Apr 30, 2024  
2020-2021 ATSU University Catalog 
    
2020-2021 ATSU University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Course Descriptions


 

Physician Assistant Studies

  
  • MSPA 5140 - Clinical Skills III


    1 credit hour

    A continuation of the Clinical Skills series which provides hands-on training for clinical procedures common in current professional practice.
  
  • MSPA 5145 - Clinical Medicine: Women’s Health


    4 credit hours

    A continuation of the eleven course clinical medicine series, providing physician assistant students a systems-based education on health promotion and disease prevention, and patient evaluation, diagnosis and management across the lifespan.
  
  • MSPA 5150 - Clinical Medicine: Nephrology & Urology


    4 credit hours

    A continuation of the eleven course clinical medicine series, providing physician assistant students a systems-based education on health promotion and disease prevention, and patient evaluation, diagnosis and management across the lifespan.
  
  • MSPA 5155 - History & Physical Examination IV


    1 credit hour

    A continuation of the History and Physical Examination series that provides physician assistant students with techniques of taking a patient history and performing a physical examination.
  
  • MSPA 5160 - Body, Mind and Spirit IV


    1 credit hour

  
  • MSPA 5165 - Clinical Medicine Practicum IV


    1 credit hour

    A continuation of the Clinical Medicine Practicum series which places students in supervised clinical patient care settings throughout their didactic education including ATSU’s Matter of Balance Falls Prevention Project.
  
  • MSPA 5170 - Clinical Skills IV


    1 credit hour

    The Clinical Skills series is a four course sequence which provides hands-on training for clinical procedures common in current professional practice. Using low instructor-student ratios and medium- and high-fidelity manikins, students will gain familiarity with a range of clinical procedures while developing their bedside manner and confidence. Team-based care principles will be taught through formative simulation experiences. All students will obtain ACLS certification during this course sequence.

    The Clinical Skills series has been carefully organized to present material system by system to promote interaction of material from parallel courses in the curriculum, i.e. Clinical Medicine, History & Physical, and Body, Mind, Spirit.
     

    Course content will be organized along the following broad themes:

    • Ultrasound of the lower abdomen and pelvis
    • Urinary catheters
    • Orientation to the surgical suite
    • Wound and Incision closure 
    • Office based surgical procedures
    No Prerequisite(s) No Corequisite(s)

  
  • MSPA 5175 - Healthcare for Special Populations


    2 credit hours

    Despite the excellent healthcare provided to much of the citizenry of the United States, significant disparities exist in healthcare for vulnerable populations. There are a number of groups that are considered vulnerable populations. These populations include the young and the elderly, those in remote and rural communities, the incarcerated, Native people, adolescents, those with intellectual and speech disabilities, refugees and immigrants. For vulnerable populations, their health and healthcare issues may be exacerbated by social factors.
  
  • MSPA 5820 - Special Topics


    1 credit hour

    Students who have academic or professional challenges may be required to complete a special topics course (MSPA5820 for didactic remediation or MSPA6820 for clinical remediation). These courses are designed to assist at-risk students in successfully meeting program expectations and may be required prior to and/or during the clinical year. The content of these courses will be determined by the program, but will be tailored to the student’s individual needs, taking student input under advisement. Students required to complete the special topics course are required to achieve a passing grade for the course, in order to advance in the program.
  
  • MSPA 6073 - Transition to Practice


    3 credit hours

    This course is ongoing throughout the clinical year. It includes written examinations, practical examinations, oral presentation(s), summative evaluation, and preparation for the PANCE. Topics to prepare the student for practice as a licensed healthcare professional are covered including state licensure, DEA, malpractice, billing and coding, residencies and graduate PA training. 
  
  • MSPA 6074 - Family Medicine


    5 credit hours

    This six week clinical experience is designed to facilitate the student’s ability to evaluate health-related conditions encountered in a family practice setting. Students will interview and examine patients, synthesize information to make a diagnosis, and formulate and implement a therapeutic plan under the supervision of licensed healthcare providers.
  
  • MSPA 6075 - Internal Medicine


    5 credit hours

    This six week clinical experience is designed to facilitate the student’s ability to evaluate health-related conditions encountered in a general internal medicine setting. Students will interview and examine patients, synthesize information to make a diagnosis, and formulate and implement a therapeutic plan under the supervision of licensed healthcare providers.
  
  • MSPA 6076 - Pediatrics


    5 credit hours

    This six week clinical experience provides an exposure to care of children from birth through adolescence. The focus of the learning experience, under the supervision of licensed healthcare providers, is on well-child checkups, counseling of parents, nutrition, and common medical and psychosocial conditions seen in a general pediatric setting.
  
  • MSPA 6077 - Emergency Medicine


    5 credit hours

    This six-week clinical experience course is designed to facilitate the student’s ability to evaluate health-related problems encountered in an emergency medicine setting. Students will interview and examine patients, synthesize information to make a diagnosis, and formulate and implement a therapeutic plan under the supervision of licensed healthcare providers.
  
  • MSPA 6078 - Women’s Health


    5 credit hours

    This six week clinical experience provides an exposure to issues associated with women’s health care, primarily in the ambulatory setting. Emphasis is placed on prenatal care, family planning and birth control, the recognition and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, cancer prevention and detection, and the evaluation and treatment of common ambulatory gynecologic conditions under the supervision of licensed healthcare providers. Students may have exposure to the delivery room and surgical care.
  
  • MSPA 6079 - General Surgery


    5 credit hours

    This six-week clinical experience provides exposure to the management of patients who present with general surgical problems.  Students will focus on evaluation of patients who need surgical consult, pre-operative preparation, intra-operative assistance, and operative procedures.  Additionally, students will gain experience caring for surgical wounds and post-operative complications under the supervision of licensed healthcare providers.
  
  • MSPA 6080 - Behavioral Health


    5 credit hours

    This six week clinical experience is designed to address the fundamental principles of caring for patients who exhibit a variety of behavioral health conditions and/or psychiatric illness. During the didactic portion of the rotation, students are taught behavioral medicine through a variety of guided learning experiences via distance education technology. The clinical portion of the rotation will consist of clinical experiences to refine history taking, and mental status examination skills. Students should be able to recognize and categorize psychiatric disorders, and identify techniques of early intervention and psychiatric referral.
  
  • MSPA 6081 - Elective


    5 credit hours

    This six-week clinical experience is student-selected. Students may choose from an existing database or suggest a new site. The clinical team must approve electives, and preceptors must be licensed healthcare professionals. The experience gives students an opportunity to enhance an area of interest and/or to explore a potential location for future clinical practice. Generally, elective clinical experiences are scheduled later in the clinical year of study.
  
  • MSPA 6820 - Special Topics


    1 credit hour

    Students who have academic or professional challenges may be required to complete a special topics course (MSPA5820 for didactic remediation or MSPA6820 for clinical remediation). These courses are designed to assist at-risk students in successfully meeting program expectations and may be required prior to and/or during the clinical year. The content of these courses will be determined by the program, but will be tailored to the student’s individual needs, taking student input under advisement. Students required to complete the special topics course are required to achieve a passing grade for the course, in order to advance in the program.

     

     

  
  • PA 660 - Family Medicine I


    4 credit hours

  
  • PA 661 - Family Medicine II


    4 credit hours

  
  • PA 662 - Family Medicine III


    4 credit hours

  
  • PA 663 - Internal Medicine


    4 credit hours

  
  • PA 664 - Pediatrics


    4 credit hours

  
  • PA 665 - Emergency Medicine


    4 credit hours

  
  • PA 667 - Women’s Health


    4 credit hours

  
  • PA 668 - General Surgery


    4 credit hours

  
  • PA 669 - Selective I


    4 credit hours

  
  • PA 670 - Selective II


    4-4 credit hours

  
  • PA 671 - Elective I


    4 credit hours

  
  • PA 672 - Elective II


    4 credit hours

  
  • PA 673 - Transition to Practice


    3 credit hours


Psychiatry & Behavioral Health

  
  • PBHC 7000 - Introduction


    0 credit hours

    This non-credit competency module must be completed prior to completion of any other competency modules. This course reviews the program curriculum, competency -based education, program policies and procedures, grading, faculty information and online platform navigation.
  
