Using this Bulletin | Penn State

Introduction

This Bulletin is the comprehensive source of academic information and program requirements for the Penn State College of Medicine. The College is committed to the education of medical, physician assistant , graduate students, and practicing health professionals. Explore programs and research opportunities as you select your specialty and gain knowledge in the field.

Features

Changes Page

Real-time amendments to information in the Bulletin will be tracked on the Changes page.
Currently or previously enrolled students should consult their adviser and degree audit reports for specific requirements.

Course Bubble

When a course link is clicked, a course bubble will appear with important course information including, but not limited to:

course title, description, and credits;
prerequisites

Nondiscrimination Statement

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Academic Authority

The College of Medicine dean is responsible for, and has authority over, all academic information contained in the College of Medicine Bulletin.

Each step of the educational process, from admission through graduation, requires continual review and approval by University officials. The University, therefore, reserves the right to change the requirements and regulations contained in this Bulletin and to determine whether a student has satisfactorily met its requirements for admission or graduation, and to reject any applicant for any reason the University determines to be material to the applicant's qualifications to pursue higher education.

Changes to the College of Medicine Bulletin

Changes to the College of Medicine Bulletin will be tracked in real-time and listed below. At the end of every semester, these updates are incorporated into the Bulletin.

Course Changes: Effective Summer 2026

PAS 701: Applied Human Structure and Function I (3 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

This course is the first of a two-part series that provides students with a framework for understanding the gross anatomical concepts, organization, and function of the human body using a laboratory devoted to dissection of the human body.

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Course Description

PAS 702: Applied Human Structure and Function II (3 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

This course is the second of a two-part series that provides students with a framework for understanding the gross anatomical concepts, organization, and normal physiology/function of the human body using a laboratory devoted to dissection of the human body.

PreRequisite: PAS 701 , PAS 705 , PAS 708 , PAS 711 , PAS 714 , PAS 717 , PAS 723

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Removed Prerequisites
Changed Course Description

PAS 719: Evidence-Based Medicine (1 Credit)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

Course covers statistics, medical literature searches, formulating PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcomes) questions and knowledge application in clinical practice.
PAS 719 Evidence-Based Medicine (1) Evidence-based Medicine (PAS719) is a mandatory 14 week course given during the first year of the curriculum consisting of 14 two hour sessions. The course will be held on Fridays from 1-3 pm during the fall semester. Multiple learning environments will be utilized including didactic sessions, TBL, small group learning and standardized patient exercises. Students will be taught relevant statistics, how to utilize the medical literature, formulation of PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcomes) questions and, most importantly, application of their knowledge at the point of care for patient care. Course faculty will be multi-disciplinary and include physicians and library staff who have taught such courses in the College of Medicine to medical students for a number of years. This course is intended to instruct the physician assistant student in how to find and interpret the medical literature. As a result of this course, students will be able to frame the clinical question, perform literature searches at the point of care, and be able to guide patients into making informed choices about their care based upon medical evidence. As a result of this course, students will be able to search for information regarding best practice of care and students will gain the ability to sift through what various clinical trials mean for translational medicine. Students will be provided opportunities to perform point of care evidence searches at the point of care during this class so that this skill can be translated to their clinical experiences as both a student in the clinical phase of the PA program and also as practicing physician assistants. Assessment methods will include practical experience in searching the medical literature, exercises with standardized patients with developing the clinical question and applying evidence-based medicine point of care techniques. Students will be detailed on the standards for passing this course on the course syllabi. Grading for this course will be from the instructors and peers taking this course. This course is a required course for physician assistant education, as determined by the national accrediting agency for physician assistants. Learning outcomes for each of the teaching sessions will be provided to the student electronically through the academic management system such as Angel.

PreRequisite: completion of Summer semester; Concurrent: PAS 702, PAS 705 , PAS 708 , PAS 711 , PAS 714 , PAS 717

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Prerequisites
Removed Concurrents
Changed Course Description

PAS 721: PA Professional Practice II (1 Credit)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

This course is the second in a three-part series that explores the concepts of professionalism, professional conduct, medical ethics, health humanities, and health systems science. Students will engage in active learning through small and large group discussions and reflective thinking exercises to think critically and apply knowledge to clinical scenarios.

