Student Program Spotlight
The OU-Tulsa PA program is busy and that is an understatement. The Class of 2014 graduated in early December. Of the 25 graduates, approximately 80% of the class will remain in Oklahoma for clinical practice, thus meeting the mission of our program to train physician assistants to meet the dire needs of our state.
The program continues to participate in the Physician Assistant Longitudinal Clinic (PAL) based at the OU Family Medicine clinic in Tulsa. This clinic provides clinical phase students with the following opportunities:
- Manage chronic health conditions for a panel of patients over a one-year period of time.
- Reinforce the concepts of community medicine as they navigate the health system in meeting the needs of these uninsured patients.
- Become familiar with agencies that work to improve the health of our community.
In conjunction with the medical students, monthly Student Academy days integrate concepts of evidence-based medicine with practice management issues. Academy days cover topics ranging from Diabetes, Hypertension/Hyperlipidemia, Managing the Difficult Patient, to name a few. Concepts reviewed in Student Academy are put into practice by students in PAL and in their clinical rotations.
As we continue training the future leaders of the PA profession, we have just completed interviews for the Class of 2017. Classes will begin this June. Due to the national online application system and incredible growth of the profession, we had nearly 800 applications for 24 available slots. We are seeing first-hand the growing demand for training opportunities! The Tulsa admissions committee worked diligently to interview competitive applicants committed to Oklahoma.
The Tulsa program’s clinical team continues to work on developing clinical rotation opportunities throughout the state. The Director of Clinical Education, Bobby Bosse, PA-C, (Bobby-Bosse@ouhsc.edu) can provide further details of our clinical rotation model for anyone interested in serving as a preceptor. It is a valuable experience for future Oklahoma PA graduates to gain exposure to various sites – including rural, urban, primary care, and specialty.
Shannon D. Ijams, MPAS, PA-C.
Program Director, Physician Assistant Program
University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine