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DOCTORATE

Doctor of Medical Science · DMSc

Online | 4 Tracks | 16-20 Months
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Curriculum

There are two curriculum models as options for completion of this program, both designed for PA practitioners and educators to continue professional work obligations while completing this degree. Completion of the program involves completion or awarding of 36 total credit hours.

Curriculum PDF

Core Courses

Within every track, you will complete a core selection of classes that prepare you to advance your career as a PA in general. The core courses include professional and scientific writing, healthcare legal and ethical issues, and more.

Providers who want to either enter the wellness field or expand their reach and expertise benefit from an intensive study of areas like population health and theories of behavior change. Distinguish yourself within the wellness landscape and add skills that help you continue to meet the needs of your clients. Nationally Board Certified Health & Wellness Coaches can use this concentration to deepen their expertise. However, those looking to enter this field can gain their Health and Wellness Certification through this concentration as well.

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Serving as a prelude to the applied scholarly project, this course focuses on concepts of evidence-based practice. Specifically, the course covers the foundational principles of research design, epidemiology, biostatistics, and searching the medical literature. Additional focus for the course includes critical evaluation of the literature and synthesis of EBP principles into realistic practice settings.

This course reviews PubMed, Index Medicus, other search methodologies, American Medical Association Manual of Style editorial format, the composition of a scientific/professional manuscript, the style of scientific and professional writing, its construction and formats. Students will complete a literature review and a case report during this course, with emphasis placed on professional and scientific writing techniques, as well as proper formatting and citation.

This course will train healthcare leaders to implement or teach principles of delivering better healthcare at lower costs through improving clinical and non-clinical processes. This course will introduce methods and tools for conducting quality improvement projects. Also discussed will be methods of health services research, teams and teamwork, outcome measurement, and medical informatics. A key learning experience of this course will be developing and implementing a quality improvement project.

This course explores the legal and ethical issues and dilemmas in the delivery of healthcare. The principles and practical application of laws and regulations affecting operational decisions of healthcare providers, health plans, and third-party payers are discussed. Also addressed are social, moral, and ethical issues encountered in the balance of patient interests, needs and rights.

Introduction to general research principles and research ethics. The student will be introduced to the following topics in the research process: problem statement, question formulation, principles of measurement, basic design and methodological features, issues of reliability and validity, and fundamentals of conducting a literature review. Quantitative article critiques will be conducted in class and outside of class. The class format will include lecture, small group discussion, and practice.

Choose one of the following:

This course explores the definition of Population Health and how principles of population health integrate into clinical practice. Topics discussed include attributes and components of the population health paradigm, health promotion, elimination of health disparities, behavior change, continuity of care, information technology, decision making support, and the ethical dimension of population health. The business value of better health from a population health approach is also discussed, with some discussion of the role of health advocacy and assistance programs.

Concepts of leadership related to current healthcare organizations are examined. Specific concepts including communications, public relations, team building, negotiation, and conflict resolution are explored. Strategic aspects such as vision, viewpoint and admission included. Managing uncertainty is discussed in relation to healthcare organizations. Contemporary leadership challenges, communication strategies and crisis communication are explored. Leadership functions and decision-making are analyzed.

Your DMSc experience culminates in a practicum and applied scholarly project. You will design and propose a track-specific practicum (hands-on portion of the program) that will allow you to gain the desired knowledge and skills pertinent to your practice. You will be guided by qualified faculty through the development, proposal, literature review, and dissemination phases of the scholarly project. This experience will prepare you to continue to create and distribute scholarly work via presentations and publications throughout your career.

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During the first half of the semester, students are guided through the project development and proposal process. The latter half of the course is for students to revise and submit a proposal for their project. Approval of the project is accomplished prior to completion of this course. Students are advised to develop a proposal that is a comprehensive and in-depth study of a highly relevant issue encountered as a PA in the clinical, academic, or administrative setting. The expectation is that this project will be accomplished over multiple semesters.