  • PBHC 7010 - Foundations of Psychiatric Practice


    1 credit hour

    This one-credit competency module must be completed prior to completion of any other competency modules (this course may be taken concurrently with PBHC 7000 ). Foundations of Psychiatric Practice introduces the use of the DSM-V, conduction of the Mental Status Exam, application and interpretation of psychiatric screening tools, modalities of therapy and ethical/ legal issues surrounding psychiatric practice.
  
  • PBHC 7020 - Mood Disorders


    1 credit hour

    This course includes the biomedical principles behind Bipolar Disorder (I & II), Major Depressive Disorder, Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia) and Adjustment Disorder. In addition, patient evaluation, pharmacotherapy and management, and ethicolegal principles specific to these diagnoses will be explored.
  
  • PBHC 7030 - Anxiety & Trauma/Stress Disorders


    1 credit

    This course explores the etiology and evaluation of patients presenting with Generalized Anxiety, Panic, Phobias, Acute Stress, PTSD and Reactive Attachment Disorder. Pharmacologic management options and alternative treatment plans are explored for patients that meet the diagnostic criteria for one/more anxiety & trauma/stress disorders. Moreover, students are familiarized with pertinent resources to facilitate patient education. Ethical and legal challenges facing patients and providers are discussed.
  
  • PBHC 7040 - Sleep-Wake Disorders


    1 credit

    Students learn to take a comprehensive sleep-related patient history in order to make an accurate diagnosis or diagnoses for the following sleep-wake disorders: Insomnia, Hypersomnolence, Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders, Restless Legs Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease, Circadian Rhythm Sleep-Wake Disorders and Parasomnias. The range of treatment options available for the major sleep-wake diagnoses along with risks and benefits of common treatments are discussed. Furthermore, students learn how to provide clear, understandable and supportive patient education while taking into account and planning for all relevant cultural, ethical, and legal factors.
  
  • PBHC 7050 - Schizophrenia Spectrum & Psychotic Disorders


    1 credit hour

  
  • PBHC 7060 - Personality Disorders


    1 credit hour

  
  • PBHC 7070 - Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders


    1 credit hour

  
  • PBHC 7080 - Substance Use Disorders


    1 credit hour

  
  • PBHC 7090 - Sexual Disorders


    1 credit hour

  
  • PBHC 7100 - Delirium, Dementia, and Cognitive Disorders


    1 credit hour

  
  • PBHC 7110 - Eating& Feeding Disorders


    1 credit hour

  
  • PBHC 7120 - Neurodevelopmental Disorders


    1 credit hour

  
  • PBHC 7130 - Somatic Symptoms Disorders


    1 credit hour

  
  • PBHC 7140 - Gender Dysphoria


    1 credit hour

  
  • PBHC 7150 - Dissociative Disorders


    1 credit hour


Public Health

  
  • BIOS 7000 - Biostatistics


    3 credit hours

    Biostatistics is the study and development of statistical, mathematical, and computational methods applied to biological, health, and human sciences. Biostatisticians play a key role in the design, conduct, and analysis of research studies in areas of health and disease, and create and apply methods for quantitative research in health-related fields. Topics covered include data description, probability, distribution of random variables, applications of the binomial and normal distributions, estimation and confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, contingency tables, regression, and analysis of variance. Additional topics include an introduction to statistical computing and data management, non-parametric statistical methods, and demographic measures. Students need to use a statistical program (Microsoft Excel® or other program) to assist with computations.
  
  • ENVR 6200 - Environmental Health Sciences


    3 credit hours

    This course provides an introduction to ecology and ecological principles and how human population pressures affect them. Man’s impact on biotic and abiotic components of the earth is examined as well as environmental factors affecting public health. Particular emphasis is placed on the impact of anthropogenic, chemical, and physical stressors and their impact on various ecosystem components and man.
  
