Didactic Courses

An integrated lecture-laboratory course in gross anatomy designed to provide an understanding of the structural and functional anatomy of the human body essential to the practicing Physician Assistant. Clinical problems are used to highlight the importance of anatomy to the understanding of clinical sciences. Regional sections include general anatomical concepts, central nervous system, upper extremities and back, head and neck, thorax and abdomen, perineum, pelvis, and lower extremities. The laboratory component of the course is taught with virtual prosections. When appropriate, clinical problems are reviewed to highlight the importance of anatomy as it pertains to clinical practice.

This comprehensive course will explore the physiological mechanisms by which the human body functions in health and disease. Lectures analyze the physiological basis of fluid homeostasis, the role of excitable membranes, nerve and muscle function, the central nervous system, blood and hemostasis, the cardiovascular system, respiratory function, renal control of fluid and electrolyte balance, acid-base balance, endocrine and reproductive functions. In all topics, there is integration of physiological principles, pathophysiology, and clinical medicine.

This course covers basic and clinical aspects of bacteriology, virology, mycology, parasitology, and immunology. Emphasis is placed on applying microbiology concepts to clinical practice, including the systemic diseases caused by these organisms, control of microorganisms, antibiotics, the host-parasite relationship, and the establishment of disease. The immune system is discussed in detail, including topics on resistance to disease, immunity and serology, and immune disorders.

This is a course in human biochemistry with relevant clinical correlations. Topics will include the structure and function of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids. In addition, the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, amino acids, and nucleotides will also be studied. It will also explore the effects of enzyme deficiencies, biochemical and genetic mechanisms of human disease (e.g., diabetes, hemoglobinopathies, and inborn errors of metabolism), nutrition, and vitamin deficiencies. This course also includes an introduction to the scientific concepts related to genetics and the molecular basis of disease.

This course explores the causes and mechanisms of disease and the associated alterations of the structure and function of tissues. General concepts of disease are covered, including degeneration and necrosis, inflammation and repair, fluid and coagulation disturbances, and general aspects of neoplasia. Disease entities in each organ system are studied with regard to causation, evaluation, and morphology of pathological changes.

This is the first part of a 2-semester health history and physical diagnosis course consisting of lectures and lab sessions. The lecture component introduces the student to the concepts and techniques of medical interviewing, obtaining an accurate history, and performing a complete and thorough physical examination. The course covers the practical terminology utilized to record medical history and physical examination. The laboratory portion emphasized the hands-on skills necessary to perfect the physical exam techniques. These sessions are taught in a small group setting by the PA faculty. Emphasis is also placed on perfecting the written history and physical/SOAP notes.

Students are introduced to concepts in health psychology and behavioral medicine, which identify the psychosocial factors contributing to health and physical and emotional well-being. Defenses and adaptations are discussed as related to the types of patients the student will work with. Other psychological responses to acute and chronic illness, end-of-life issues, and the psychology of the chronically ill are discussed as they relate to the patient and the medical practitioner. An integral part of this course focuses on the theory and method of the medical interview. Students are introduced to the techniques of modeling and role-playing and are required to participate in the roles of health care practitioner, patient, and family member. Emphasis is placed on establishing a relationship and understanding the effects of cultural diversity and personality types. Cultural competence is introduced, and the students are asked to explore their own culture as well as discussion of other cultures that they will interact with.

There will be an emphasis on the concepts and techniques of medical interviewing, obtaining an accurate history, and performing a complete and thorough physical examination. The laboratory portion emphasizes the hands-on skills necessary to perfect the physical exam techniques. These sessions are taught in a small group setting by the PA faculty.

Clinical Medicine I is an intensive medicine course that covers the etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of common diseases in Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Hematology components. The pathophysiology of the organ systems in relation to the various disease processes is integrated with clinical presentations, historical and physical findings, and laboratory and radiographic test results. Emphasis is placed on applying new medical knowledge to clinical situations, diagnostic problem-solving and differential diagnosis, and issues of patient education and preventive medicine. Students refine their ability to reason independently in developing treatment and management plans for various patient presentations.