In this course, the approved applied scholarly project is initiated and principles of scientific inquiry will guide the investigation. Students will be searching and gathering available, recent literature and composing several aspects of their comprehensive and in-depth study of a highly relevant issue encountered as a PA in the clinical, academic, or administrative setting.

In this course, students continue the investigation of the literature and composition of the final aspects of the comprehensive and in-depth study of a highly relevant issue encountered as a PA in the clinical, academic, or administrative setting. Students compile their final written product suitable for publication. The final product is compiled from segments of the proposal and project, comprising an extensive, in-depth review of the literature as it pertains to the selected issue. Students will then create an abbreviated version of the project following the submission guidelines of an appropriate peer-reviewed journal. Additionally, students will create a poster presentation that will be submitted for presentation at an appropriate professional conference of the student’s choice.

Concentration & Practicum Courses

Students are required to select a concentration track prior to their first semester in the DMSc program. Concentration courses provide further knowledge, skills, and abilities specific to clinical practice, healthcare administration, or healthcare education.

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This course explores the principles and practices of Lifestyle Medicine, with particular focus on the integration of Lifestyle Medicine into PA practice. An in-depth exploration of Lifestyle Medicine occurs, centering around the use of evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic approaches, such as predominantly whole food plant-based diet, exercise, sleep, tobacco cessation and alcohol moderation, stress management, emotional resilience, and other non-drug modalities. Discussion includes the utilization of Lifestyle Medicine to prevent, treat, and even reverse lifestyle-related chronic disease.

This course provides an introduction to the science of safety and how it relates to problems with patient safety in the healthcare setting. Discussion includes the role of both individuals and the healthcare system in improving patient safety and reducing medical errors. The course reviews institutional responses to adverse events, including the topics of medical malpractice and risk management. The course emphasizes the importance of teamwork and good communication. Students learn models for improving safety in hospitals and other healthcare settings.

This course explores the definition of Population Health and how principles of population health integrate into clinical practice. Topics discussed include attributes and components of the population health paradigm, health promotion, elimination of health disparities, behavior change, continuity of care, information technology, decision making support, and the ethical dimension of population health. The business value of better health from a population health approach is also discussed, with some discussion of the role of health advocacy and assistance programs.

During this course, students will design and propose a clinical practicum that they feel will help them obtain additional exposure to and mastery of aspects of clinical practice that are not usually considered within the scope of general PA practice. During this semester, students are expected to find a qualified clinical preceptor (such as a collaborating physician or consulting specialist) who can precept them as they learn and master the advanced skill and knowledge. The student is expected to create a plan of learning and assessment with which the preceptor is agreeable. This plan is then proposed to DMSc faculty and approval of the practicum is accomplished by the end of the course.

During this semester, students carry out and execute the practicum developed and approved during Clinical Practicum 1. Students collaborate with their selected preceptor and DMSc faculty as they accomplish the learning and assessment plan for their advanced skill and knowledge development. Through execution of the practicum, students apply specialized medical knowledge and increase their clinical capabilities to develop an area of clinical expertise. Prior to the end of the semester, students submit a standardized and comprehensive report on the execution and completion of this practicum.

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Concepts of leadership related to current healthcare organizations are examined. Specific concepts including communications, public relations, team building, negotiation, and conflict resolution are explored. Strategic aspects such as vision, viewpoint and admission included. Managing uncertainty is discussed in relation to healthcare organizations. Contemporary leadership challenges, communication strategies and crisis communication are explored. Leadership functions and decision-making are analyzed.

This course supports knowledge of the theories of organizations, the use of leadership, management processes, and organizational structures and outcomes. Specific topics include governance, strategic management and marketing, human resources management, recruiting, training, process improvement, management theory, and employee wellbeing. This course is designed for future managers and leaders of healthcare organizations and those who expects to have extensive involvement with each from the perspective buyers, insurers, or policymakers. The course provides students with knowledge about how the best healthcare provider organizations deliver high quality, cost-effective healthcare, how the response to their environment, and how they reach and implement decisions about future activities.

This course offers student opportunities to investigate and integrate change management practices to strategically position healthcare organizations for the future. Organization strategic position will be discussed with application to relevant theoretical models, and necessary change management practices resulting in development of organizational adaptability.

During this course, students will design and propose an administrative practicum that they feel will help them obtain additional exposure to and mastery of principles of healthcare administration in the hospital or clinical setting. During this semester, students are expected to find a qualified administrative mentor (such as a hospital or clinic administrator) who can mentor them as they learn and apply administrative skills and knowledge. The student is expected to create and develop a plan for an administrative project with which the mentor is agreeable. This plan is then proposed to DMSc faculty and approval of the practicum is accomplished by the end of the course.

During this semester, students carry out and execute the practicum developed and approved during Administrative Practicum 1. Students collaborate with their selected mentor and DMSc faculty as they accomplish the administrative project. Through execution of the practicum, students apply specialized leadership and administrative knowledge to increase their capabilities and develop as a leader in healthcare. Prior to the end of the semester, students submit a standardized and comprehensive report on the execution and completion of this practicum.

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This course explores the history and theory of instructional technology used in educational settings. Focus is on identifying, discussing and comparing various instructional technology utilized in the design and delivery of online, blended, and traditional classroom learning environments. Best practices of current instructional technologies applied in higher education classrooms are systematically designed, created, shared, and reviewed.

This course incorporates a learner centered approach to course development and instructional delivery based on the best evidence of how people learn. Students will demonstrate both traditional and innovative instructional techniques and strategies for teaching in didactic settings based upon the evidence-base of best teaching practices.

This course examines a variety of assessment models and techniques used to evaluate student classroom performance, student clinical performance, instructor performance and educational programs. Students will design and execute assessment plans, interpret assessment data and develop continuous improvement plans.

During this course, students will design and propose an education-based practicum that they feel will help them obtain additional exposure to and mastery of principles of healthcare education in the university setting. During this semester, students are expected to find a qualified educational mentor, a professor at an graduate-level PA program, who can mentor them as they learn and apply higher education skills and knowledge. The student is expected to create and develop a plan for an education development project with which the mentor is agreeable. This plan is then proposed to DMSc faculty and approval of the practicum is accomplished by the end of the course.

During this semester, students carry out and execute the practicum developed and approved during Education Practicum 1. Students collaborate with their selected mentor and DMSc faculty as they accomplish the education-based project. Through execution of the practicum, students apply education knowledge and skill to increase their capabilities and develop as an educator in healthcare. Prior to the end of the semester, students submit a standardized and comprehensive report on the execution and completion of this practicum.

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This course provides a detailed review of the neuroscience model beginning with neuroanatomy and neurophysiology (cells, circuits, neurotransmitters, receptors and signaling the nucleus, genetics, and epigenetics) followed by an exploration of how these structures and processes are modulated (hormonal actions in the brain, plasticity during maturation and adult development, immunity/inflammation and bioelectric modulation) and finally how the neuroscience model contributes to our understanding of pain, pleasure, appetite, anger and aggression, sleep, sex, social attachment, memory, intelligence, attention, depression, anxiety schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Summative assignments will require each student to complete 24 hours of category one certified continuing medical education and obtain (for clinicians practicing in the USA) the US drug enforcement agency (DEA) buprenorphine waiver to prescribe medication- assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, and learners will conduct a comprehensive patient case review demonstrating a review of published treatment guidelines from evidence-based sources, and a masterful application of the neuroscience model to a current, or past patient/client under the learners’ care.

