PAL 5420 Clinical Medicine Surgery/Hospital Care
Hospital Care/Surgical Skills is an integrated course designed to introduce the physician assistant student to the care of patients in the hospital setting. This foundational educational experience will serve to develop clinical knowledge, skills and attitudes essential to the practice of hospital medicine, and the delivery of the highest quality patient care. Students will gain a critical thinking framework form which they will continue building their cognitive and procedural abilities as they gain clinical experience throughout their education and careers. The surgical component of this course introduces the role of the physician assistant in the operating room and surgical ward. Students learn principles of pre and postoperative evaluation, management of common perioperative and postoperative complications, as well as documentation for various surgical encounters. This course includes a practical skills lab in which the students will learn and practice the proper surgical terms and techniques for performing common tasks necessary for a physician assistant in an operating room, including sterile technique, gowning/gloving, suturing, and venipuncture – Fall 2 semester Phase I.