Clinical Medicine II is an intensive medicine course that covers the etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of common diseases in Dermatology, Rheumatology, and Ophthalmology components. The pathophysiology of the organ systems in relation to the various disease processes is integrated with clinical presentations, historical and physical findings, and laboratory and radiographic test results. Emphasis is placed on applying new medical knowledge to clinical situations, diagnostic problem-solving and differential diagnosis, and issues of patient education and preventive medicine. Students refine their ability to reason independently in developing treatment and management plans for various patient presentations.

Clinical Medicine III is an intensive medicine course that covers the etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of common diseases in Gastroenterology, Neurology, Psychiatry, and Nephrology components. The pathophysiology of the organ systems in relation to the various disease processes is integrated with clinical presentations, historical and physical findings, and laboratory and radiographic test results. Emphasis is placed on applying new medical knowledge to clinical situations, diagnostic problem-solving and differential diagnosis, and issues of patient education and preventive medicine. Students refine their ability to reason independently in developing treatment and management plans for various patient presentations.

Clinical Medicine IV is an intensive medicine course that covers the etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of common diseases in Endocrinology and Infectious Disease components. The pathophysiology of the organ systems in relation to the various disease processes is integrated with clinical presentations, historical and physical findings, and laboratory and radiographic test results. Emphasis is placed on applying new medical knowledge to clinical situations, diagnostic problem-solving and differential diagnosis, and patient education and preventive medicine issues. Students refine their ability to reason independently in developing treatment and management plans for various patient presentations.

This course introduces the basic principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and their application to clinical medicine. It will also explore the influence and mechanisms of action of drugs upon the body. Students will learn the mechanisms of action, therapeutic uses, major side effects, warnings, and precautions for drugs used to treat diseases covered in the clinical medicine course. Prescription writing and the legalities of prescription writing pertaining to PAs are also covered.

This course explores the influence and mechanisms of action of drugs upon the body. Students will learn the mechanisms of action, therapeutic uses, major side effects, warnings, and precautions for drugs used to treat diseases covered in the clinical medicine course.

This course will encompass laboratory medicine, diagnostic imaging, and the procedure-oriented skills that students will require. The student will learn basic clinical laboratory determinations and values and their correlation with normal and disease states. The student is introduced to imaging modalities and their role in clinical medicine. In the clinical lab procedures portion, the student learns the principles of sterile technique, universal precautions, and basic procedural skills such as phlebotomy, intravenous catheter placement, injection administration, and placement of urinary catheters and nasogastric tubes.

The normal anatomy and physiology of the female reproductive system are reviewed. The student is taught how to perform an obstetrical history and physical, the process and management of normal pregnancy, labor, and delivery, and their associated complications. Clinical manifestations and treatment of common gynecological problems are considered. Patient education is stressed as a crucial part of the management plan.

This course will cover the physiological and psychological fundamentals of normal growth and development pertaining to pediatric and adolescent patients. Topics covered include neonatology and infant nutritional requirements, preventive immunization schedules, child abuse, and childhood injuries. Students are also introduced to the embryology of specific organ systems, which illustrates normal developmental anatomy and the embryological basis for congenital anomalies of the systems. Via a systems approach, students study common childhood illnesses and their signs, symptoms, and treatment.

This course will explore the diagnostic and treatment options of severely injured and critically ill patients. Students are taught the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, and differential diagnosis of many disease entities as they may present in the Emergency Department. Students must also complete Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support during this course.

This course will explore long-term care and the social and societal aspects of aging. The students will be exposed to the complex issues of caring for the chronically ill elderly. Emphasis will be placed on developing communication skills to enhance the humanistic practice of geriatric medicine and prepare the student to provide quality health care to elderly individuals in the community, long-term care settings, and acute care settings. Students also explore the ethical/legal issues of geriatric care.

This course will cover the evaluation and management of patients with surgical conditions. It will cover the core knowledge of wound healing mechanisms, surgical techniques, and pre- and post-operative management of surgical problems. Illnesses that require surgical intervention, their signs and symptoms, diagnostic modalities, and outcomes are also discussed.

