The LMU-Tampa PA Program is a 24-month, full-time, year-round graduate program consisting of 115 credit hours spanning 12 months of didactic coursework and 12 months of clinical rotations. Upon successfully completing all graduation requirements, students will earn a Master of Medical Science degree. The program trains student learners to become ethical, compassionate, and professional health care providers while preparing them for certification and licensing as graduate PAs.
The didactic phase provides students with a strong foundation in basic medical science, emphasizing patient interaction and medical intervention through courses such as clinical medicine, patient assessment, pharmacotherapy, pathophysiology, and diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The program also incorporates medical courses into the curriculum, which will allow students to integrate medical Spanish into their communication.
The clinical phase is 12 months in duration and will provide students with Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences (SCPEs). Students will be matched to practicing physicians, PAs, NPs, or Nurse Midwives who serve as preceptors to assist in further educating PA students through patient encounters in team-based settings. Clinical rotations include seven (7) core SCPEs (family medicine, pediatrics, women’s health, behavioral medicine, surgery, internal medicine, emergency medicine), and two elective SCPEs. Students are required to pass every clinical rotation.
All students seeking a Master of Medical Science (MMS) degree must complete the full LMU-SMS Physician Assistant curriculum as designed by their program to be eligible for graduation. The program does not grant advanced placement, transfer credit, or credit for prior academic, professional, or experiential learning. Graduate-level coursework completed before enrollment—including courses taken at other institutions or during undergraduate or graduate study—will not be accepted toward the MMS degree. Students from other PA programs are not eligible for transfer.