  • EPID 6100 - Epidemiology


    3 credit hours

    This course examines the study of disease in populations from a public health perspective. Topics include research methods, study designs, sampling, data analysis, interpretation of data, contract tracing, and application of findings for outbreak management and the development of public health policy.
  
  • EPID 6150 - Dental Epidemiology


    3 credit hours

    General principles of epidemiology, including research methods, study designs, sampling, data analysis, interpretation of data, and application of findings to dental public health policy, are explained. This course closely examines distribution and determinants of oral disease such as caries, periodontal disease, and oral cancer.
  
  • HLTH 6400 - Behavior Sciences and Educational Concepts


    3 credit hours

    An overview of the theoretical model and research methodologies used in health education research/programs is provided. This course explores the integration of culture, language, and literacy when designing, implementing, and evaluating dental public health programs.
  
  • HLTH 6500 - Behavioral Sciences and Health Education Concepts


    3 credit hours

    Social and epidemiological basis of health education overviews are provided. Tools are developed for assessment of community, institutional, and individual educational needs. Planning, implementation, and evaluation of health education programs designed to develop and reinforce positive health promotion and prevention practices are explored.
  
  • PUBH 5000 - Introduction to Public Health Concepts


    3 credit hours

    This course is a comprehensive introduction to public health within the context of the U.S. healthcare system. Contents include the concept of public health, its problems in the context of social and community factors, its development from a historical perspective, the role and mission of public health organizations, and an overview of current public health concepts, models, and policy.

  
  • PUBH 5050 - Introduction to Dental Public Health


    3 credit hours

    This course is a comprehensive introduction to public health and dental public health within the context of the U. S. healthcare system. Course content includes basic organizational arrangements of health services in the United States; the concept of public health, its problems in the context of social and community factors, its development from a historical perspective, and the role and mission of public health organizations, science, philosophy, and practice of dental public health.
  
  • PUBH 5100 - Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response


    3 credit hours

    For years public health has played a critical role in responding to emergencies and disasters of all kinds. This course examines the roles and responsibilities of public health during a disaster and emergency. You will examine the various types of disasters and emergencies, including bioterrorism, infections disease outbreaks, and natural disasters, and learn how a response is planned, initiated and coordinated. This course will also introduce you to emergency preparedness planning and common concepts, principles, terminology, and organizational processes used including the National Response Framework (NRF), Incident Command System (ICS) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS). 
  
  • PUBH 5250 - Practical Dental Research, Planning, and Design


    3 credit hours

    Students develop and implement a dental public health research project, enhancing their skills related to search strategies, problem statements, literature review, protocol preparation, and how they relate to their research projects.
  
  • PUBH 5300 - Public Health Administration


    3 credit hours

    This course focuses on public health administration, including human resources, budgeting and organizational dynamics.  Students learn to recognize internal bias and how it affects communication and negotiation.  Leadership principles such as creating a vision, empowering others, fostering collaboration, and decision making are explored.

  
  • PUBH 5400 - Dental Public Health Ethics


    3 credit hours

    This course explores a variety of ethical dimensions and issues found in dental public health.  The overall goal is to help familiarize students with specific examples and topics, as well as the variety of ethically relevant information that might be considered and some of the theoretical frameworks and concepts that can be utilized to help analyze and address these issues.  We will also explore some of what makes public health ethics different from professional ethics, clinical ethics, medical ethics, and/or research ethics.
  
  • PUBH 5500 - Financing Dental Care


    3 credit hours

    This course examines the various ways in which dental care is financed, including mechanisms of payment for providers, third-party plans, salaried and public-financed programs, and federal systems such as Medicare and Medicaid.
  
  • PUBH 5800 - Community Health Informatics


    3 credit hours

    The course will introduce students to the field of health informatics and its application to public health. Students will learn fundamental principles of computer science and computer information technology. They will apply these principles to understanding proper use of healthcare data and its inherent pitfalls concerning privacy, security, ethics, and data interoperability. The course will also provide an overview of the use of networking technology in the collection and distribution of health information, with emphasis on electronic and personal health records. Focus will be given to clinical application of informatics tools in evidence-based medicine, epidemiology, bioinformatics, imaging, and research. Students will also utilize publicly available information systems, such as national vital statistics, pertaining to morbidity data and environmental public health.
  