This course will cover the evaluation and management of patients with surgical conditions. Surgical diseases of the esophagus, abdomen, stomach, intestines, circulatory system, and urogenital system will be covered. Critical care management will also be discussed. A practical session in suturing is included to give the student the basic skills needed to succeed in primary wound closure. During the Otolaryngology component, the student will be acquainted with the structures, functions, and examination of the ear, nose, and throat and the diagnosis and treatment of common ENT disorders. The Orthopedics component provides instruction on diagnosing and treating sprains, fractures, and dislocations, preparation and application of bandages, splints, and casting. Common orthopedic problems of the hand, knee, shoulder, and back are covered.

In keeping with the Touro University mission to serve the larger community, students in the School of Health Sciences are required to complete an independent study that involves a minimum of twenty-five (25) hours of community service with individuals disadvantaged due to illness, disability, or other circumstances. The purpose of this requirement is to (1) provide students in the School of Health Sciences with an opportunity to learn from and give back to the larger community; (2) enhance awareness of how a disability or illness impacts the individual, family, friends, caregivers, and community. Through this experience, students may interact with people from different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, with people who have impairments leading to functional limitations in the physical, cognitive, and/or social-emotional domains, or with people who struggle with issues related to poverty, homelessness, and hunger. The specifics of the experience and project undertaken are negotiated on an individual basis between the student and the department faculty advisor.

Students will develop the knowledge and skills to understand and apply epidemiological methods and bio-statistical analysis in the medical and/or public health setting. Students are introduced to the distribution and determinants of health and disease in the human population and the application of this study to the control and prevention of disease. The student will develop basic conceptual and analytical skills in the design and conduct of epidemiologic studies and understand the process of epidemiologic surveillance. In addition, this course will provide students with basic biostatistics concepts, such as disease frequency, measures of effect, and statistical significance. Students will become familiar with standard data collection and analysis techniques and the content of vital statistics and mass data of the health field.

Students will gain knowledge and skills in research methodology, experimental design, statistical analysis, and critical evaluation of medical literature. Students will develop the skills to formulate research questions and develop research protocols, hypotheses, study designs, and their comparative strengths and limitations. Students will gain the knowledge and skills to effectively use and analyze biostatistics in different research designs and data analysis, to conduct computerized searches, and to understand, review, and critically analyze medical literature and professional journal articles and their application to clinical practice. Topics include choosing correct statistical methods and study designs in research and practice, descriptive statistics, probability and probability distributions, estimation, and hypothesis testing. Ethical issues in research will be discussed, including informed consent and the function of an IRB.

In this course, students delve into the inquiry and literature review process. This course concentrates on the application of concepts and methods from previous courses. Topics include research synthesis, knowledge application, and writing for future publication or presentation at professional conferences as the student develops and works on their scholarly project.

In this course, students focus on the final preparation and submission of the scholarly project. Topics include the requirements in content, research, format, and relevancy of the scholarly project, as well as preparing the project for submission for publication in a professional journal and/or presentation at a professional conference.

This course will explore topics in medical ethics that develop the analytical skills and reflective sensitivity required for responsive, responsible, and productive decision-making between patients and professionals. Topics discussed include ethical decisions at both the beginning and the end of life, risk/benefit decision-making in medicine, confidentiality, and privacy. Students also discuss various professional practice issues, such as privilege and confidentiality in communicating with patients, political and legal issues, credentialing and licensure, professional liability, and the physician-PA team relationship.

This course introduces students to global health and disaster medicine issues. This course concentrates on key infectious diseases, determinants of health, delivery structures, and the PA role in global health strategies. Topics will include acute and chronic disease, infectious disease, maternal/child health, and the effects of poverty on health and cultural issues, as well as established international models and case studies. The disaster medicine course educates individuals about disaster preparedness and emergency medical intervention in a disaster setting. Students will learn about various types of disasters and how to prepare and respond to illness and injury relevant to disaster settings.

This course will provide the student with foundational studies in organizations and leadership practices. It will concentrate on fostering skills in developing, organizing, and maintaining effective teams. Topics will include organizational change, roles, conflict, leadership styles, and effective implementation strategies, emphasizing health care and educational organizations.

In this course, students focus on summative exams and preparation for PANCE. The student will complete the program summative exam, complete a board review course, and review topics related to job placement. This will include interviewing, CV development, and completion of documents required for clinical practice.