Patient Assessment I

Catalog description

Restricted to students in the Master of Physician Associate Studies program. This course is designed to introduce students to patient assessment using an organ systems-based approach to history taking and the completion of physical examinations. It will initially cover general principles of history taking and physical examinations as well as assessment components of the skin, hair, nails, head, eyes, ears, nose, throat, and neck. The second part of the course will progress into the cardiovascular system, peripheral vascular system, pulmonary system/thorax, and abdomen. The student will be given the opportunity to 1) communicate skillfully with patients using appropriate interviewing and patient education methods; 2) obtain thorough focused and general medical histories; 3) demonstrate proper use of instruments and techniques in the performance of physical examinations; 4) apply knowledge acquired in anatomy, physiology, and other courses to the assessment of patients; 5) detect and analyze abnormal interview and physical exam findings; 6) correlate essential historical data with exam findings; and 7) discuss pertinent available patient resources.