Master of Physician Assistant Medicine
The University of Tampa's Physician Assistant Medicine program awards a Master of Physician Assistant Medicine (MPAM) degree. Students will engage in full time study for seven semesters (27 months). The program follows the traditional medical model of training to include a didactic phase followed by clinical rotations.
After graduation from the program, the graduate must apply for state physician assistant professional licensure in the state they wish to practice. Current entry requirements in all states are to graduate from an ARC-PA accredited program and pass the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) certification examination. Graduation from the UTampa PA program does not guarantee or confer professional licensure or certification status.
For additional information on how this program prepares students for professional licensure, please visit: PAM disclosure.
Accreditation Information:
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to The University of Tampa Department of Physician Assistant Medicine Program sponsored by The University of Tampa . Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards .
Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards . The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be March 2034 . The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.
The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at https://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-university-of-tampa .
The mission of UTampa's physician assistant medicine program is to engage in collaborative training to develop competent medical providers from diverse backgrounds who provide quality medical care to their community.
Faculty: Associate Professors Belote, Mularoni; Assistant Professors Geralds, Johnson, Kaczmarek, Kossiver, Lee, Sereda, Siyufy, Taylor.
Admission:
Application/Timeline:
- Apply through CASPA (Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants) between May and December.
- Rolling interviews and notification of acceptance between August and January.
- Rolling admissions interviews will begin in the early Summer.
Minimum GPA/Academic Standards:
- Minimum last 60 credit hour GPA: 3.0
- Minimum pre-requisite GPA: 3.0
Admission Exam Requirement:
Degree Requirements:
Prerequisites:
Direct Patient Care Experience:
- Direct patient care is not required; however, competitive applicants will have a minimum of 750 hours of hands-on patient care experience.
- Preference will be given to applicants having direct patient care experience that is in the moderate/high category.
PA Observation/Shadowing:
- PA observation/shadowing is not required.
Transfer or Advanced Standing:
- Matriculates may not transfer credits or courses from another PA program or school.
- There is no mechanism for entering the program with advanced standing.
- All students MUST complete all components of the program as full‐time students.
- UTampa Alumni have the option of early application to the PA program. See UTampa2UTampa admissions requirements at https://www.ut.edu/graduate-degrees/physician-assistant-medicine-program/admissions.
Technical Standards:
The University of Tampa’s Physician Assistant Medicine Program requires students to meet specific technical standards to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies of an entry-level PA. All students must meet these standards after acceptance into the program. Students must verify their ability to meet these standards or request accommodations as needed.
The program’s curriculum cannot be completed remotely. All instruction, including clinical and laboratory experiences, requires in-person attendance.
- Observation: Students must effectively observe demonstrations, experiments, and patients at various distances, using vision and other sensory modalities, including hearing and smell.
- Communication: Students must speak intelligibly, hear sufficiently, and read and write English effectively to communicate with patients, families, and healthcare professionals and maintain accurate clinical records.
- Motor Skills: Students must possess the motor abilities to perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, such as palpation, auscultation, laboratory tests, airway management, and emergency interventions. Fine and gross motor coordination is essential, especially in emergencies.
- Intellectual Abilities: Students must rapidly solve problems, interpret medical information, perform patient assessments, and develop effective treatment plans. This includes incorporating new information, understanding three-dimensional relationships, and recalling pertinent information promptly.
- Behavioral and Social Attributes: Students must demonstrate emotional stability, sound judgment, compassion, sensitivity, and professional integrity while managing physically and mentally demanding situations.
Additional Requirements:
Applicants must meet the skills required for certification in BLS, ACLS, and PALS and perform a head-to-toe physical examination within the allotted time. Remote coursework or clinical instruction is not permitted, as in-person participation and assessment are mandatory.
For questions about these requirements or to request accommodations, contact Accessibility Services at accessibility.services@ut.edu.
Advising:
Each student will be assigned to a physician assistant faculty member for advising purposes pertaining to course sequencing, academic performance, and professional guidance. For matters related to registration, withdrawal and other academic issues, students should contact the Program Director and their advisor in the Office of Graduate and Continuing Studies.
Student Organization:
In addition to student organizations at UTampa, PA students have access to several professional and honorary organizations. These will reviewed during orientation
PA Student Information:
More information about the PA program can be found on the PA program website, where all student policies are located: https://www.ut.edu/graduate-degrees/physician-assistant-medicine-program/program-policies.
