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Purpose 

The purpose of this curriculum is to enhance the ability of PA Program graduates to promote health among diverse patients, communities and populations. The curriculum is designed to help students look beyond the walls of the clinic as they define their own professional roles, understand the context of their patients' lives, and work collaboratively with community members toward solutions to health problems.

Specifically, the curriculum addresses cultural, socioeconomic, behavioral and community effects on health. Faculty and students strive to develop competencies related to working across cultural barriers, identifying community needs and resources, and collaborating with community members and other health professionals.

We use a broad definition of diversity which includes any distinct group with unique health needs. This includes ethnic or cultural groups, children, teenagers, elderly persons, people with disabilities, people with substance abuse or mental health problems, economically disadvantaged persons, and many more. Although group status is important, individual patients also create their own unique presentations of diversity as they embody or reject group characteristics to various degrees. As students learn to recognize multiple aspects of diversity, as well as the implications of this diversity for health, they will be better prepared to address real health problems in a complex world.

Structure

This curriculum is integrated throughout the Physician Assistant professional program. Since the skills we seek to develop apply to many aspects of health care, we believe that it is more appropriate to weave this content throughout the educational program rather than to isolate it in a single course. Content is addressed through an introductory workshop, lectures, readings, seminars, and two experiential community projects. Students are also offered opportunities to participate in optional activities with affiliated groups and to apply for grant support for student-initiated projects.

Basic content is addressed with all students during the didactic year, primarily within pre-existing courses. Advanced stages of study are addressed through senior seminars and through two community projects which are designed by students. Students are encouraged to design projects which will 1)address their individual interests and 2)help them develop skills that will be transferrable to other communities and other health problems. Faculty serve as mentors to students as they plan and complete community projects. Students are able to learn from their classmates' experiences through final written and oral project presentations.

Curriculum Components
Introductory cultural diversity workshop: This three hour workshop is presented during the first semester of study. The goal of the workshop is to help students appreciate the impact of culture on health and health care.
Content areas addressed throughout the junior year Within all PA program courses, instructors stress an approach to health and disease which is cognizant of the influence of culture, ethnicity, economics, mental health, and community structure. Salient features include epidemiology of common diseases, health risk assessment, preventive medicine and mental health.
Essential skill development Throughout the curriculum, we cultivate competencies which are applicable to culturally relevant health care. These include skills in communication, collaboration, resource identification and lifelong learning.
Senior year seminars During end of rotation meetings, senior seminars address practical topics related to working with defined populations and community agencies. Seminar topics have included smoking cessation, domestic abuse, health care of lesbians, traditional Hispanic health care beliefs, death and dying, and violence prevention.

Junior year group project

 Within the third semester Professional Issues course, students are required to design, complete, and present a small group project which investigates health aspects of a community issue or unique population.

Senior year individual project

 During the senior year clinical rotations, students are required to design, complete, and present a community project regarding a problem relevant to a patient or patient population the student has encountered within the clinical training setting.

Optional opportunities

 

 
  • Complimentary Medicine course-a one credit evening course offered by the medical school.
  • Wisconsin Express -a community health experience offered by AHEC.
  • International study tours-multidisciplinary medical study tours offered during Spring Break.
  • MEDIC clinic-a Saturday volunteer clinic staffed by students and faculty in south Madison.
  • Domestic abuse workshop-a one weekend workshop which may be scheduled by student request
  • Brown bag seminars-students may invite speakers within the university community to address tiopcs over lunch.

Learning Objectives

Through this curriculum, students will accomplish the following objectives:

Diversity and health

Cross-cultural communication

Resource utilization

About the Curriculum Funding
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Projects		 Useful
Links		 Educators' Page  Home