NSU’s Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences PA - Fort Myers

22 | Physician Assistant Program Applicants for, and students enrolled in, physician assistant programs must have abilities and skills in the areas of obser- vation, communication, motor, intellec- tual/critical thinking, interpersonal, and behavioral/social attributes. Reasonable accommodation for individuals with documented disabilities will be consid- ered on an individual basis. Students wishing to request accommodations for disabilities should review the informa- tion at nova.edu/disabilityservices and contact the Health Professions Division (HPD) coordinator. OBSERVATION Applicants and students must have sufficient capacity to observe in the classroom, laboratory, and diagnostic and treatment areas of inpatient and outpatient settings. Sensory skills to per- form the procedures typically provided by physician assistants in both primary care and medical specialties are required. In any case where an applicant’s or student’s ability to observe or acquire information through sensory modalities is compromised, the applicant or student must demonstrate alternative means and/or abilities to acquire and demon- strate the essential information conveyed in this fashion. COMMUNICATION Applicants and students must be able to communicate effectively in both academic and health care settings. Applicants and students must show evidence of effective written and oral communication skills. Applicants and students must be able to effectively communicate with patients in order to elicit and impart information. MOTOR The ability to participate in basic diag- nostic and therapeutic maneuvers and procedures is required. Applicants and students must have sufficient motor function to execute movements rea- sonably required to properly care for all patients. Applicants and students must be able to perform motor functions with or without assistive devices. INTELLECTUAL Applicants and students must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, and synthesize. Problem solving, one of the critical skills demanded of health care professionals, requires all of these intel- lectual abilities. Applicants and students must be able to read and understand medical literature. In order to complete the physician assistant program, stu- dents must be able to demonstrate mastery of these skills and the ability to use them together in a timely fashion in health care problem-solving and patient care. PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT TECHNICAL STANDARDS