Prerequisite: First semester student in the preclinical phase of the Penn State Physician Assistant Program, having fulfilled all of the requirements for program entry.; Concurrent: PAS 701, PAS 704 , PAS 707 , PAS 710 , PAS 713 , PAS 71

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Prerequisites
Removed Concurrents
Changed Course Description

PAS 722: Principles of Human Sexuality and Reproductive Health (3 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

This module is part of the series of modules that comprises the PA program didactic curriculum. The Principles of Human Sexuality and Reproductive Health course provides a disease oriented, problem focused, and patient centered approach to understanding the etiology, pathophysiology, risk factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of reproductive health diseases encountered in patients across the lifespan. Content areas in this module include: normal and abnormal anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, genetic and molecular mechanisms of health and disease, pharmacology, pharmacotherapeutics, evidence-based medical research and advancements in clinical medicine, patient assessment, performance of applicable clinical and technical skills, interpretation of diagnostic and laboratory studies, using clinical reasoning to develop a treatment plan that includes indications for referral and standards for follow-up care, providing patient education, using service learning, and developing techniques for medical record documentation.

PreRequisite: Student admitted to the preclinical physician assistant program having fulfilled the requirements for admission to this program; Concurrent: PAS 701, PAS 704 , PAS 707 , PAS 710 , PAS 713 , PAS 716

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Removed Prerequisites
Removed Concurrents

PAS 723: Principles of Behavioral Medicine (2 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

This module is part of the series of modules that comprises the PA program didactic curriculum. The Principles of Behavioral Medicine course provides a disease oriented, problem focused, and patient centered approach to understanding the etiology, pathophysiology, risk factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of behavioral medicine conditions encountered in patients across the lifespan. Content areas in this module include: normal and abnormal anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, genetic and molecular mechanisms of health and disease, pharmacology, pharmacotherapeutics, evidence-based medical research and advancements in clinical medicine, patient assessment, performance of applicable clinical and technical skills, interpretation of diagnostic and laboratory studies, using clinical reasoning to develop a treatment plan that includes indications for referral and standards for follow-up care, providing patient education, using service learning, and developing techniques for medical record documentation

PreRequisite: Completion of Summer semester. Physician Assistant Student in the pre-clinical portion of the PA program.; Concurrent: PAS 702, PAS 705 , PAS 708 , PAS 711 , PAS 714 , PAS 717

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Removed Prerequisites
Removed Concurrents

PAS 725: PA Professional Practice III (1 Credit)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

This course is the last in a three-part series that explores the concepts of professionalism, professional conduct, medical ethics, health humanities, and health systems science. Students will engage in active learning through small and large group discussions and reflective thinking exercises to think critically and apply knowledge to clinical scenarios.

Prerequisite: Second semester student in the physician assistant program, having fulfilled all the requirements for the PA program.; Concurrent: PAS 702, PAS 705 , PAS 708 , PAS 711 , PAS 714 , PAS 717

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Prerequisites
Removed Concurrents

PAS 729: Principles of Emergency Medicine (3 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

This module is part of the series of modules that comprises the PA program didactic curriculum. The Principles of Emergency Medicine course provides a disease oriented, problem focused, and patient centered approach to understanding the etiology, pathophysiology, risk factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of emergent medical and traumatic conditions encountered in patients across the lifespan. Content areas in this module include: normal and abnormal anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, genetic and molecular mechanisms of health and disease, pharmacology, pharmacotherapeutics, evidence-based medical research and advancements in emergency medicine, patient assessment, performance of applicable clinical and technical skills, interpretation of diagnostic and laboratory studies, using clinical reasoning to develop a treatment plan that includes indications for referral and standards for follow-up care, providing patient education, using service learning, and developing techniques for medical record documentation.

