James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2021

MX3001 - Applied Physician Assistant Studies F/T Part 1 of 3

Available to Bachelor of Health Science (Physician Assistant) students only.

Subject Description

This subject is available to level 3 students enrolled in the Bachelor of Health Science (Physician Assistant). The subject will cover PA professional role, evidence based medicine, public health topics and board exam review and practice. The emphasis will be on clinical decision making, research skills, public health and health promotion, the health of special populations including Indigenous Australians and preparation for professional practice. The topics will be presented in an integrated fashion across the semester of study. Students will undertake clinical placements in GP settings that may include general outpatient adult medicine, paediatrics, orthopaedics and sports medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, care of diabetic patients and nephrology. In addition, clinical placements in inpatient settings will be undertaken that may include general internal medicine, internal medicine specialties and emergency medicine. Students may also undertake an elective placement.

Learning Outcomes

• Patient care Demonstrate the clinical knowledge and skills of history taking, physical examinations, investigations, differential diagnosis, and management to provide patient care according to the biopsychosocial model in a supervised, delegated team model with a medical practitioner
• Culture and society Demonstrate culturally and contextually appropriate health care and communication with diverse patient populations with a focus on rural, remote, tropical and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations
• Community health Demonstrate the principles of population and community health, and preventative medicine to achieve improved health care outcomes for patients, particularly in under-served populations
• Health care system Operate within the health care systems in the community, rural communities and institutions in the public and private sectors
• Professionalism Demonstrate a scope of clinical practice consistent with their level of experience and legal dimensions, applying professional standards, demonstrating ethical conduct, integrity, and appropriate self-care and self-evaluation, within a supervised, delegated, multidisciplinary team model
• Teamwork Demonstrate effective teamwork, including in multidisciplinary environments, to exemplify a collaborative approach to patient care, self-directing learning and professional education
• Communication Demonstrate literacy, numeracy and verbal and written communication skills appropriate to professional practice
• Evidence Based Medicine Demonstrate evidence based practice through the application of scientific evidence in clinical practice by means of the retrieval, critical review, interpretation and appropriate application of scientific literature

Subject Assessment

As this subject is part of a subject chain, a final standard grade (e.g. P, C) will only be recorded for each subject after successful completion of all parts of the subject chain.

• See MX3003 for assessment details

Note that minor variations might occur due to the continuous subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.

Availabilities