appropriate differential diagnosis using evidence-based practice.

·         Perform and interpret diagnostic studies, including routine laboratory procedures, common radiological studies, and electrocardiograms.

·         Determine most likely diagnosis.

·         Plan and implement therapeutic measures.

·         Counsel patients regarding physical and mental health, including diet, disease prevention, normal growth/development, and family planning.

·         Work in collaboration with the interdisciplinary healthcare team.

·         Perform life-saving maneuvers such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

·         Facilitate the appropriate referral of patients and maintain awareness of existing healthcare delivery systems and social welfare resources.

·         Communicate effectively in oral and written forms.

·         Display professionalism in all aspects of patient care.

History of the Program

 The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education Physician Assistant Program at Harlem Hospital Center was founded in 1970 as a joint project of the Harlem Hospital Center and the Columbia University School of Public Health. The Harlem Program is one of the oldest in the country, being founded only five years after the birth of the profession. The Program was developed to train individuals with health care experience to practice primary care in communities of greatest need. The first class of four was admitted in 1971, graduating in 1973.

 In 1972, the Program developed an academic affiliation with Antioch College which continued until the New School for Social Research assumed responsibility from 1974-1978. In 1978 the Program developed a partnership with the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education of the City College of New York (CCNY) which continues today.

In 2016, the Program transitioned to a master’s degree granting program. In the same year, the Sophie Davis BS/MD program transitioned to become the CUNY School of Medicine. The name of the PA Program changed to the CUNY School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program. Although the degree of both programs changed, the mission of the School of Medicine and of the PA Program remains the same.