Mayo School of Health Sciences. Physician Assistant Internship. Rochester, Minnesota.

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1 Mayo School of Health Sciences Physician Assistant Internship Rochester, Minnesota

2 Physician Assistant Internship PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Students enrolled in Physician Assistant baccalaureate programs at an affiliated education institution may complete their required clinical experience or internship at Mayo Clinic, Mayo Health System, or other practice sites as part of their education. This internship provides physician assistant students with clinical experience in a health-care setting with a diverse patient population and enables you to complete your college or university degree program. ACCREDITATION Mayo Foundation is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Higher Learning Commission. Higher Learning Commission 30 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 2400 Chicago, IL (800) (312) Fax: (312) AFFILIATED INSTITUTIONS Mayo Clinic provides clinical rotations or internship experiences for physician assistant programs across the country. Please check with your academic or curriculum advisor to determine if your clinical experience may be completed at Mayo Clinic. FACILITIES The Mayo Clinic campus in Rochester comprises an extensive outpatient complex, two hospitals, and research and education facilities. It is among the largest, most advanced medical centers in the world. 1

3 GRADUATION AND CERTIFICATION Upon successful completion of your Physician Assistant Program and your clinical internship, you will graduate from your college or university and receive your Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or Master of Science (M.S.) degree in physician assistant studies. Graduates are eligible to take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) administered by the National Commission on Certification of PAs (NCCPA). HOURS For the majority of the internship, your learning schedule will include eight-hour days, five days per week. Curriculum The Physician Assistant Program is offered by the affiliate college or university providing your degree program. Your college/university program directors will determine and develop the course work and laboratory experiences for the program and make arrangements for clinical rotations. Your rotations at Mayo Clinic in Rochester will include physician assistant experiences in: Surgery - General - Colon and rectal - Thoracic - Cardiovascular Emergency Medicine Orthopedics - Adult reconstruction - Hand - Sports medicine/oncology Internal Medicine - Hospital-based - Outpatient Transplant Medicine ENT Dermatology Psychiatry Pulmonary medicine outpatient 2

4 GRADING OR EVALUATION Evaluation of student performance in each rotation includes the preceptor(s) evaluation of clinical performance, a written examination of cognitive performance and, where appropriate and possible, a site visit by program faculty. Mayo School of Health Sciences uses evaluative tools that include: Written examination Demonstration of skills Self-assessment exercises Faculty reviews Our system of evaluation provides students and faculty with a comprehensive look at individual performance, allowing students who are experiencing academic difficulty to be directed to appropriate support resources, including tutoring programs and counseling opportunities. CURRICULUM ENHANCEMENTS Mayo School of Health Sciences is committed to developing and maintaining the very best education programs. Changes may be made to the curriculum and other aspects of this program as necessary to assure the highest-quality training. Faculty TEACHING FACULTY Mayo Clinic in Rochester has a dedicated team that educates, supervises and mentors our physician assistant interns during their rotations. Your instructors are trained physicians and physician assistants. They are chosen for their commitment to teaching as well as their medical expertise. You will have direct access to these individuals throughout your training program. VISITING PROFESSORS/LECTURERS A hallmark of higher education excellence is the breadth and depth of information and experience provided students by the faculty and visiting experts. Many prominent professors visit Mayo Clinic to lecture on their areas of medical and scientific expertise each year. As a student of Mayo School of Health Sciences, you are encouraged to attend all conferences, lectures and seminars prepared for students, residents, fellows and consulting staff. 3

5 Admissions PREREQUISITES If you are enrolled in an affiliated physician assistant program, you are eligible to participate in the internship (clinical rotations) of the program at Mayo Clinic by making arrangements through your college program director. You must successfully complete the required preprofessional and professional college course work, as stipulated by your college or university, before you are eligible to complete the internship. POLICIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES The following Mayo School of Health Sciences policies affect applications and admissions to its programs: English fluency Fluency in written and spoken English is essential to succeed in the program and to ensure patient safety. If English is a second language, you must be able to demonstrate fluency. Satisfactory performance on the Test of English as a Foreign Language examination or the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency must be documented as proof of fluency. Your test results must be less than two years old. Immunization record For the protection of patients, students and employees, and in compliance with state regulations, Mayo Clinic requires students to be properly immunized. You must show proof of the following immunizations before you begin a program at Mayo School of Health Sciences: Tuberculin test in the past six months Varicella, rubella and rubeola immunity Up-to-date diphtheria and tetanus shots Hepatitis B vaccination or signed declaration Documentation of vaccinations must be provided to Mayo Employee Health Service prior to the start of class. Health status Prospective students will undergo a health review at Mayo Clinic and will have the opportunity to update or receive the required tests and immunizations cited above. More information about the review will be provided after you have been offered a program appointment. Appointment to the program depends upon successful completion of the health review. 4