  • PUBH 5850 - Community Health and Social Media


    3 credit hours

    In this course, students will learn about the history and use of multiple types of social media in community health at the local, state, and federal levels. The ethics of using social media, current accepted standards, and best practices in using social media in a community health setting will be covered. Students will practice using multiple forms of social media and create a community health social media campaign.
  
  • PUBH 6100 - Identifying Community Health Needs


    3 credit hours

    Needs and capacity assessment strategies are designed for people planning to practice within the fields of public health, health promotion, or health education. Students take an in-depth look at individual, group, and self-directed assessment strategies. This course gives students an opportunity to practice learned skills, decipher what assessments are best for a given situation, and learn how to implement their new skills within their professional environments.
  
  • PUBH 6200 - Research II


    3 credit hours

    This independent study course is meant to provide a student with the knowledge and skills to continue his or her research project. This course will focus on research methods, selection of data, the proper management of data, and the use of statistical software appropriate for the study. Students will also prepare and submit a research project application to the appropriate institutional review boards. Each student is responsible for working with his or her assigned instructor to arrange regular meeting times, assignment milestones, and completing the data collection component of the research product.
  
  • PUBH 6300 - Research III


    3 credit hours

    This independent study course is meant to provide a student with the knowledge and skills to continue his or her research project. This course will focus on the logic and process of hypothesis testing, and give you an overview of basic quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques. Each student is responsible for working with his or her assigned instructor to arrange regular meeting times, assignment milestones, and completing the data collection component of the research product.
  
  • PUBH 6400 - Research IV


    3 credit hours

    This independent study course is meant to provide a student with the knowledge and skills to continue his or her research project. This course will focus on the logic and process of hypothesis testing, and give you an overview of basic quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques. Each student is responsible for working with his or her assigned instructor to arrange regular meeting times, assignment milestones, and completing the data collection component of the research product.
  
  • PUBH 6500 - Public Health Systems Policy and Management


    3 credit hours

    This is a survey course providing an overview of the policy process as applied to health. Similarly, it provides introductory content dealing with how public health and other health organizations are organized and managed.
  
  • PUBH 6550 - Dental Healthcare Policy and Management


    3 credit hours

    This course focuses on the application of general management concepts including management process, descriptions of management functions, managerial roles, and organizational culture. It includes practical aspects of planning, staffing, financing, implanting, evaluating, and communicating dental public health programs at the local, state, and federal levels. A practical look at dental public health policy-making and how best to translate policy into practice is provided.
  
  • PUBH 6700 - Public Health Policy and Politics


    3 credit hours

    This course discusses the structure of the political process in health policy making. It covers the political roles of selected health professionals and the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government in health policy. This course provides practical mechanisms to intervene on behalf of programs or institutions.
  
  • PUBH 6999 - Directed Study


    3 credit hours

    Directed studies may be required as assigned by the program chair.
  
  • PUBH 7500 - Development of Community-Based Programs


    3 credit hours

    This course looks at various community-based programs and how best to develop, implement, and evaluate these programs as well as financing these programs.
  
  • PUBH 7600 - Community-based Programs - Development


    3 credit hours

    This course looks at various community- based programs and how best to develop, implement, and evaluate these programs as well as financing these programs. Students work with a local organization/institution/ agency to develop a comprehensive oral health plan for a community.
  
  • PUBH 7650 - Community-Based Programs - Implementation & Evaluation


    3 credit hours

    This course looks at community-based programs and how best to implement and evaluate these programs. Students work with a local organization/institution/agency to implement a comprehensive oral health plan.
  
