The University of Pittsburgh’s affordable, one-year online Doctor of PA Studies (DPAS) program for practicing physician assistants/associates now awards a Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc)!
Our faculty believe this transition from the DPAS to the DMSc provides our graduates with a more recognizable degree in our field and this change supports unity in the profession. The degree change is in name and credential only, and our program will continue to offer the same high-quality curriculum.
Email our enrollment specialist, Haley Geisler at HNE3@pitt.edu, if you are interested in the DMSc.
The Doctor of Medical Science curriculum is based largely on the Competencies for the Physician Assistant Profession. These competencies were developed and endorsed by the four national professional organizations that represent PAs:
National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants
Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc.
American Academy of PAs
Physician Assistant Education Association.
The curriculum is also based on the Physician Assistant Educator Competencies as developed by the Physician Assistant Education Association.
The competencies are designed to enhance the professional development of the PAs throughout the span of their careers by deepening knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to advance their work, improve patient care and educate future professionals.
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Practice-based Learning and Quality Improvement
Demonstrate the ability to learn and implement quality improvement practices by engaging in critical analysis of one’s own practice experience, the medical literature and other information resources for the purposes of self-evaluation, lifelong learning and practice improvement.
Graduates from the Doctor of Medical Science program will demonstrate the following skills:
Exhibit self-awareness to identify strengths, address deficiencies and recognize limits in knowledge and expertise.
Identify, analyze and adopt new knowledge, guidelines, standards, technologies, products, or services that have been demonstrated to improve outcomes.
Identify improvement goals and perform learning activities that address gaps in knowledge, skills and attitudes.
Use practice performance data and metrics to identify areas for improvement.
Develop a professional and organizational capacity for ongoing quality improvement.
*The video above was produced when the Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) was originally the Doctor of PA Studies (DPAS) program.