PreRequisite: completion of Summer and Fall semesters; Concurrent: PAS 703, PAS 706 , PAS 709 , PAS 712 , PAS 715 , PAS 718

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Removed Prerequisites
Removed Concurrents

PAS 732: Emergency Medicine Rotation I (5 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

PAS 732 Emergency Medicine is a mandatory clinical rotation, which involves the evaluation and management of patients who present for care in an emergency medicine setting. Students will gain experience in their ability to stabilize, evaluate, and manage patients with an acute life-threatening event. Students will gain proficiency in identifying patients with clinical presentations that need immediate attention and those conditions which can be treated in a less urgent manner. Students will gain an appreciation of how care is delivered in an emergency medicine setting which has significant differences from the care that is rendered in other health care settings, for example, the immediate availability of clinical interventions such as diagnostic imaging, electrocardiography, laboratory studies, and the availability of consultants such as surgeons and trauma personnel. Students will gain an appreciation of how emergency medicine departments function in the overall delivery of health care services within the US Health care delivery system. Students will be able to apply knowledge and skills from the pre-clinical curriculum to these patients who often have complex and urgent health care needs. Students will also gain exposure to the patient care mix for people who are presenting to an emergency medicine setting and may gain exposure to the typical roles that certified physician assistants play in the delivery of care in this setting.

Prerequisite: Penn State Graduate Physician Assistant Student enrolled in the Clinical Education Curriculum; Concurrent: The student will be enrolled in three clinical preceptorships during each of the clinical educational semesters. Since stud

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Course Title
Changed Abbreviated Title
Changed Course Description

PAS 734: Family Medicine Rotation I (5 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

PAS 734 Family Medicine Rotation I is a foundational course for primary care practice. This course will provide the basis for establishing care of patients throughout their lifespan, from newborn to geriatric care. This rotation involves outpatient management, evaluation, examination of patients and involves students developing differential diagnoses, clinical intervention, the ordering and/or interpretation of diagnostic studies, and development of a treatment plan which is based upon the patient's presenting complaint and current and past problems. Students will make recommendations for treatment involving pharmacology intervention based upon standard of care principles. Students will obtain histories on these patients, perform directed and complete physical examinations, and will present these findings to the clinical preceptors at the site. Students will gain experience with documenting their findings in both written and verbal communication to their preceptors. Students will develop rapport with their patients and develop their skills in patient communication, cultural competency, and patient education.

PreRequisite: Penn State Graduate Physician Assistant Student enrolled in the Clinical Education Curriculum. This rotation is offered under the umbrella of primary care experiences and is a hallmark for the educational goals for our PA Program

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Course Title
Changed Course Description

PAS 735: Ambulatory Care Selective (5 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

The core of clinical experiences for this rotation will occur in an ambulatory care setting for patients who present for the evaluation of acute, subacute, and chronic conditions to healthcare providers. Students should be expected to be able to initially evaluate the patient, perform wellness screens for all patient entities, and develop an evaluation and treatment plan based upon the differential diagnosis that is developed. The student will then discuss the patient's complaints and findings with the supervising licensed health care provider and a treatment plan will be developed. The student should become adapt in patient presentation skills, obtaining a pertinent history and physical, and develop a management plan. The student should then communicate to the patient the most likely diagnosis and educate the patient with regard to prevention and treatment modalities.

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Course Description

PAS 737: General Surgery Rotation I (5 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

PAS 737 General Surgery is a mandatory clinical rotation that will provide students with the requisite knowledge and clinical experiences for treating patients in the surgical setting. Prepares physician assistant students to function in all aspects of surgical medicine. Students are introduced to surgical disorders commonly encountered in various settings by the physician assistant. Students gain familiarity with preoperative and postoperative patient care, assisting in the operating room, performing exams and surgical procedures. Students develop medical, technical and interpersonal skills to provide care to surgical patients as well as communicate with patients, family members and other members of the health care team. Requires direct supervision by clinical instructors. Emphasis will be placed on initial assessment, physical examination, and perioperative evaluations). When appropriate, the student follows individual patients whose cases are particularly instructive.

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Course Title
Changed Abbreviated Title
Changed Course Description

PAS 739: Inpatient Internal Medicine Rotation I (5 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

PAS 739 Inpatient Internal Medicine is mandatory inpatient clinical rotation, which provides clinical education for students taking care of the adult population. The ultimate goal for students at the end of the clinical educational training is to have students capable of caring for patients throughout their lifespan and this rotational experience provides the student with educational experiences for the adult population which includes the geriatric population. During this rotation each student will also receive a site visit from the Clinical Coordinator.