Program and Course Requirements:
Satisfactory completion of the MPAM program requires the student to complete the 112 hour credit program in the sequence outlined by the program.
To successfully complete the program and be recommended for graduation the student must: complete the program of study with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA and no course grade below “C”; demonstrate adherence to the AAPA Code of Ethics and UTampa PA Standards of Professional Conduct; and participate in all program required events, pass the graduation seminar course and meet all other UTampa graduation requirements.
Students may not withdraw from a single course or semester due to academic reasons. Students may request an excused absence for personal (non-academic) circumstances.
A student is allowed seven years from the time graduate work has begun, whether at UTampa or elsewhere, in which to complete a degree. Under certain circumstances, the student, with approval from the respective program director, may revalidate, by examination, courses that are outdated by the time limit.
The PA curriculum is a lock-step design. Students move through the curriculum as a cohort. During the didactic phase of study, each course must be successfully completed before beginning the next semester of study.
More information about the PA program policies can be found on the Department of Physician Assistant Medicine Program’s website. Policies and procedures outlined on the website may supersede those outlined in this catalog. See the website for further details.
Degree Requirements-Course Study
Fall 1
| PAM 600 | Applied Human Anatomy & Physiology | 4 |
| PAM 601 | Applied Human Anatomy Lab | 2 |
| PAM 602 | Applied Medical Science | 3 |
| PAM 610 | Physical Diagnosis | 3 |
| PAM 611 | Physical Diagnosis Lab | 4 |
| PAM 620 | Medical Practice: Professionalism & Ethics | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 17 |
Spring 2
| PAM 624 | Medical Practice: Systems Based Practice | 1 |
| PAM 700 | Family Medicine Rotation | 4 |
| PAM 701 | Inpatient Medicine Rotation | 4 |
| PAM 702 | Pediatric Medicine Rotation | 4 |
| PAM 710 | Physician Assistant Competencies I | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Summer 2
| PAM 625 | Medical Practice: Personal and Professional Development | 1 |
| PAM 703 | Surgical Medicine Rotation | 4 |
| PAM 704 | Emergency Medicine Rotation | 4 |
| PAM 707 | Elective Experience Rotation I | 3 |
| PAM 711 | Physician Assistant Competencies II | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
Fall 3
| PAM 705 | Behavioral Medicine Rotation | 4 |
| PAM 706 | Women’s Medicine Rotation | 4 |
| PAM 708 | Elective Experience Rotation II | 3 |
| PAM 712 | Physician Assistant Competencies III | 2 |
| PAM 800 | Graduation Seminar | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Spring 1
| PAM 621 | Medical Practice: Communication & Patient Education | 1 |
| PAM 630 | Clinical Medicine I | 3 |
| PAM 631 | Clinical Medicine II | 3 |
| PAM 640 | Pharmacotherapeutics I | 3 |
| PAM 650 | Applied Patient Care Skills I | 4 |
| PAM 661 | Community Medicine | 2 |
| PAM 670 | Medical Diagnostics | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 19 |
Summer 1
| PAM 622 | Medical Practice: Evidence Based Medicine | 1 |
| PAM 632 | Clinical Medicine III | 4 |
| PAM 641 | Pharmacotherapeutics II | 2 |
| PAM 651 | Applied Patient Care Skills II | 4 |
| PAM 660 | Public Health and Preventive Medicine | 2 |
| PAM 674 | Specialty Medicine I | 2 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Fall 2
| PAM 623 | Medical Practice: Legal and Regulatory Issues | 1 |
| PAM 633 | Clinical Medicine IV | 3 |
| PAM 634 | Clinical Medicine V | 3 |
| PAM 642 | Pharmacotherapeutics III | 3 |
| PAM 652 | Applied Patient Care Skills III | 4 |
| PAM 675 | Specialty Medicine II | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 17 |
Clinical rotations may be taken in any order.
Clinical rotations are completed at healthcare institutions with educational affiliation agreements in place with the UTampa PAM program. All institutions are in the Midwest Florida area. Orientation to the clinical phase of training will be provided before rotations begin. The clinical director will determine rotation assignments. Students may not solicit or select their clinical rotation sites. Students may request specific elective experiences but are not guaranteed those sites.
Total Credit Hours: 112