6 Medical insurance Students must have medical insurance coverage during their program. Evidence of medical coverage must be provided when your educational program begins. Background check Prospective students must pass a criminal background check and/or drug screening required by state laws, prior to enrollment to Mayo School of Health Sciences. Student responsibilities Mayo School of Health Sciences students are expected to attend all scheduled classes, examinations and assigned clinical rotations unless absence is approved. Students are required to exhibit professional and ethical conduct at all times and adhere to MSHS and Mayo Clinic policies. Equal opportunity Mayo School of Health Sciences upholds all federal and state laws that preclude discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, disabilities or veteran s status. TECHNICAL STANDARDS Mayo School of Health Sciences accepts students who are highly qualified for its programs. To be considered for admittance you should exhibit strong qualifications for the health profession you wish to pursue. Applicants to programs must possess the following qualities: Critical thinking skills Sound judgment Emotional stability and maturity Empathy for others Physical and mental stamina Ability to learn, integrate, analyze and synthesize data Ability to process information consistently, quickly and accurately Ability to function in a variety of settings In addition to the qualities described above, you will be assessed for: Observation, communication and motor function Intellectual-conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities Behavioral and social attributes Tactical and somatic sensation Functional use of vision and hearing 5

7 Diagnostic equipment and tools may provide technological compensation for some disabilities, but the candidate should be able to perform in an independent manner. Although PAs usually work in comfortable, well-lighted environments, those in surgery often stand for long periods, and others do considerable walking. Schedules vary according to practice setting, and often depend on the hours of the supervising physician. The workweek of PAs in physicians offices may include weekends, night hours, or early morning hospital rounds to visit patients. PAs also may be on call. PAs in clinics often work a 40-hour week. You must be able to perform the essential functions of the profession and meet the standards of the curriculum. Students seeking exceptions to these standards or reasonable accommodations should initiate their request with the program s director. Application Process POSITIONS Each year, students from across the country complete their Physician Assistant Internship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. HOW TO APPLY Our affiliate schools process the admissions and applications for their Physician Assistant programs and work with students to plan their internship (clinical rotations). Step 1: Students who wish to participate in clinical training at Mayo Clinic must complete the Mayo School of Health Sciences online application form and sign an affiliation agreement at least 90 days prior to their appointment. Step 2: The Mayo School of Health Sciences Education Committee reviews and approves the applications and works directly with the affiliate school to place those students accepted. 6

8 Tuition & Financial Aid PROGRAM COSTS Tuition rates are determined by, and paid to, the college or university at which you are enrolled. Mayo School of Health Sciences charges no additional fees for the Physician Assistant Internship. You are responsible for your living accommodations and transportation. You may hold outside employment during the program, if it does not conflict with your program responsibilities. Physician Assistant Career Overview FIELD DESCRIPTION Physician assistants (PAs) provide diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive health-care services under the supervision of physicians. Working as members of the health-care team, PAs take medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and interpret laboratory tests and X- rays, make diagnoses and prescribe medications. They also treat minor injuries by suturing, splinting and casting. PAs record progress notes, instruct and counsel patients, and order or carry out therapy. Physician assistants may be the principal care providers in rural or inner city clinics, where a physician is present for only one or two days each week. In such cases, the PA confers with the supervising physician and other medical professionals as needed or as required by law. PAs also may make house calls or go to hospitals and nursing homes to check on patients and report back to the physician. Many PAs work in primary care areas, such as family medicine, general internal medicine and pediatrics. Others work in specialty areas, such as general and thoracic surgery, emergency medicine, orthopedics and geriatrics. PAs specializing in surgery provide preoperative and postoperative care, and may work as first or second assistants during major surgery. PAs also may supervise technicians and assistants. The duties of physician assistants are determined by the supervising physician and by state law. For example, in most of the United States and the District of Columbia, physician assistants are licensed to prescribe medications. Physician assistants should not be confused with medical assistants, who perform clinical and administrative clerical tasks. 7

9 CAREER OPPORTUNITIES Employment opportunities are excellent for physician assistants, particularly in areas or settings that have difficulty attracting physicians, such as rural and inner-city clinics. Employment of PAs is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2010, due to anticipated expansion of the health services industry and an emphasis on cost containment. Today, more than 45,000 PAs are working across the United States. With the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting a 48 percent increase in the number of jobs available for PAs through 2008, the job market for PAs is strong in much of the country. Physicians and institutions are expected to employ more PAs to provide primary care and to assist with medical and surgical procedures because PAs are cost-effective, productive members of the health-care team. Physician assistants can relieve physicians of routine duties and procedures. Telemedicine - using technology to facilitate interactive consultations between physicians and physician assistants - also will expand the use of physician assistants. Besides the traditional office-based setting, PAs should find a growing number of jobs in institutional settings, such as hospitals, academic medical centers, public clinics and prisons. In addition, state-imposed legal limitations on the numbers of hours worked by physician residents are increasingly common and encourage hospitals to use PAs to supply some physician resident services. Opportunities will be best in states that allow PAs a wider scope of practice. EARNING POTENTIAL According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants, median income for physician assistants in full-time clinical practice in 2000 was $65,177; median income for first-year graduates was $56,977. Income varies by specialty, practice setting, geographical location and years of experience. PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Visit the following Web sites to learn more about physician assistants: American Academy of Physician Assistants Information Center ( Association of Physician Assistant Programs ( National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants ( 8

10 Program Contacts For an application form or more information about the Physician Assistant Internship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, please contact: Kate Ray, Enrollment and Student Services Director (507) (800) Fax: (507) Or Robert Adams, Physician Assistant Internship Program Director (507) Fax: (507) Mayo Clinic College of Medicine Mayo School of Health Sciences Siebens Medical Education Building First Street SW Rochester, MN You can also request more information on education programs offered by Mayo School of Health Sciences. 9

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14 MAYO CLINIC COLLEGE OF MEDICINE CAMPUSES Rochester MINNESOTA Scottsdale ARIZONA Jacksonville FLORIDA 2005 MC A