Learning Objectives/Core Competencies

Sub-Competencies

PC1

Perform all medical, diagnostic, and surgical procedures considered essential for the area of practice.

PC2

Gather essential and accurate information about patients and their conditions through history-taking, physical examination, and the use of laboratory data, imaging, and other tests.

PC3

Organize and prioritize responsibilities to provide care that is safe, effective, and efficient.

PC4

Interpret laboratory data, imaging studies, and other tests required for the area of practice.

PC5

Make informed decisions about diagnostic and therapeutic interventions based on patient information and preferences, up-to-date scientific evidence, and clinical judgment.

PC6

Develop and carry out patient management plans.

PC7

Counsel and educate patients and their families to empower them to participate in their care and enable shared decision-making.

PC8

Provide appropriate referral of patients including ensuring continuity of care throughout transitions between providers or settings and following up on patient progress and outcomes.

PC9

Provide health care services to patients, families, and communities aimed at preventing health problems or maintaining health.

PC10

Provide appropriate role modeling.

Sub- Competency

KP1

Demonstrate an investigatory and analytic approach to clinical situations.

KP2

Apply established and emerging bio-physical scientific principles fundamental to health care for patients and populations.

KP3

Apply established and emerging principles of clinical sciences to diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making, clinical problem-solving and other aspects of evidence-based health care.

KP4

Apply principles of epidemiological sciences to the identification of health problems, risk factors, treatment strategies, resources, and disease prevention/health promotion efforts for patients and populations.

KP5

Apply principles of social-behavioral sciences to provision of patient care, including assessment of the impact of psychosocial and cultural influences on health, disease, care seeking, care compliance, and barriers to and attitudes toward care.

KP6

Contribute to the creation, dissemination, application, and translation of new health care knowledge and practices.

Sub-Competencies

PBLI 1

Identify strengths, deficiencies, and limits in one’s knowledge and expertise.

PBLI 2

Identify and perform learning activities that address one’s gaps in knowledge, skills, and/or attitudes.

PBLI 3

Systematically analyze practice using quality improvement methods, and implement changes with the goal of practice improvement.

PBLI 4

Incorporate feedback into daily practice.

PBLI 5

Locate, appraise, and assimilate evidence from scientific studies related to patients’ health problems.

PBLI 6

PBLI 7

Participate in the education of patients, families, students, trainees, peers, and other health professionals.

PBLI 8

Obtain and utilize information about individual patients, populations of patients, or communities from which patients are drawn to improve care.

PBLI 9

Continually identify, analyze, and implement new knowledge, guidelines, standards, technologies, products, or services that have been demonstrated to improve outcomes.

Sub-Competencies

ICS 1

Communicate effectively with patients, families, and the public, as appropriate, across a broad range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

ICS 2

Communicate effectively with colleagues within one’s profession or specialty, other health professionals, and health related agencies.

ICS 3

Work effectively with others as a member or leader of a health care team or other professional group.

ICS 4

Maintain comprehensive, timely, and legible medical records.

ICS 5

Demonstrate sensitivity, honesty, and compassion in difficult conversations, including those about death, end of life, adverse events, bad news, disclosure of errors, and other sensitive topics.

ICS 6

Demonstrate insight and understanding about emotions and human responses to emotions that allow one to develop and manage interpersonal interactions.

Sub-Competencies

P 1

Demonstrate compassion, integrity, and respect for others.

P 2

Demonstrate responsiveness to patient needs that supersedes self-interest.

P 3

Demonstrate respect for patient privacy and autonomy.

P 4

Demonstrate accountability to patients, society, and the profession.

P 5

Demonstrate sensitivity and responsiveness to a diverse patient population, including but not limited to diversity in gender, age, culture, race, religion, disabilities, and sexual orientation.

P 6

Demonstrate a commitment to ethical principles pertaining to provision or withholding of care, confidentiality, informed consent, and business practices, including compliance with relevant laws, policies, and regulations.

Sub-Competencies

SBP 1

Work effectively in various health care delivery settings and systems relevant to one’s clinical specialty.

SBP 2

Coordinate patient care within the health care system relevant to one’s clinical specialty.

SBP 3

Incorporate considerations of cost awareness and risk-benefit analysis in patient and/or population-based care.

SBP 4

Advocate for quality patient care and optimal patient care systems.

SBP 5

Participate in identifying system errors and implementing potential systems solutions.

SBP 6

Perform administrative and practice management responsibilities commensurate with one’s role, abilities, and qualifications.

Sub-Competencies

IPC 1

Work with other health professionals to establish and maintain a climate of mutual respect, dignity, diversity, ethical integrity, and trust.

IPC 2

Use the knowledge of one’s own role and the roles of other health professionals to appropriately assess and address the health care needs of the patients and populations served.

IPC 3

Communicate with other health professionals in a responsive and responsible manner that supports the maintenance of health and the treatment of disease in individual patients and populations.

IPC 4

Participate in different team roles to establish, develop, and continuously enhance interprofessional teams to provide patient- and population-centered care that is safe, timely, efficient, effective, and equitable.

Sub-Competencies

PPD 1

Develop the ability to use self-awareness of knowledge, skills, and emotional limitations to engage in appropriate help-seeking behaviors.

PPD 2

Demonstrate healthy coping mechanisms to respond to stress.

PPD 3

Manage conflict between personal and professional responsibilities.

PPD 4

Practice flexibility and maturity in adjusting to change with the capacity to alter one’s behavior.

PPD 5

Demonstrate trustworthiness that makes colleagues feel secure when one is responsible for the care of patients.

PPD 6

Provide leadership skills that enhance team functioning, the learning environment, and/or the health care delivery system.

PPD 7

Demonstrate self-confidence that puts patients, families, and members of the health care team at ease.

PPD 8

Recognize that ambiguity is part of clinical health care and respond by utilizing appropriate resources in dealing with uncertainty.

Sub-Competencies

SA 1

Define, explain and apply the principle of social accountability in the practice of medicine in clinical and community settings.

SA 2

Define, explain and apply principles of social justice to healthcare in the practice of medicine in clinical and community settings.

SA 3

Identify, explain, and apply the physician assistant’s commitment to health equity in service to underserved, vulnerable, disenfranchised, and special populations.

SA 4

Identify, explain and apply basic public health principles, practices, and sciences to the practice of medicine in clinical and community settings.

SA 5

Identify, explain and integrate determinants of health (social, political, cultural, environmental, biology, etc.) in the practice of medicine at the levels of the individual patient, family, community and society.

SA 6

Examine, explain and integrate principles of civic engagement, ethical leadership and global social responsibility in the practice of medicine in clinical and community settings.

SA 7

Assess and address the factors influencing the use of health services.

SA 8

Examine and influence health policy-making efforts at the local and national levels.

SA 9

Identify, explain and apply the physician assistant’s role as health advocate in clinical and community settings.