PAS-525: Behavioral Health Clinical Course

This is a required 6-week clinical practice experience for second-year PA students, which focuses on the role of the physician assistant student in the behavioral health rotation under the supervision of a clinical site preceptor or their designee(s). During the didactic year, medical knowledge and clinical skills will be applied to develop clinical reasoning through evidence-based approaches to evaluate and manage various urgent, emergent, and life-threatening conditions encountered in behavioral health. The experience allows students to enhance their knowledge and skills in assessing, diagnosing, and managing patients with mental health disorders. The rotation will also allow the student to become more familiar with the psychiatric examination and mental health assessment, observe behavioral/cognitive interventions and use psychiatric medications with an emphasis on skills learned to treat behavioral/mental issues in primary care. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Didactic Year in PA Program. [ 6 credits ]