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Competency Domain 1: Patient-centered practice knowledge

Graduates will collect essential information to determine the presence of illness, demonstrate the ability to utilize up-to-date scientific evidence to inform clinical reasoning and clinical judgment and develop therapeutic relationships with patients and their families in order to prevent and manage disease.

Competencies: 

1. Gather, analyze, and synthesize pertinent patient information through history taking, physical examination, and diagnostic evaluation to determine differential diagnoses
2. Build meaningful relationships with patients and their families through empathetic listening and delivery of compassionate care
3. Construct therapeutic management plans while prioritizing evidence-based protocols
4. Perform basic core clinical procedures

Essential Tasks/Skills:

1. Information gathering, analysis and synthesis:
   • Take appropriate patient histories
   • Conduct an appropriate physical examination
   • Analyze laboratory, imaging and other objective clinical data
   • Formulate differential diagnoses
2. Relationship-building:
   • Develop effective communication skills
   • Demonstrate empathy
   • Cultivate emotional and cultural sensitivity
3. Evidence-based decision-making in management & planning:
   • Demonstrate research literacy by accessing, interpreting and critically evaluating medical literature
   • Construct management plans based on current guidelines and therapy options
4. Perform basic clinical procedures

Competency Domain 2: Community health

Graduates will be able to recognize and predict health patterns in a large community and apply knowledge about epidemiology in order to make care decisions.  Graduates will also know how to participate with health regulatory organizations and other community-based social services to advocate for patient well-being.

Competencies: 

1. Apply knowledge of epidemiological statistics and risk factors in order to provide best-care practices for community-specific diseases.
2. Demonstrate cultural competency for patients, coworkers, and members of the community.
3. Recommend community resources/agencies for non-medical social services.
4. Recommend age and disease-specific preventative care.
5. Integrate components of health literacy during the patient encounter.
6. Investigate and report information related to reportable diseases.

Essential Tasks/Skills:

1. Apply knowledge of epidemiological statistics and risk factors in order to provide best-care practices for community-specific diseases:
   • Predict incidence of diseases among communities based upon factors such as genetics and social determinants of health.
   • Recognize potential risk factors of disease and educate patients about risk-factor management.
   • Recommend appropriate disease-screening based on population demographics.
2. Demonstrate cultural competence for patients, coworkers, and members of the community:
   • Communicate with patients using culturally-appropriate methods.
   • Demonstrate empathy for diverse cultural backgrounds.
   • Recommend community resources/agencies for non-medical social services:
   • Identify and refer to community organizations that provide social support.
3. Recommend age and disease-specific preventative care:
   • Recommend and administer pediatric and adult immunizations according to the CDC vaccination schedule/guidelines.
   • Recommend age-appropriate safety guidelines for home and community environments.
   • Recommend age and population-appropriate health screenings.
   • Refer patients to other health care specialists as needed.
4. Integrate components of health literacy during the patient encounter:
   • Utilize patient-appropriate language skills and terminology.
   • Collaborate with language translators as needed.
5. Investigate and report information related to reportable diseases:
   • Recognize and diagnose reportable diseases.

Competency Domain 3: Effective communication

Graduates will be able to effectively communicate with patients, patient families and other members of the healthcare team, demonstrating competence in understanding, interpreting and relaying information.

Competencies:

1. Demonstrate a humanistic and socially sensitive approach to sharing medical information with patients/patient families.
2. Interpret medical information accurately and communicate with patients/patient families in a way that is understandable, avoiding medical jargon, and checking for full comprehension.
3. Identify barriers to communication, including but not limited to language barriers, deficits in health literacy, cultural health beliefs and practices, and medical diagnoses, and work to overcome these barriers.
4. Demonstrate ability to relay medical and patient information to peers and other members of the healthcare team, and understand and apply information shared with him/her from healthcare team members for the purpose of patient care.

