ALL MPAS PROGRAM POLICIES APPLY TO ALL STUDENTS, PRINCIPAL FACULTY AND THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR REGARDLESS OF LOCATION.

Policies listed and detailed on the Department of PA Studies Web Pages and in the MPAS Program Student Handbooks are subject to change. Enrolled students are informed when significant changes are made to published policies.

Importantly, MPAS Program Policies may differ from policies noted in the College’s Graduate Catalog. When a difference exists, the MPAS program policy should be considered the policy of record.

The MPAS program is designed as a full-time “lock-step” 27-month, 113 semester credit hour program consisting of seven consecutive semesters. The semesters are divided between a 13-month didactic phase and a 14-month clinical phase. All program courses must be completed

ADVANCED PLACEMENT (I.E., CREDIT FOR PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED COURSEWORK) IS NOT AN OPTION

Attaining the MPAS degree will require the successful completion of all didactic and clinical phase coursework. Specifics regarding course completion deadlines/requirements are noted in course syllabi and/or course-specific Moodle classrooms. Unless otherwise noted in the syllabi or Moodle classroom, failing to complete all required course assignments may result in a failing grade for that course and subsequently prevent the student from progressing to the next semester.

Satisfactory progress through the program requires a minimum passing grade of C (73%) in each course; a 3.0000 GPA in each semester, and a minimum 3.0000 cumulative GPA. Failing to receive a final passing grade in any didactic phase coursework included in the first 4 semesters, will result in either deceleration or dismissal and automatically prevent students from progressing to the next semester. Failing to receive a passing grade in clinical phase SCPE coursework will result in deceleration or dismissal or require remediation (e.g., repeating a supervised clinical practice experience) automatically resulting in delay of graduation.

Students in the MPAS Program are expected to complete all coursework in the program in lock-step fashion, successfully completing all required courses each semester to progress to the next semester. In the didactic phase of the program, withdrawal from a course is the equivalent of withdrawing from the program. In the clinical-phase of the program, withdrawing from a SCPE course does not necessarily prevent the students from progressing to the next course, depending on the issues involved, but would automatically result in a delay of graduation.

Student must secure and maintain stable and consistent wifi capability to use the platforms such as, but not limited to, Zoom for participation in online/distance learning class requirements and activities.

Lectures/Program activities cannot be recorded by students unless prior authorization has been provided as an appropriate accommodation from the PRC, due to a documented diagnosis. The Program records classroom lectures for students review, unless lecturer request not to record. 

Academic Advisors

All students are assigned an academic advisor from matriculation to graduation, within the program to monitor their progress and to recommend resources if experiencing academic difficulties (importantly, students do not need referral from program faculty to receive services for college resources such as those offered by the Powell Resource Center). Students who fail to maintain the academic requirements are subject to probation, deceleration, or dismissal (details are noted in the MPAS Program Student Handbooks).

Achieving and Maintaining Good Academic Standing

A student must achieve and maintain the required course grade and Cumulative semester Grade Point Averages (GPAs) to remain in good academic standing and graduate from the PA Program. Performance in courses is commonly assessed by written and/or practical examinations, oral presentations and/or research papers. In designated courses throughout the program, grades will be recorded as a raw score and a percentage. At the end of each course the percentage scores will be converted, following the Professionalism Demeanor Multiplier (PDM – described below), to a grade, A through F, for each of the core PA courses. 

The MPAS Program uses the following grading conversion scale for all course grades:

• 90.0000-100 = A
• 80.0000-89.9999 = B
• 73.0000-79.9999 = C
• <73.0000 = F

Details Regarding Progression (i.e., promotion from one semester to the next)

The following policies apply to student progression in the MPAS Program:

• Students are required to complete the designated professional curriculum, as designed, in the full-time sequence specified.
• Progression will be a function of successfully passing all required courses, with a grade of 73% or greater, in each semester, achieving a minimum semester and cumulative GPA of 3.0000, continuing to meet all technical standards, and meeting all other program policies/standards in each semester (e.g., immunization and CPR requirements, health insurance requirements, malpractice insurance requirements, student conduct policies/standards).
• Didactic Phase
  • Each semester’s course work is to be considered pre-requisite to the next semester.
  • Students are expected to complete each semester on time as a cohort.
  • Failing to receive a passing grade in didactic phase coursework, following all offered exam remediation opportunities, will prevent students from progressing to the next semester.
    • In such cases, students are either dismissed from the program or offered deceleration as explained in the deceleration section below.
  • Clinical Phase
    • Clinical Phase Coursework includes Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences (SCPEs), Research coursework, and the Summative Course.
    • As with the Didactic Phase, coursework will be full-time in the sequence designated and as assigned at the beginning of the clinical phase of training.
      • Although, at the discretion of the Director of Clinical Education, there may be a necessity to change the order of the Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences (SCPEs), there is no possibility to change the order of didactic, research, or summative course work.
    • Students are expected to complete each semester on time as a cohort.
    • Failing to receive a passing grade in SCPE coursework, will either require SCPE course remediation or result in deceleration or dismissal as described in the Student Clinical Handbook.
    • Remediation for Supervised Clinical Practice Experience (SCPE) courses will automatically result in delay of graduation.
      • Students are responsible for any associated tuition and fees related to SCPE course remediation.
    • Students are permitted to remediate - via course repeat - a maximum of one SCPE course.
      • Any repeated SCPE course will take place after the summative phase of the student’s program and, as such, will automatically result in delay of graduation. The student is responsible for any additional tuition and fees related to the additional course or coursework.
      • If a student, on reattempt, fails the same individual SCPE course (i.e., failing the same SCPE course twice), the student will automatically be dismissed from the program.
      • If more than one individual SCPE courses (i.e., two different SCPE courses) are not passed successfully, students will automatically be dismissed from the program.
      • If a student is unsuccessful with passing a second individual SCPE course, even if an earlier SCPE course has been successfully remediated, they will automatically be dismissed from the program.
      • When a student does not meet minimum requirements for a SCPE course they receive an “F”, and must repeat the SCPE course, resulting in a delay of graduation while automatically being placed on academic probation. If the student fails to meet minimum requirements for the repeat course, this is considered a 2nd course failure in the program which per policy results in automatic dismissal. Academic probation will not prohibit the student from progressing through the clinical phase but must be removed by the SPC prior to graduation. This is specific to the Clinical Phase only.
      • For students receiving a failing grade on a SCPE, students may be given the opportunity to remediate the rotation by completing a second rotation of the same type (e.g., Emergency Medicine).
      • The decision to permit remediation of a rotation depends in part on the reasons behind the failure; such decisions will be made by achieving consensus between the Department Chair/Program Director, Medical Director, and the Director of Clinical Education.
      • See the information detailed in the MPAS Student Handbook within the Academic Policies/Requirements for Promotion & Graduation and Policies and Procedures for Academic & Behavioral Probation, Deceleration & Dismissal sections of this webpage.
      • End-of-Program Summative Evaluation Failures
      • Students must achieve a score of 73% or greater on the summative MCQ exam and an 80% or greater on the combined score of the two OSCEs to pass the course. Failure to achieve a final grade of 80% or greater in the summative course will require remediation.
    • Failing to meet all technical standards and/or student conduct policies/standards, as outlined in this MPAS student handbook, the MPAS student Clinical Handbook, and the Emory & Henry Graduate Catalog will result in automatic referral to the Student Progressions Committee and Academic and/or Behavioral Probation and subsequent consequences up to and including deceleration or dismissal from the program.

Throughout and at the end of each semester, the Student Progression Committee will meet to discuss each student’s level of success. Students who do not attain and maintain a 3.0000 semester GPA, do not achieve a passing grade in individual courses, or have student conduct issues during the semester, will receive a letter/email from the Committee and/or Department Chair/Program Director notifying them of their evaluation within the Student Profession Committee and their individual progression status. In such cases, progression status can include:

• For didactic phase coursework:
  • At risk for academic probation, deceleration, or dismissal
  • At risk for behavioral probation, deceleration, or dismissal
  • Academic probation, deceleration, or dismissal
  • Behavioral probation, deceleration, or dismissal
• For clinical phase coursework:
  • At risk for academic probation, deceleration, or dismissal
  • At risk for behavioral probation, deceleration, or dismissal
  • Academic probation, deceleration or dismissal
  • Behavioral probation, deceleration, or dismissal
  • Required repeat of an SCPE course resulting in delay of graduation

In the Summative Course, which takes place in the last semester of the program, the student must pass all components to pass the course (for most up to date Summative specific course requirements please see syllabus).

• Upon passing, and with the completion of all other program requirements, students will be recommended for graduation.

Student Success Plan (ie: Remediation of At-risk Students)

Didactic Phase Students:

Any student receiving grade less than 80.0000% in a course will be viewed by the program as ‘at risk’. At risk didactic students will be required to complete the following:

1. For the first incident of ‘at risk’ performance: the student must meet with their advisor, and specific course director if deemed necessary by the advisor, to develop a unique student success plan (e.g. develop study calendar, PRC referral, retrieval learning assignments) and complete this within 4 weeks demonstrating improvement.
2. If continuing to demonstrate ‘at risk’ performance or for a second instance: the student must meet with the specific course director for an enhanced student success plan (e.g. Rosh Review, Aquifer cases, research, remediation of clinical skills, additional time at the MLFC) and must complete over 4 weeks demonstrating improvement.
3. For further continuing to demonstrate ‘at risk’ performance or for a third instance: the student will meet with the course director and DDE, and if deemed necessary, the SPC for possible deceleration or other requirements as recommended by the SPC to the Program Director. 

Clinical Phase Students:

Any student receiving grade/s less than 80.0000% or scoring ‘non-competent’ on any graded component will be viewed by the program as ‘at risk’.  At risk clinical students will be required to complete the following:

1. For the first incident of ‘at risk’ performance: the student must meet with DCE to develop
   a unique student success plan (e.g. develop study calendar, PRC referral, retrieval learning assignments) and complete this within 4 weeks demonstrate improvement.
2. If continuing to demonstrate ‘at risk’ performance or for a second instance: the student
   will meet with the SPC for possible deceleration, dismissal, or other requirements as
   recommended by the SPC to the Program Director.