Physician Assistant

1.1 Demonstrate Christian respect for the dignity and privacy of patients while maintaining confidentiality in the delivery of team-based care

1.2 Develop meaningful, therapeutic relationships with patients and their families through Christlike service

1.3 Interpret information for patients to understand and make meaning out of the information conveyed to them, ensuring informed consent in all medical decision making.

2.1 Recognize normal and abnormal health states

2.2 Discern among acute, chronic, and emerging disease states

2.3 Use current, valid medical literature to make evidence-based decisions on patient care

3.1 Recognize the potential impacts of the community, biology, spiritual life and genetics on patients and incorporate them into decisions of care

3.2 Understand the role structural disparities play in the management of health and illness

3.3 Provide effective, equitable, understandable, and respectful quality care and services that are responsive to diverse cultural and spiritual health beliefs and practices, preferred languages, health literacy, and other communication needs

4.1 Elicit and understand the stories of individual patients and apply the context of their lives (including environmental influences, spiritual influences, cultural norms, socioeconomic factors, and communication barriers) when determining healthy versus ill patients

4.2 Demonstrate insight and understanding about emotions and human responses to emotions that allow one to develop and manage interpersonal interactions

4.3 Organize and communicate information with patients, families, community members, and health team members in a form that is understandable, avoiding discipline-specific terminology where appropriate, and ensure understanding

5.1 Articulate one’s role and responsibilities to patients, families, communities, and other professionals

5.2 Direct the focus of the health care team to the needs of the patient over anyone/anything else

5.3 Recognize when continued patient care exceeds one's knowledge, skills and/or resources and make appropriate, timely referrals for safe and ongoing health management.

6.1 Articulate standard of care practice and develop an ongoing pattern of self-assessment and improvement to adhere to standard of care practice.

6.2 Practice with humility, recognize personal and professional limitations to providing care and demonstrate a willingness to admit to and learn from mistakes, errors, and miscommunications.

6.3 Exhibit an understanding of the regulatory environment

7.1 Recognize that healthcare is a business

7.2 Promote the PA profession to the community, health care team, legislators, and educators

7.3 Appreciate the value of collaboration with physician and other members of the health care team.

Students must always identify themselves as Physician Assistant Students. During the program, students may not use any other identification that may be misleading, inappropriate, or controversial. All SNU PA students must wear their SNU issued name badge at all times and all white coats must contain the student’s name and PA-S credential; as well as an SNU PA program patch.

The SNU PA program is an “in-person” and “in-seat” program. Attendance is required for all courses and SCPEs.

Due to the “full-time” nature of the program and the mandatory attendance policy, student employment and routine extracurricular commitments (clubs, teams or positions that require regular practice and/or large amounts of dedicated time) are highly discouraged.

PA students may not work for the program and may not substitute for or act as faculty or staff within the program.

The SNU PA program follows the SNU PGS grading policies and procedures. Students must achieve a B- or better in all courses to progress. Students are allowed up to two C+ during the didactic phase of the program (no C+ during the preceptor phase). Students who accumulate more than 2 C+ course grades will be dismissed from the program. Students who make less than a C+ are considered to have failed the course. See the student handbook for more details.

The process of ensuring students obtain concepts, skills or competencies not grasped during the normal curriculum delivery and assessment process.

Due to the rapid pace of the PA program curriculum and limited intervals of downtime, it is the SNU PA program policy that all remediation occurs within the course that demonstrates the deficiency, at the discretion of the course director, before a final grade is assigned. Once a final course grade is assigned, remediation is no longer an option. Remediation opportunities may require an additional temporary load on the student, but the process is designed to allow the student to rectify the deficiency and continue to progress in the program without significant delay. The following procedures apply to all remediation exercises.

1. Remediation should occur as soon as possible once an insufficiency is identified.
2. Remediation is at the discretion of the course director and not the student.
3. Retesting is not remediation and is not an acceptable form of remediation.
4. Repeat is not a form of remediation per this policy.
5. Recess is not a form of remediation per this policy.
6. Remediation goals must be clearly defined.
7. Remediation objectives must be clearly identified.
8. Remediation processes must be clearly defined.
9. Remediation evaluation must have objective measure (rubric, quiz, etc)
10. Remediation success or failure must be clearly documented.
11. Successful remediation tied to a previously failed assessment will replace the previous assessment score with the minimum passing score on that assessment.
12. Final exams or summative evaluations are assessment tools and are not subject to remediation.