Essential Tasks/Skills:

1. Display appropriate interpersonal skills:
   • Demonstrate active and reflective listening when communicating with patients/patient families and colleagues.
   • Demonstrate a humanistic approach to interactions.
2. Appropriately utilize verbal and nonverbal communication skills.
3. Build relationships with patients/patient families and colleagues that are based on trust:
   • Demonstrate effectiveness as a healthcare team member, appropriately relaying and receiving information.
   • Demonstrate appropriate, professional, and compassionate interactions with patients and caregivers.
4. Provide appropriate patient education:
   • Communicate with patients regarding their healthcare needs and goals at a level that is appropriate for the individual.
5. Ensure patient understanding of provided information.
6. Interpret medial information accurately:
   • Demonstrate ability to interpret and apply information provided through medical health records to patient care.
7. Cultivate emotional and cultural intelligence:
   • Meet the communication needs of patients and families of all backgrounds using culturally appropriate methods.
   • Demonstrate sensitivity when interacting with patients from various backgrounds.

Competency Domain 4: Team-based practice

Graduates will collaborate with all members of the heath care team to provide optimal care for each patient.

Competencies:

1. Effectively communicate to the patient and with the healthcare team.
2. Refer patients to appropriate healthcare professionals and healthcare settings, review and follow-up after referrals.
3. Advocate for the patient to all members of the healthcare team.

Essential Tasks/Skills:

1. Demonstrates strong interpersonal skills including effective communication and empathetic listening
   • Demonstrate active listening skills
2. Demonstrate humanistic qualities while communicating with patients and families.
3. Ensure the focus of the healthcare team is on the well-being of the patient
4. Communicate with other healthcare professionals for optimal patient care
5. Actively contributes as part of the healthcare team through collaboration and relationship building
6. Refer patients to appropriate health care professionals and for healthcare services
7. Coordinate patient care and follow up with patients
8. Involve patients in their medical plan
9. Ensure patients understand and agree with healthcare plans

Competency Domain 5: Professionalism

Graduates will be able to practice medicine in a beneficent manner, recognizing and adhering to standards of care which are attuned to advancing social justice.

Competencies:

1. Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills
2. Make decisions grounded in sound ethical principles
3. Exhibit integrity, accountability, humanism and responsibility
4. Demonstrate help-seeking behaviors
5. Actively advocates for patients, the team and self

Essential Tasks/Skills:

1. Demonstrates strong Interpersonal skills
   • Utilize effective communication
   • Demonstrate empathetic listening in clinical environment
   • Effectively participate in difficult conversations with patients and colleagues
2. Makes decisions grounded in sound ethical principles
   • Discuss ethical issues in a nonbiased manner
3. Exhibits integrity, accountability, humanism and responsibility
   • Demonstrate professionalism in the classroom and clinical environments
   • Demonstrate respect for the dignity and privacy of patients while maintaining confidentiality
   • Exhibit an understanding of the regulatory process of professional practice
4. Demonstrates help-seeking behaviors
   • Recognize own limitations in the PA student role
   • Practice as part of the healthcare team
   • Stay abreast of current guidelines and treatment options
5. Actively advocates for patients, the team, and self
   • Coordinate follow up care and referrals to appropriate health care professionals
   • Demonstrate responsiveness to patient needs that supersedes self-interest
   • Demonstrate self-awareness including acknowledgement of unconscious biases

Competency Domain 6: Stewardship

Graduates will be able to articulate the essential aspects of value-based healthcare and apply this understanding to safe and quality care.

Competencies:

1. Recognize financial implications to the provision of healthcare
2. Articulate individual providers’ value-add to the health care team in terms of cost
3. Appreciate the value of the collaborative physician/PA relationship
4. Understand different types of health systems, funding streams, and insurance, including the role of Medicare and Medicaid as payers

Essential Tasks/Skills:

1. Utilize health systems-based thinking
   • Utilize technology in healthcare
   • Formulate a patient-centered care plan in an organized fashion
   • Display knowledge of healthcare business and finance topics including coding and reimbursement
2. Demonstrate leadership and adaptability
   • Practice within defined scope of practice
   • Demonstrate commitment to patient and personal safety