PA-Tampa Academics

The LMU Tampa PA Program is a full-time 24-month graduate-level program that awards successful graduates with a Master of Medical Science (MMS) Degree. The curriculum is divided into a 12-month didactic and a 12-month clinical phase. The didactic phase will be conducted on the Tampa Campus via hybrid virtual learning, with approximately 25% of course material delivered in virtual and asynchronous formats. Learning activities may include lectures (both live and online), online discussions, small-group case discussions, problem-based learning (PBL) and team-based learning (TBL) sessions, simulated patient encounters, patient assessment, clinical skills laboratory sessions, and anatomy laboratory sessions. The clinical phase will be conducted in clinical and hospital settings, mostly in the Southern US, with licensed medical providers serving as clinical preceptors.

In the didactic phase, students will receive education in the basic medical sciences (anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology), clinical skills, clinical medicine, critical thinking in medicine, evidence based-medicine, social and cultural aspects of healthcare, impacting medically underserved populations, physical examination and patient evaluation skills, health promotion and disease prevention, medical Spanish, and professional issues. The didactic phase provides a foundation for the subsequent clinical phase of the program. Unique to our program, students are taught medicine in a modular format. Each module covers all aspects of that body system, from anatomy and pathophysiology to diagnosis and treatment. A case-based clinical integration course taught alongside each module allows students to apply lecture materials in a timely and synergistic manner. A medical Spanish course allows students to integrate medical Spanish communication with each body system-based module.

The clinical year is conducted in clinical and hospital settings with licensed medical providers serving as preceptors. Students will have a four-week transition to clinical practice course followed by nine supervised clinical experiences at various health centers, hospitals, and clinics in the United States. Halfway through the year, students will return to campus for a two-week mid-year evaluation followed by a two-week service to underserved populations course. During the year, students will receive further training in Medical Spanish, will compile a portfolio of medical cases, log clinical skills, and complete a professional development project. At the end of the year, students will return to campus for a clinical conference and final evaluation in preparation for the national certification exam.