PreRequisite: Penn State Graduate Physician Assistant Student enrolled in the Clinical Education Curriculum; Concurrent: The student will be enrolled in three clinical preceptorships during each of the clinical educational semesters. Since stud

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Course Title
Changed Abbreviated Title
Changed Course Description

PAS 741: Behavioral Health Rotation I (5 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

PAS 741 Behavioral Health Rotation is a mandatory clinical rotation in the clinical curriculum. This course and rotation provides clinical experiences for students in inpatient and outpatient settings where the student will encounter patients with a mental health or psychological complaint.

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Course Title
Changed Abbreviated Title
Changed Course Description

PAS 743: Pediatrics I (5 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

PAS 743 Pediatrics is a mandatory clinical rotation that will cover the basic principles of preventive care ranging from neonate to adolescent and treat common pediatric complaints. At the end of this rotation PA student should be able to identify normal and abnormal development patterns in all of these age groups. Students will gain the ability to provide anticipatory guidance in order to care for neonates to adolescents. Care delivery will include nutrition, safety and immunizations. Students will be trained to detect signs of possible child abuse. Students will be able to identify and demonstrate an understanding of community resources available to the caregiver.

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Course Title
Changed Abbreviated Title
Changed Course Description

PAS 745: Reproductive Health I (5 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

PAS 745 Women's Health Rotation is a mandatory clinical rotation that will prepare students to provide high quality care while treating the female population from the teenage patient through the geriatric female. Students will develop the ability to evaluate, manage, treat, and educate the female patient, including the areas of contraception, pregnancy, prenatal and postpartum care, and menopause. The student will utilize critical thinking, history taking and physical exam skills, and use diagnostic tests, as appropriate, in order to effectively create a plan of care for the female patient. The student will perform or assist in procedures utilized in women's health. Students will communicate with women in a respectful and sensitive manner. Requires direct supervision by clinical instructors.

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Course Title
Changed Abbreviated Title
Changed Course Description

PAS 763: Principles of Immunology, Hematology and Oncology (3 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

This module is part of the series of modules that comprises the PA program didactic curriculum. The Principles of Immunology, Hematology, and Oncology course provides a disease oriented, problem focused, and patient centered approach to understanding the etiology, pathophysiology, risk factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of immunologic, hematologic, and oncologic diseases encountered in patients across the lifespan. The immunology portion of the course includes education on the various immune system cell types and their important functions in innate and adaptive immunity. Congenital and acquired immunodeficiency syndromes will be taught in contrast to normal immune system function. Additionally, hypersensitivity reactions and common allergic conditions will be discussed. The hematology section of the course covers the basic principles of hematology; including the structure and function of the cells and organs related to the hematologic system, while exploring the features of hematological diseases. The oncology section of the course covers the general principles of oncology; including the origin, development, staging, and treatment of tumors. Content areas in this module include: normal and abnormal anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, genetic and molecular mechanisms of health and disease, pharmacology, pharmacotherapeutics, evidence-based medical research and advancements in clinical medicine, patient assessment, performance of applicable clinical and technical skills, interpretation of diagnostic and laboratory studies, using clinical reasoning to develop a treatment plan that includes indications for referral and standards for follow-up care, providing patient education, using service learning, and developing techniques for medical record documentation.

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Course Title
Changed Abbreviated Title
Changed Course Description

PAS 776: Medicine Specialty Rotation (5 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

The goal of this elective rotation is to give the student additional medical training during the clinical year in a specialty related to their area of interest. During this rotation, the student will develop a fundamental knowledge base in major disease processes in the assigned medical specialty. The will improve upon their clinical decision-making skills and the ability to acquire, interpret, synthesize, and record clinical information required to define, understand, and manage patient problems in the assigned medical specialty. They will improve the skills necessary to present patients to faculty, residents and peers in a clinical setting. In addition, student will continue to work on their interpersonal and communication skills that result in effective information exchange and teaming with patients, patients' families, and professional associates. This elective will allow for student exposure to different areas of medicine they may wish to pursue following graduation, and help each student determine their own areas of interest, strengths and weaknesses.

Prerequisite: Penn State Physician Assistant Student in Clinical Education Curriculum. Concurrent: The student will be enrolled in clinical preceptorships during each of the clinical educational semesters.

