{"id":6769,"date":"2025-09-18T13:26:36","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T17:26:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/unc-pa\/?page_id=6769"},"modified":"2025-11-19T09:54:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T14:54:10","slug":"pre-clinical-curriculum","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/unc-pa\/program-overview\/curriculum\/pre-clinical-curriculum\/","title":{"rendered":"Pre-Clinical Phase Curriculum"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The preclinical curriculum follows a three-semester schedule through the calendar year from January to December. Most courses follow a longitudinal structure, and course content is organized by organ system.<\/p>\n<p>Students will complete 57 course credits for the pre-clinical phase.<\/p>\n<div role=\"tablist\" class=\"panel-group accordion-blue oscitas-bootstrap-container\" id=\"unc-accordion-0\">\n\n<div class=\"panel panel-default oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n    <div id=\"panel-heading-details-0-0\" class=\"panel-heading oscitas-bootstrap-container\" role=\"tab\">\n\n        <h2 class=\"panel-title oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n            <button class=\"accordion-toggle oscitas-bootstrap-container collapsed\" \n                id = \"button-details-0-0\"\n                data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                data-parent=\"#unc-accordion-0\"    \n                aria-controls=\"#details-0-0\"  \n                aria-expanded=\"false\" \n                href=\"#details-0-0\">\n                Spring (January-May)            <\/button>\n\n        <\/h2>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"details-0-0\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"panel-body oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<h3>Hematology, Cardiology, Pulmonology<\/h3>\n<hr class=\" rule-thick osc-rule\" \/>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Human Anatomy | PASC 701 | 4 Credits<\/strong><br \/>\nThis one semester clinical anatomy unit prepares the student for clinical practice with an understanding of functional and applied anatomy stressing the normal surface landmarks and common clinical findings. Cadaver gross dissections and prosections, anatomical models, lectures, and electronic resources are utilized in this course.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Physiology | PASC 702 | 2 Credits<\/strong><br \/>\nPhysiology is presented to the student to reinforce the importance of physiology and pathophysiology to the study of clinical medicine. The course is structured into units in an organ system approach, correlating the basic sciences with clinical applications.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Foundations of Medical Science | PASC 703 | 2 Credits<\/strong><br \/>\nThis one semester course is an introduction to the genetic and molecular mechanisms of disease; biochemistry; microbiology.<\/li>\n<li><strong>History &amp; Physical Examination | PASC 704 | 4 Credits<\/strong><br \/>\nThis semester long course introduces the student to the art of acquiring a patient history and performing the physical examination. Instruction in interpersonal and communication skills resulting in effective acquisition of patient history and collaboration with a diverse population of patients, families, and other health professionals will be incorporated.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Professional Practice and the Health System I | PASC 705 | 1 Credit<br \/>\n<\/strong>This two part course provides an introduction and more in depth understanding of the social, regulatory, ethical, and professional aspects of the PA profession.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Clinical Medicine I | PASC 710 | 4 Credits<br \/>\n<\/strong>This is the first of three didactic Clinical Medicine courses presented in the first year and will cover cardiology including EKG, hematology\/oncology, and pulmonology.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Pharmacology and Therapeutics I | PASC 711 | 3 Credits<\/strong><br \/>\nThis course is the introductory course in a three semester pharmacotherapeutics curriculum. This first section will introduce the student to the basic principles of pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism, drug interactions, and adverse reactions.<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"text detail-title margin--tiny text--semibold text--big\"><strong>Diagnostic Methods I | <\/strong><\/span><span class=\"text detail-code margin--tiny text--semibold text--big\"><strong>PASC 713 | <\/strong><\/span><span class=\"text detail-hours margin--tiny text--semibold text--big\"><strong>2 Credits<br \/>\n<\/strong>This course provides instruction in the essentials of ordering, interpreting and performing diagnostic studies used in the screening, diagnosis, management and monitoring of disease<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n        \n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"panel panel-default oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n    <div id=\"panel-heading-details-0-1\" class=\"panel-heading oscitas-bootstrap-container\" role=\"tab\">\n\n        <h2 class=\"panel-title oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n            <button class=\"accordion-toggle oscitas-bootstrap-container collapsed\" \n                id = \"button-details-0-1\"\n                data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                data-parent=\"#unc-accordion-0\"    \n                aria-controls=\"#details-0-1\"  \n                aria-expanded=\"false\" \n                href=\"#details-0-1\">\n                Summer (May \u2013 August)            <\/button>\n\n        <\/h2>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"details-0-1\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"panel-body oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<h3>Dermatology, EENT, Endocrinology, Renal, Urology, Gastroenterology<\/h3>\n<hr class=\" rule-thick osc-rule\" \/>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Clinical Medicine II | PASC 720 | 8 Credits<\/strong><br \/>\nThe course will concentrate on the etiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, management and prevention of disease across the human life span; organized into an organ system approach. Other important topics that will be covered are dermatology, EENT, endocrinology, urology, nephrology, gastroenterology<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"text detail-title margin--tiny text--semibold text--big\"><strong>Pharmacology and Therapeutics II | <\/strong><\/span><span class=\"text detail-code margin--tiny text--semibold text--big\"><strong>PASC 721 | <\/strong><\/span><span class=\"text detail-hours margin--tiny text--semibold text--big\"><strong>2 Credits<br \/>\n<\/strong>The course will concentrate on therapeutic applications of drugs for various organ systems integrated with the clinical medicine units being taught during this semester.