 Examples of acceptable remediation opportunities (not all inclusive)

• Oral conversation after a concept has been revisited by the student with the faculty member.
• Written essay demonstrating the successful mastery of a concept after the concept has been revisited by the student with the faculty member.
• Redemonstration of a skill or procedure after the student has revisited the skill or procedure with the faculty member.
• New quiz or evaluation tool after remedial instruction.

Students who meet all academic, professional, and institutional requirements and deadlines will progress through the program. Progression requires:

• Meeting all course grade and competency requirements
• Meeting all program professional standards
• Complying with university policies and procedures
• Meeting all University financial obligations

Students must successfully complete all components of a semester before progressing to the subsequent semester.

All decisions to halt the progression of any PA student are made by the program director.

While all matriculants are expected to finish the program with their class, in order to accommodate unforeseen circumstances, matriculants have a total of 36 months to complete the program beginning the first day of the class. Any student requiring more than 36 months will either be recessed (generally through the leave of absence policy) or dismissed depending on the circumstances. Students recessed to the beginning of the program have their timeline restart on the first day of classes.

In order to walk with the graduating class, students must have submitted their graduation application and be within three months of their actual graduation date. Students with a delayed graduation will be able to walk with the next graduating class.

Defined by ARC-PA as “the loss of a student from the entering cohort, who remains matriculated in the physician assistant program.” The SNU PA program offers deceleration through the leave of absence policy only (see policy below).

All leaves of absence must be approved by the program director. Leave of absence may be granted in accordance with the University guidelines. A leave of absence will not be granted to students who are failing a course or who are not expected to achieve the minimum required score in a course to progress. See the student handbook for more information.

All withdrawals must be approved by the program director. Withdrawal from a single PAS course will prevent the student from progressing in the program and may result in dismissal. See the student handbook for more information.

All final decisions for dismissal from the program are made by the program director and must be affirmed by the VP of PGS. Students considered for dismissal will be notified by the program director and any final decision of dismissal will be affirmed in writing to the student.

The SNU PA Program dismissal policy is as follows: 

1. Students who fail a course will be dismissed.
2. Students who exceed 2 C+ course grades during the didactic phase of the curriculum will be dismissed.
3. Students assigned a C+ or lower grade on any SCPE will be dismissed.
4. Students who fail to meet one or more technical standards will be dismissed.
5. Students who commit an egregious act of moral turpitude, academic dishonesty or unprofessionalism will be dismissed.
6. Students who fail to meet institutional financial aid obligations will be dismissed.
7. Students who fail to submit to or with findings on background checks which violate the background check policy will be dismissed.
8. Students who fail to adhere to a university or program requirement will be dismissed.
9. Student removed from a SCPE for unprofessionalism, inappropriate behavior, or other non-academic cause will be dismissed.

Upon Graduation, the student will be awarded the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies and will be eligible to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certification Exam (PANCE)

To qualify for graduation, students must meet all academic, professional, and financial requirements/obligations as follows:

1. Pass all didactic courses 
2. Complete and pass all clinical rotations 
3. Complete and pass all program summative evaluations
4. Achieve all program required competencies and learning outcomes
5. Be in good academic and professional standing
6. Receive a letter of recommendation for graduation from the Program Director,
7. Meet all financial obligations to the University
8. Be eligible to sit for the PANCE and apply for licensure

Due to the nature of healthcare requirements, accepted students must demonstrate evidence of vaccination against or immunity to Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Hepatitis B and Varicella. In addition, accepted students must show evidence of TDaP within the last 10 years and either a negative PPD or negative CXR for TB. The CDC also recommends annual flu vaccination for healthcare providers. The flu vaccine will not be required during the didactic phase but may be required by SNU partners for clinical rotations. COVID-19 Vaccination is not currently listed by the CDC as a recommended vaccine for healthcare workers, and SNU will not require COVID-19 vaccination.   However, students must be aware that some SNU clinical partners or jurisdictions may require COVID-19 vaccination to participate in a clinical preceptorship. SNU cannot guarantee clinical placement during the preceptor phase to any student who is not vaccinated against COVID-19.

