PA Program Competencies

Western University’s PA Program Competencies represent the required medical knowledge, clinical reasoning and problem-solving abilities, interpersonal skills, clinical and technical skills, and professional behaviors that each graduate must achieve to practice as a PA. Each graduate must demonstrate these skills in order to complete their PA education.

The competencies were developed through integration of the PAEA Core Competencies for New Physician Graduates, and the AAPA Competencies for the PA Profession (amended in 2021). The competencies align with the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) definition of program competencies.

1. Medical Knowledge (MK):
   Graduates of the WesternU PA program will be able to apply comprehensive knowledge of biologic and clinical sciences to provide acute, chronic, urgent, and emergent, patient-centered care to include women’s health, prenatal care, and care across the life span (infants, children, adolescents, adult, and the elderly).
2. Interpersonal and Communication Skills (ICS):
   Graduates of the WesternU PA program will be able to communicate effectively with patients, families and health team members, incorporating cultural humility and compassion to build meaningful therapeutic and interprofessional relationships.
3. Clinical and Technical Skills (CTS):
   Graduates of the WesternU PA program will be able to demonstrate the clinical and technical skills required to provide age-appropriate assessment, evaluation and management of patients.
4. Clinical Reasoning and Problem Solving (CRPS):
   Graduates of the WesternU PA program will be able to analyze and synthesize relevant clinical, diagnostic, cultural, and contextual information in order to diagnose and manage patients across the lifespan (prenatal, infant, children, adolescents, adult, and the elderly).
5. Professional Behaviors (PB):
   Graduates of the WesternU PA program will be able to demonstrate integrity, deep understanding of the practice environment, and a commitment to lifelong learning that enables them to provide high quality, equitable care for individuals and communities.