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Course Description

PAS 777: Surgical Specialty Rotation (5 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

The goal of this elective rotation is to give the student additional medical training during the clinical year in a surgical specialty related to their area of interest. During this rotation, the student will develop a fundamental knowledge base in major disease processes in the assigned surgical specialty. The student will improve upon their clinical decision-making skills and the ability to acquire, interpret, synthesize, and record clinical information required to define, understand, and manage patient problems in the assigned surgical specialty. They will improve the skills necessary to present patients to faculty, residents and peers in a clinical setting. In addition, student will continue to work on their interpersonal and communication skills that result in effective information exchange and teaming with patients, patients' families, and professional associates. This elective will allow for student exposure to different areas of medicine they may wish to pursue following graduation, and help each student determine their own areas of interest, strengths and weaknesses.

Prerequisite: Penn State Graduate Physician Assistant Student enrolled in the Clinical Education Curriculum. Concurrent: The student will be enrolled in clinical preceptorships during each of the clinical educational semesters.

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Course Description

PAS 783: Inclusive Healthcare Practices (1 Credit)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

This course provides students with a framework for recognizing unconscious biases and addressing individual and organizational practices that impact the delivery of fair and effective medical practices for our population. Students will discuss research and science related to unconscious bias. The course will be delivered in lecture, small group, and via case-based instruction on cross-cultural health care using a patient and family centered approach to providing humanistic care to all patients through the development of inclusive treatment plans and provision of patient education.

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Course Title
Changed Abbreviated Title
Changed Course Description

PAS 785: Principles of Infectious Disease (3 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

This module is part of the series of modules that comprises the PA program didactic curriculum. The Principles of Infectious Disease course will introduce students to the basic underlying principles of infectious disease epidemiology and an overview of major infectious diseases. This course provides a disease oriented, problem focused, and patient centered approach to understanding the etiology, pathophysiology, risk factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases encountered in patients across the lifespan. Content areas in this module include: normal and abnormal anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, genetic and molecular mechanisms of health and disease, pharmacology, pharmacotherapeutics, evidence-based medical research and advancements in clinical medicine, patient assessment, performance of applicable clinical and technical skills, interpretation of diagnostic and laboratory studies, using clinical reasoning to develop a treatment plan that includes indications for referral and standards for follow-up care, providing patient education, using service learning, and developing techniques for medical record documentation.

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Course Title
Changed Abbreviated Title
Changed Credits
Changed Course Description

PAS 786: Principles of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology (2 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

This module is part of the series of modules that comprises the PA program didactic curriculum. The Principles of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology course will introduce students to the basic underlying principles of diseases affecting the eyes, ears, nose, and throat. This course provides a disease oriented, problem focused, and patient centered approach to understanding the etiology, pathophysiology, risk factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of ophthalmic and otolaryngologic diseases encountered in patients across the lifespan. Content areas in this module include: normal and abnormal anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, genetic and molecular mechanisms of health and disease, pharmacology, pharmacotherapeutics, evidence-based medical research and advancements in clinical medicine, patient assessment, performance of applicable clinical and technical skills, interpretation of diagnostic and laboratory studies, using clinical reasoning to develop a treatment plan that includes indications for referral and standards for follow-up care, providing patient education, using service learning, and developing techniques for medical record documentation.

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Credits

PAS 787: Principles of Endocrinology (2 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

This module is part of the series of modules that comprises the PA program didactic curriculum. The Principles of Endocrinology course will introduce students to the basic underlying principles of disease. This course provides a disease oriented, problem focused, and patient centered approach to understanding the etiology, pathophysiology, risk factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of endocrinology conditions encountered in patients across the lifespan. Content areas in this module include: normal and abnormal anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, genetic and molecular mechanisms of health and disease, pharmacology, pharmacotherapeutics, evidence-based medical research and advancements in clinical medicine, patient assessment, performance of applicable clinical and technical skills, interpretation of diagnostic and laboratory studies, using clinical reasoning to develop a treatment plan that includes indications for referral and standards for follow-up care, providing patient education, using service learning, and developing techniques for medical record documentation

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Credits

PAS 788: Principles of Nephrology/Urology (2 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

This module is part of the series of modules that comprises the PA program didactic curriculum. The Principles of Nephrology and Genitourinary Disease course provides a disease oriented, problem focused, and patient centered approach to understanding the etiology, pathophysiology, risk factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of renal and genitourinary diseases encountered in patients across the lifespan. Content areas in this module include: normal and abnormal anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, genetic and molecular mechanisms of health and disease, pharmacology, pharmacotherapeutics, evidence-based medical research and advancements in clinical medicine, patient assessment, performance of applicable clinical and technical skills, interpretation of diagnostic and laboratory studies, using clinical reasoning to develop a treatment plan that includes indications for referral and standards for follow-up care, providing patient education, using service learning, and developing techniques for medical record documentation.