In the event SNU or the SNU PA Program is subject to adverse accreditation action or other cause which require it to discontinue, close or otherwise cease to offer the Physician Assistant Program, the University and the PA program will follow its catastrophic events policy which addresses the University teach out plan in compliance with the Higher Learning Commission’s (HLC) and ARC-PAs standards to have a plan in place in the event a teach-out becomes necessary. This plan will include providing ongoing personnel, budget, facilities, and preceptors to ensure that each enrolled student reaches graduation or until the University is able to place remaining students with programs actively recognized by and approved by the ARC-PA to accept students from the SNU program.

Student safety and security is of primary importance to the program and University. While on campus, students benefit from on campus police and extensive safety policies and procedures related to personal safety, personal health, inclement weather, fire and disaster. The campus police partners with Bethany, OK fire, rescue, and police for added support. For specific on campus safety measures, please visit the campus police website here.

SNU maintains the responsibility of student safety while students participate in clinical preceptorships off campus. Student safety is ensured through a regular site visit schedule, which among other things, assesses student safety. In addition, SNU contracts with all clinical sites to orient students to the safety measures in place at the individual site and for the provision of emergency medical care.

SNU Grievance Policy and Complaint Process 

SNU title IX and Sexual Harassment Policies and Procedures: Policies and Procedures | SNU

SNU utilizes the third-party vendor Workshield for reporting and investigating sexual harassment complaints. 

SNU Sexual Assault and Offenses Policies and Procedures

On campus counseling services are available to PA students through the Renew counseling center for a reduced office visit fee (Adult Studies rate). To learn about the Renew counseling center services and to contact the center, click here.

Disability services are available through the SNU office of Disability Services. Students in need of or requesting accommodations while enrolled in the PA program, must contact the office of Disability Services directly. The PA program faculty and staff are not involved in or privy to any student health or disability needs. For more information on available disability services, accommodations, or general disability questions, please contact the office directly.

An on-campus health center is available to PA students at a small office visit fee. The health center provides primary care services when the campus is open. It is important that students have a source for primary care while enrolled in the PA program. PA faculty cannot participate in the healthcare of PA students. Visit the Health Center page for more information.

SNU offers many on-campus exercise facilities for students to enjoy. The Sawyer center boasts an indoor track and a weight room that can be accessed when athletes are not in training sessions. The Broadhurst gymnasium houses a weight room, a basketball gym and a small gym (with pickleball courts.) Outdoor facilities include tennis courts/pickleball courts, sand volleyball, and a disc golf course.

Dear Clinician,

The Physician Assistant Studies Program at Southern Nazarene University is requesting your active participation in the provisional accreditation of its PA Program with the Accreditation Review Commission (ARC-PA).

The provisional accreditation process for the SNU PA program begins with the submission of an application to the ARC-PA in January of 2024. The ARC-PA will visit the program in April of 2024 and make its accreditation decisions in September of 2024. While this is some time away, a large portion of the accreditation success hinges on the development of clinical preceptor partnerships. As part of the application process for January 2024, the PA program must demonstrate affiliation with enough clinical preceptors for its entire class size. Students will not start clinical rotations until January of 2026, but accreditation requires our due diligence to guarantee students have rotation sites when they join the SNU PA program.

As you can see, the success of Southern Nazarene University’s PA Studies program is contingent upon the commitment of providers like yourself to training our PA students clinically. Your early engagement with the SNU’s PA Program, as a preceptor, is instrumental to the successful provisional (and ongoing) accreditation of the PA Program at Southern Nazarene University.

Please return the following completed documents to the Southern Nazarene University PA Program electronically at mmoran@mail.snu.edu.

1. A preceptor application
2. A copy of your Curriculum Vitae.
3. A copy of your state licensure.
4. A copy of your board certification or NCCPA ID number.
5. A signed affiliation agreement

As Program Director, it is my goal during the clinical phase of the program to ensure the success of not only the Southern Nazarene University PA students, but also the collegial partnership between SNU’s PA Studies Program and “you” as the preceptor.

