Core Courses and Practicum

The DMSc program’s high impact set of core courses affords PAs an evidence-based foundation of essential tools for workplace improvement, which is referred to as the Implementation Science Tool Kit.

Grounded in implementation science, the core courses enable PAs to identify opportunities for meaningful workplace change; discover, design, and communicate valid and reliable solutions; and skillfully lead change efforts. Research methodology courses are designed specifically for PAs to master skills in critical appraisal and non-mathematical statistical analysis. The Scholarly Writing and Publication course facilitates mastery of written communication, and the Empowering PA Leaders course inspires PAs to realize their potential as stewards of meaningful change. Integrative Population Health is a culmination of crucial concepts taught in prior courses and provides PAs a systematic approach to expanding effective and equitable access to healthcare at the population level.

The DMSc practicum/capstone courses are designed to facilitate student application of implementation skills to real-world professional challenges in the context of smaller class sizes. The practicum allows PAs to hone their capacity for initiating, designing, and evaluating effective workplace improvement efforts. During the practicum courses, students will complete an applied implementation project that outlines a comprehensive and evidence-based plan to address a professional practice disparity. The focus of the project will be (i) critical appraisal of a practice gap and potential solutions; (ii) stakeholder engagement strategies; (iii) creation and measurement of an implementation plan; (iv) strategies to evaluate implementation outcomes and project sustainability; and (v) dissemination of findings. Throughout the course of their practicum, students will identify sources of implementation-relevant data, engage local stakeholders, and collaborate with professional colleagues to create solutions to real-world problems. Through dissemination and scale-up assessments, students devise strategies to communicate their evidence-based change endeavors to scholarly audiences in a supportive learning environment. At the completion of their practicum coursework, students are prepared to leverage implementation science in their workplace and share lessons learned on broader stages to support others in making similar advances.