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Credits

PAS 793: Principles of Rheumatology and Orthopaedics (4 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Spring 2026:

This module is part of the series of modules that comprises the PA program didactic curriculum. The Principles of Rheumatology and Orthopaedics course provides a disease oriented, problem focused, and patient centered approach to understanding the etiology, pathophysiology, risk factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of rheumatologic and musculoskeletal diseases encountered in patients across the lifespan. Content areas in this module include: normal and abnormal anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, genetic and molecular mechanisms of health and disease, pharmacology, pharmacotherapeutics, evidence-based medical research and advancements in clinical medicine, patient assessment, performance of applicable clinical and technical skills, interpretation of diagnostic and laboratory studies, using clinical reasoning to develop a treatment plan that includes indications for referral and standards for follow-up care, providing patient education, using service learning, and developing techniques for medical record documentation.

Changes Effective Summer 2026:

Changed Credits

Course Changes: Effective Fall 2026

FCMED 700: Family & Community Medicine Clerkship (9 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Summer 2026:

The goal of this clerkship is to help students integrate basic science and clinical knowledge in the context of patient care with supervising family physicians and their care teams. Family Medicine is a full-spectrum specialty. The emphasis of the clerkship is on breadth of knowledge as much as depth of knowledge. The clerkship also presents an excellent opportunity to hone communication and exam skills. Continuity of care, preventive medicine, evidence-based decision making, and systems-based thinking are all key to successful Family Medicine practice.
The FCM clerkship will be a six-week clinical immersion at one of the Penn State medical group outpatient offices or with one of our affiliate sites. We strive to provide students with continuity with outpatient preceptors, which may include advanced-practice providers, residents, and/or attendings depending on your site placement. This will allow students to establish working relationships with preceptors, obtain valuable feedback for continued professional growth, and maintain continuity with patients.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Phase I coursework & pass Step 1

Changes Effective Fall 2026:

Changed Credits

FPCC 721: Foundations of Patient Centered Care (3 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Summer 2026:

Third semester of a four-part course to learn and apply clinical interviewing and examination skills at the competent level integrated with healthcare practice topics.

Changes Effective Fall 2026:

Added Prerequisites

MDADM 700: Ambulatory Medicine Clerkship (6 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Summer 2026:

This rotation involves spending 4 weeks embedded within a primary care or sub-specialty ambulatory setting throughout our academic health system and the communities it serves. Students will grow their history, physical, assessment and plan skills for the types of patients receiving care at their particular site. Through this experiential learning opportunity, students will be challenged to understand their patients as persons navigating complex health systems about their unique circumstances and life stories. In addition, students will be challenged to apply health systems quality improvement principles and think about ways to harness technology and quality improvement principles to the ambulatory setting. The student schedule will be focused on one particular clinical site with one primary preceptor. Students will have 2-3 half days with no assigned clinical duties during which they are expected to complete the assessments outlined below.

Prerequisite: Completion of Phase I.

Changes Effective Fall 2026:

Changed Title
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OBGYN 722: Maternal Fetal Medicine Acting Internship (6 Credits)

Old Listing Effective Through Summer 2026:

The Acting Internship in Maternal Fetal Medicine focuses on expanding baseline knowledge in obstetrics, and to focus on complex and unique care of pregnancies complicated by maternal and fetal medical and surgical co-morbidities. It is the intention for the acting intern to be exposed to facets of the sub-specialty, including inpatient and outpatient consultative services, rounding on and coordination of care for the inpatient service at Hershey Medical Center, surgical exposure with Maternal Fetal Medicine sub-specialists and increased exposure to fetal ultrasound.

PreRequisite: third-year core rotation in obstetrics and gyneocology

Changes Effective Fall 2026:

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Changed Prerequisites