  • PUBH 7800 - Public Health Practicum


    6 credit hours

    This course has two components. The first requires the student to develop and execute an applied practice with a public health organization under the guidance of a site preceptor and a member of the MPH Program faculty. The student must create and submit a minimum of two products that demonstrate attainment of at least five public health competencies from a provided list. The second component is a culminating academic experience that requires the student to produce a high-quality, substantive written document aimed at a public health organization, which demonstrates synthesis of public health competencies.
  
  • PUBH 7850 - Public Health Practicum SOMA Part II


    3.0 credits

    This course has two components. The first requires the student to develop and execute an applied practice experience with a public health organization under the guidance of a site preceptor and a member of the MPH Program faculty. The student must create and submit a minimum of two products that demonstrate attainment of at least five public health competencies from a provided list. The second component is a culminating academic experience that requires the student to produce a high-quality, substantive written document aimed at a public health organization, which demonstrates synthesis of public health competencies.

     

  
  • RESH 5200 - Fundamentals of Research in Public Health


    3 credit hours

    In this applied research course, students will develop and enhance their skills related to research topic search strategies, problem statements, literature reviews, and research proposal preparation. Students will apply basic principles of epidemiology and biostatistics to draft a research proposal and develop sustainable research skills.

  
  • SHMG 5100 - Public Health Finance and Policy


    3 credit hours

    This course is an application of policy analysis to the financing of public health in the United States. It examines healthcare from a public policy perspective to understand the underlying social and economic issues that frame the political finance debates.
  
  • SHMG 5400 - Community Based Healthcare


    3 credit hours

    The development and maintenance of a community-based healthcare model are the focus of this course. Administering programs to sustain and promote a state of healthy well-being in the community and activate community resources are discussed as well as the impact of emerging models of community based healthcare programs.
  
  • SHMG 5500 - Cultural Change in Geriatrics


    3 credit hours

    Cultural changes have affected the perceptions of aging and its impact on intergenerational relationships. This course examines the impact those cultural changes may have on the future direction of the healthcare industry.
  
  • SHMG 5600 - Death and Dying, Life and Living


    3 credit hours

    Learners review death, dying, and bereavement. During the exploration of these topics, this course also covers the developmental perspective, legal and moral issues, and current events.
  
  • SHMG 6000 - Global Health Issues


    3 credit hours

    Global healthcare is an emerging priority for organizations and governments worldwide because of the impact on international economic stability. Technology, research, and the advancement of healthcare interventions have produced improvements in health outcomes for many. Unfortunately, these advancements have also led to inequalities in health status within and between countries. The world is faced with new challenges such as the potential for pandemics, an aging population, a diminishing healthcare workforce, and the stresses of determining resource allocation. This course explores the many facets of global health to expose the student to the complexity of the concepts that impact healthcare in developing and developed countries.
  
  • SHMG 6310 - Health Information Systems Development and Design


    3 credit hours

    This course examines the functions of a systems analyst, the interface between technical staff and end users. Students will develop knowledge of programming, systems design, and the life cycle of an information system from determining the needs of end users and the organization, to system sunset.
  
  • SHMG 6320 - Data Management and Design


    3 credit hours

    Databases are the heart of any health information system. Their design affects the ease of creating and accessing information from the data entered. This course focuses on the function and requirements of data design, management, and warehousing. Students will learn subtleties of design such as naming fields and creating connections to data that lead to effective reporting.
  
  • SHMG 6330 - Electronic Health Records System Administration


    3 credit hours

    This course surveys the types and functions of electronic health records systems, from a historical perspective to their use in current practice. It familiarizes the student with decision-making processes used in selecting and maintaining electronic health records systems, including issues such as hardware and software support, system security and access controls, employee and medical staff training, and system testing.
  
  • SHMG 6340 - Technology in Evidence-Based Decision-making


    3 credit hours

    In this course, students will examine the use of technology in evidence-based decision-making by the healthcare administrator. The course focuses on the transformation of data into information and knowledge designed to improve decisions and, ultimately, patient and organizational outcomes. Students will explore the nature of databases and internet applications in healthcare decision-making, as well as use available technology to organize, interpret, and present administrative data.
 

Page: 1 <- Back 103 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13