To support preceptor’s commitment to training SNU students, SNU will make the following resources available to preceptors upon request:

1. Preceptor Orientation/Training
2. Classroom teaching opportunities
3. SNU library access

1. UpToDate Access through SNU
2. CME opportunities (Category 1 for PAs)
3. Clinical faculty appointment

Thank you so much for your support of the Southern Nazarene University Physician Assistant Studies Program during its provisional accreditation process with ARC-PA. Please feel free to contact me at any time should you have any questions about the PA Program, by phone at (405) 491-8182 or by email at: mmoran@mail.snu.edu.

Sincerely,

Mark Moran

Chair and Program Director

Physician Assistant Studies

SNU is actively recruiting Physicians and Physician Assistants to serve as primary clinical preceptors. The minimum requirements are Board certification and licensure for physicians and NCCPA certification and licensure for physician assistants. Other healthcare professionals (Nurse Practitioners, Pharmacists, Physical Therapists, Dentists, Optometrists, Podiatrists, Medical Residents, etc) are valuable to the SNU preceptorship and are organized to participate through primary clinical preceptors.

SNU collects and verifies primary clinical preceptor credentials and practice information through a preceptor application. Once the credentials are verified, the preceptor is approved to participate. Upon approval, an affiliation agreement is entered into by both SNU and the primary preceptor. Upon execution of this agreement, SNU visits the practice site and works with the preceptor(s) to assign students.

For Preceptors who commit to three or more students (4 week rotation blocks) a year, SNU will provide:

• Opportunity to support and improve community healthcare and impact the training of future colleagues.
• Appointment as an SNU Clinical Faculty
• Access to SNU Library, including Up To date
• CME
  • Physicians can usually claim CME for precepting or teaching healthcare students. Physicians should check with their particular board to determine eligibility. The SNU PA program will assist in providing any necessary documentation for claiming CME activity. For example, see the AAFP
  • Physician Assistants can generally claim Category 2 CME for precepting and teaching activities. In addition, SNU is seeking approval from AAPA to provide Category 1 CME to PA preceptors.

• Ensure the physical safety and security of the student
• Guide and mentor students through patient encounters
• Mentor students in the following:
  • Patient communication, particularly obtaining patient histories and both pertinent positive and negative findings
  • Patient examination, particularly focused, problem oriented physical examination
  • Identifying appropriate, problem focused laboratory and radiologic studies for ongoing patient care
  • Critically evaluate collected data for medical decision making
  • Patient autonomy and informed consent
  • Utilizing pharmacotherapeutics safely
  • Best business practices
  • Interprofessional relationships
  • Personal and patient safety
• Provide opportunities to document patient care
• Provide opportunities to perform supervised procedures
• Give professional feedback for practice improvement
• Document the student’s progress on SNU forms
• Notify the program of any significant student or program deficiencies identified

On April 15, 2022 SNU was approved by the Higher Learning Commission to offer the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies.

SNU has applied for Provisional Accreditation with the Accreditation Review Commission on Physician Assistants (ARC-PA). The ARC-PA will review the SNU application in January of 2024, perform a site visit in April of 2024, and the commission will review the application and site visit materials in September of 2024. The commission will determine in September of 2024 if the SNU PA Program meets the requirements for provisional accreditation.

Pending Accreditation – Provisional status from the ARC-PA, the first SNU PA Program class will begin in January 2025.

The SNU PA Program will be offered on the main SNU campus in Bethany, Oklahoma.

The University administration and PA program faculty are developing clinical partners for preceptorships across the City of Oklahoma City and the greater state of Oklahoma. Some partnerships are likely to be developed outside of the state of Oklahoma.

The total tuition for the SNU program is $97,600 for the class entering in 2025. Additional costs include cost of living, books, technology, medical equipment and background checks and health screening. Please refer to the Cost of Attendance section for more details.

*subject to change prior to student enrollment.

PA education is an extensive professional master’s degree program, and it is a full-time, on-campus endeavor which requires nights and weekends for study and preparation.

What sets the SNU PA Program apart from others is its mission. While all programs must meet the rigorous accreditation standards to train qualified and skilled PAs, each does it from its own perspective. SNU is a faith based institution whose mission is to make Christ-like disciples. The PA program mission is consistent with the University mission in training PAs to be compassionate and empathetic; treating others in a Christ-like manner. SNU PA students will be taught by, mentored by, and surrounded by Christian faculty who seek to honor Christ with the practice of medicine.