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"text detail-title margin--tiny text--semibold text--big\"><strong>Patient Assessment I | <\/strong><\/span><span class=\"text detail-code margin--tiny text--semibold text--big\"><strong>PASC 722 | <\/strong><\/span><span class=\"text detail-hours margin--tiny text--semibold text--big\"><strong>3 Credits<br \/>\n<\/strong>Patient Assessment I &amp; II are designed to develop the knowledge and skills required to obtain and record the complete medical history, use the appropriate equipment, techniques, and medical terminology to document findings; develop a differential diagnosis and diagnostic work-up and suggest a treatment plan.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Diagnostic Methods II | PASC 723 | 1 Credit<br \/>\n<\/strong>The essentials of ordering, interpreting and performing diagnostic studies used in the screening, diagnosis, management and monitoring of disease. Topics for this course are congruent with Clinical Medicine II.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Behavioral Medicine | PASC 727 | 2 Credits<br \/>\n<\/strong>This course is an introduction to psychiatric disorders and behavioral medicine. Presented in lecture and seminar format the major psychiatric disorders are studied.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n        \n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"panel panel-default oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n    <div id=\"panel-heading-details-0-2\" class=\"panel-heading oscitas-bootstrap-container\" role=\"tab\">\n\n        <h2 class=\"panel-title oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n            <button class=\"accordion-toggle oscitas-bootstrap-container collapsed\" \n                id = \"button-details-0-2\"\n                data-toggle=\"collapse\"\n                data-parent=\"#unc-accordion-0\"    \n                aria-controls=\"#details-0-2\"  \n                aria-expanded=\"false\" \n                href=\"#details-0-2\">\n                Fall (August \u2013 December)            <\/button>\n\n        <\/h2>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n    <div id=\"details-0-2\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse  oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n\n        <div class=\"panel-body oscitas-bootstrap-container\">\n<h3>Musculoskeletal, Rheumatology, Neurology, Women\u2019s Health\/ Obstetrics, Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Infectious Disease<\/h3>\n<hr class=\" rule-thick osc-rule\" \/>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"text detail-code margin--tiny text--semibold text--big\"><strong>PASC 730 | <\/strong><\/span><span class=\"text detail-title margin--tiny text--semibold text--big\"><strong>Clinical Medicine III | <\/strong><\/span><span class=\"text detail-hours margin--tiny text--semibold text--big\"><strong>5 Credits<br \/>\n<\/strong>This is the third of three didactic Clinical Medicine courses presented in the first year and will cover genito-urology, orthopedic, HEENT, pediatrics, geriatrics, and dermatology topics. Other important topics that will be covered are covers orthopedics, pediatrics, neurology, infectious diseases, women&#8217;s health and OB-GYN.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<li>\n<div class=\"cols noindent\"><span class=\"text detail-title margin--tiny text--semibold text--big\"><strong>Pharmacology and Therapuetics III | <span class=\"text detail-code margin--tiny text--semibold text--big\">PASC 731 | <\/span><\/strong><\/span><span class=\"text detail-hours margin--tiny text--semibold text--big\"><strong>3 Credits<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"cols noindent\">This course builds on the previous two courses and concentrates on the clinical pharmacotherapeutics.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Patient Assessment II | PASC 732 | 3 Credits<br \/>\n<\/strong>Patient Assessment I &amp; II are designed to develop the knowledge and skills required to obtain and record the complete medical history, use the appropriate equipment, techniques, and medical terminology to document findings; develop a differential diagnosis and diagnostic work-up and suggest a treatment plan.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Diagnostic Methods III | PASC 733 | 2 Credits<br \/>\n<\/strong>The essentials of ordering, interpreting and performing diagnostic studies used in the screening, diagnosis, management and monitoring of disease. Topics for this course are congruent with Clinical Medicine III.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><strong>Fundamentals of Surgery | PASC 734 | 3 Credits<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/strong>This course is designed to orient the student to the fundamentals of surgical practice including basic clinical procedures, sterile procedure, anesthesia, suturing, and common office procedures.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Professional Practice and Health Systems II | PASC 735 | 1 Credit<br \/>\n<\/strong>This two-part course provides an introduction and more in-depth understanding of the social, regulatory, ethical, and professional aspects of the PA profession. In the second part of the course, students will be introduced to providing medical care to racial, ethnic, and socioeconomically diverse patients in a fluid and changing health care system.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Evidence-Based Medicine I | PASC 736 | 2 Credits<br \/>\n<\/strong>This one semester course is an introduction to Evidence-based Medicine (EBM), and prepares the student for EBM II which culminates in the senior year capstone project. Evidence based-medicine provides tools to assist clinicians to make accurate diagnoses and select optimal treatment for their patients.<strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n    <\/div>\n        \n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The preclinical curriculum follows a three-semester schedule through the calendar year from January to December. Most courses follow a longitudinal structure, and course content is organized by organ system. Students will complete 57 course credits for the pre-clinical phase.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56087,"featured_media":0,"parent":2202,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-6769","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","odd"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Pre-Clinical Phase Curriculum - Physician Assistant Studies<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/unc-pa\/program-overview\/curriculum\/pre-clinical-curriculum\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pre-Clinical Phase Curriculum - Physician Assistant Studies\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The preclinical curriculum follows a three-semester schedule through the calendar year from January to December. 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