Technical Standards

Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies

Applicants to the Frostburg State University Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies program are selected on the basis of their academic, personal and extracurricular attributes. Applicants must also have the intellectual, physical and emotional capabilities to meet the requirements of their program's curriculum and of a successful career in medicine.

These standards specify the attributes and behaviors considered essential for successfully completing PA training and enabling each graduate to enter clinical practice. Because these standards describe the essential functions that students must demonstrate to meet the requirements of PA training within a generalist education model, they are prerequisites for admission, continuation and graduation.

FSU will consider for admission any applicant who meets its academic and nonacademic criteria and who demonstrates the ability to perform skills listed in this document, with or without reasonable accommodations, consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. Our institution is committed to considering all qualified applicants without discrimination or based on any protected characteristics such as race, sex, age, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status. It is the policy of the PA Program that all students must possess the intellectual, physical and emotional capabilities necessary to undertake the required curriculum in a reasonably independent manner without having to rely on intermediaries and that all students must be able to achieve the levels of competence required by the faculty. All candidates for admission, those both with and without disabilities, are expected to be competitive with others in the applicant pool across defined cognitive and non-cognitive factors. The institutional policy is to make admissions on a case-by-case basis and the basis of each applicant's qualifications to contribute to FSU's PA Program educational mission. For purposes of this document and unless otherwise defined, the term “applicant” or “candidate” means applicants for admissions to the PA program as well as enrolled PA students who are candidates for promotion and graduation. 

Technical standards for PA program admission, continuation, and graduation

A candidate for the Master of Medical Science (MMS) degree earned after successful completion of the PA Program must have abilities and skills in the five functional areas described below and must have the physical and emotional stamina and capacity to function in a competent manner, and consistent with these standards, in the classroom and in clinical and laboratory settings, including settings that may involve heavy workloads, long hours and stressful situations.

1. Observation – A candidate must be able to:
   • observe demonstrations and visual presentations in lectures and laboratories.
   • observe patients accurately and completely both at a distance and closely.

   This standard requires functional vision, hearing, and somatic sensation.

2. Communication – A candidate must be able to:
   • perceive nonverbal communication, speak intelligibly, hear sufficiently, and observe patients in order to elicit information.
   • elicit and transmit patient information in oral and written English to members of the health care team.
   • communicate effectively and sensitively with patients.
   • demonstrate reading skills at a level sufficient to accomplish curricular requirements and provide clinical care for patients.
   • be capable of completing appropriate medical records and documents in written and electronic form in a thorough and timely manner.
     
     
3. Sensory and Motor Coordination and Function– A candidate must:
   • possess motor skills sufficient to directly perform palpation, percussion, auscultation, and other basic diagnostic procedures.
   • be able to execute motor movements required to provide basic medical care. Examples of basic medical care include, but are not limited to: airway management, placement of catheters, suturing, phlebotomy, application of sufficient pressure to control bleeding, simple obstetrical maneuvers, etc. (Such actions require coordination of gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision).
   • be able to manipulate equipment and instruments to perform basic laboratory tests and procedures.
   • be able to transport themselves from one location to another in a timely fashion in order to facilitate patient care responsibilities and necessary to receive educational training.
     
     
4. Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities.Problem solving is the critical skill demanded of Physician Assistants.  This requires that students have the ability to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, and synthesize. – A candidate must:
   • be able to incorporate new information from peers, teachers, and the medical literature in formulating diagnoses and plans.
   • be able to independently access and interpret medical histories or files.
   • identify significant findings from history, physical examination, and laboratory data.
   • provide reasoned explanations for likely diagnoses and prescribed medications and therapy.
   • recall and retain information in an efficient and timely manner.
     
     
5. Behavioral and Social Attributes– A candidate must:
   • possess the ability to use their intellectual capacity, exercise good judgment, and promptly complete all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis under potentially stressful and/or emergency circumstances.
   • be able to accept criticism and respond by appropriate modification of behavior.
   • be able to develop mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients and colleagues.
   • have a high level of compassion for others with sufficient interpersonal skills to interact positively with people from all levels of society, all ethnic backgrounds, and all belief systems.
   • be able to adapt to changing environments and to learn in the face of uncertainties inherent in the practice of medicine.
   • be able to use supervision appropriately and act independently, when indicated.

Process for Assessing the Applicant’s Compliance with the Technical Standards

Applicants are required to attest at the time they apply and accept an offer to matriculate that they meet these technical standards and thereafter must attest on an ongoing basis that they continue to meet these standards. These standards are not intended to deter any student who might be able to complete the requirements of the curriculum with reasonable accommodations. An accommodation is not reasonable if it poses a direct threat to the health or safety of self and/or others, if making it requires a substantial modification in an essential element of the curriculum, if it lowers academic standards or if it poses an undue administrative or financial burden. Requests from applicants for reasonable accommodations in meeting the technical standards will be reviewed and considered by an officer appointed by the University to evaluate student requests for accommodations. Information required within a request for accommodations includes, at a minimum, the following, and these required elements must be provided at the applicant’s expenses:

1. 1. • Documentation of the disability from a licensed professional
      • The diagnosis of the disability using standard nomenclature
      • A description of the student’s functional limitations due to the disability
      • Copies of the evaluation report(s) on or accompanied by a letter on the evaluating professional’s letterhead
      • A description of the requested accommodation

For additional information about the University’s process for assessing an applicant’s compliance with the technical standards, please contact the PA Program.