This is the first in a two-part series dedicated to the mastery of clinical knowledge essential to psychiatric physician assistants (PAs) in the prevention, recognition, and appropriate treatment of psychiatric disorders in a multitude of clinical settings, with diverse populations across the patient/client life span. These courses build upon the established competencies of PAs who are exceptionally well-qualified primary care clinicians, scholars, patient educators, collaborators, and patient advocates.

Content will include: conducting a comprehensive psychiatric interview and physical/neuro/mental health examination that will allow the accurate formation of a differential diagnosis using established taxonomies (including non-psychiatric disorders) and appropriate diagnostic instruments (laboratory assays, imaging studies, psychological testing, and screening instruments).

The courses will include a complete review of the diagnostic criteria from the current diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, epidemiology, neuropathology, evidence-based treatments common comorbid states, the individual and social impact of these conditions, prognosis and long-term treatment options to optimize wellness and quality of life for patients, their families, and facilitate safe and healthy communities.

Team-based collaborative care will be emphasized particularly in the management and coordination of treatment plans for vulnerable individuals with complex mental healthcare needs. Learners will gain considerable expertise in their role as effective members of an interdisciplinary treatment team dedicated to ensuring the delivery of accessible, high quality, cost-effective, patient-centered mental healthcare.

Learners will gain a deeper understanding of psychopharmacology; enabling the customization of treatment selections informed by individual traits: age, sex, body mass, intellectual and physical capacity, philosophical orientation, spiritual practices, ethnic traditions, and other individual factors; as well as treatment/resource factors: medication side effects, drug monitoring parameters, epidemiological data, the dominant symptoms of the disorder, co-morbidities, and the resources available to the patient. Learners will be able to recognize, prioritize, and appropriately address the unintended side effects of common psychiatric treatment protocols.

This course will also explore the ethical and legal issues associated with the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders.

PMH 720 will focus on the following conditions: Neurodevelopmental disorders, psychotic disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, trauma-related and stressor-related disorders, dissociative disorders, and fictitious and somatoform disorders.

This course is a continuation of the Psychiatry Diagnostics & Therapeutics course series, building upon the concepts that were explored in Psychiatry Diagnostics & Therapeutics I. The focus of this course will be feeding/eating disorders, sleep disorders, sexual and gender identity disorders, disruptive and impulse control disorders, substance use disorders, neurocognitive disorders, and personality disorders.

The focus of this course is Motivational Interviewing (MI) for advanced graduate-level students in assisting individuals, families and groups in achieving therapeutic goals. Learners will be provided with a comprehensive review of MI as a person-centered therapeutic modality, its clinical application to a wide range of behavioral and psychological conditions involving diverse clinical settings and populations across the life span. Learners will receive access to online therapy supervision asynchronously from a licensed mental health therapist while they complete 500 hours of clinical practice at their current location of employment. Learners will conduct systematic and continuous process and outcome measurements during their practical application of established psychotherapeutic methods and procedures. This course will include proctored case scenarios and real-time audio-visual patient/client interactions to promote mastery of the course material. Learners will receive instructive feedback through evidence-based clinical supervision models that include session recording, transcription, and analysis.

This course focuses on the “gold-standard” of contemporary psychotherapy practice, Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT), for advanced graduate students. Learners will be guided through a comprehensive review of CBT based on the theoretical models and strategies proposed by CBT pioneers, Aaron and Judith Beck. Learners will receive access to online therapy supervision asynchronously from a licensed mental health therapist while they complete 500 hours of clinical practice at their current location of employment. The learner will expand their proficiency in clinical case formulation and the therapeutic application of CBT in a variety of clinical settings with diverse populations (individuals/families and groups) across the lifespan. This course will incorporate clinical conceptualizations, reflective strategies, practice exercises, interactive videos, and case examples to stimulate learner skill acquisition, fostering needed social, cognitive, behavioral, and affective change in clients/patients. This course will include proctored case scenarios and real-time audio-visual client/patient interactions to promote mastery of the course material. Learners will receive instructive feedback through evidence-based clinical supervision models that include session recording, transcription, and analysis.