Part-time Status, Reduced Educational Load, Late-Finisher and Deceleration
Part-time Status and Reduced Educational Load:
Due to the curriculum design and academic demands, the ǿմý PA Program does not offer a part-time option to students. Similarly, it does not offer a reduced educational (course) load which extends out the entire schedule of the curriculum. All PA students must take the full required course load each semester and they must take the courses in the order in which they are offered during the semester and the program.
All PA students must fully and successfully complete the 15-month didactic phase of the program before being able to progress on to the clinical phase of the program. They must successfully complete both the didactic and clinical phases of the program to be eligible for graduation.
Deceleration Policy:
ARC-PA defines deceleration as “the loss of a student from the entering cohort, who remains matriculated in the physician assistant program.” The ǿմý PA program does not decelerate students who cannot meet the program’s academic and/or professionalism/behavioral conduct requirements. Deceleration is not an option in lieu of disciplinary action including but not limited to probation, suspension or any other situation that would be considered grounds for dismissal from the program.
Deceleration occurs for the following reasons:
1) A student is granted a leave of absence by the PA program
2) A student is suspended at the end of the didactic phase of the program
3) A student is suspended at any time during the clinical phase of the program
4) A student is required to repeat a failed rotation at the end of the program
Late Finisher:
A form of deceleration, the ǿմý PA program defines “late finisher” as a student who takes greater than 27-months to complete the program but successfully completes the program before the next graduating class.
Late finishers include:
1) A student who is granted up to a 4-month leave of absence by the PA program
2) A student who is suspended (for no greater than 4-months) at the end of the didactic phase of the program
3) A student who is suspended (for no greater than 4-months) at any time during the clinical phase of the program
4) A student who is required to repeat a failed rotation (up to four rotations) at the end of the program
Students must typically complete the PA program in 27-months. If a student has been granted a leave of absence (of any type) the time to completion of the program should not exceed 39-months (27-month program and up to 12 months for a leave of absence). Requests for a leave of absence to extend beyond one year are considered on a case by case basis. While on a leave of absence (of any type) students are not allowed to enroll in any PA program courses.
Reviewed May 1, 2019