Clinical Experiences
Clinical Experiences
As a WesternU-Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies student, you will get opportunities to work with patients, enabling you to apply what you’re learning in class.
Simulated patient experiences offer you an opportunity to interact with patients while faculty observe and provide feedback on your interactions and communication skills. You will also gain valuable clinical experience in club and volunteer settings while on campus.
During your second year (3 semesters including summer) you’ll complete 11 months of rotations geared toward primary care with opportunities for electives in other areas of medicine.
Required Rotations
- family medicine
- emergency medicine
- internal medicine
- general surgery
- geriatrics
- pediatrics
- prenatal care and women’s health
- behavioral (psychiatric) medicine
Elective Rotations
- Orthopedics
- Oncology
- Family Practice
- Infectious Disease
- Cardiology
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- General Surgery
- Rheumatology
- Endocrinology
- Dermatology
- Occupational Medicine
- Trauma Surgery
- Psychiatry
- Otolaryngology
- Neurology
- Critical Care
We proudly offer our students more than 500 rotation sites in a variety of settings, including one of the largest county hospitals in the nation: Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, CA.
Students entering into the PA program do not need to supply their own clinical preceptors. All preceptors will be assigned by the clinical education department.
- Garfield Medical Center Monterey Park, CA.
- Emanate Health Covina, CA
- Citrus Valley Health Partners Covina, CA
- Children’s Hospital Orange County Orange, CA
- Kaiser Permanente Numerous Southern California Sites
- Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation Pomona, CA
- St. Mary’s Medical Center Apple Valley, CA
- UCI Medical Center Irvine, CA
- Riverside University Health System Moreno Valley, CA
In addition to hospital settings, you will receive clinical education in community clinics, rehabilitation centers, inner city offices, private offices and underserved areas. Should you so desire, you can also work with the clinical coordinator to generate your own rotation site.
“My most memorable clinical experience, other than my rotation in Maui, was my Emergency Medicine clinical. I loved it so much I did it twice! Working in the Emergency Room allowed me to encounter a variety of pathologies and taught me to think on my feet quickly.”
WesternU Patient Care Center
In this setting our MSPAS students provide care as part of a student healthcare team working with our Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) students.
Students with a patient
For more information on MSPAS clinical experiences, please feel free to contact Program Chair: Roy Guizado (909) 469-5378.