Curriculum & Clinical Experiences
How You’ll Learn in the MPAS Program
The Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) curriculum at Rocky Mountain College is designed to help you build a strong foundation in medical knowledge, develop practical clinical skills, and gain experience caring for patients across a range of settings—including rural and underserved communities in the intermountain West.
Over 26 months, you’ll move through an intensive didactic phase followed by supervised clinical experiences in family medicine, emergency care, surgery, and other specialties.
Program Structure
TOTAL LENGTH
26 Months (Full-Time)
Degree Awarded
Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS)
Cohort Size
48 STUDENTS PER CLASS
SEQUENCE
Didactic phase: classroom-based coursework, labs, and skills development
Clinical experiences phase: supervised experiences in multiple disciplines and settings
Each phase builds on the other so that by the time you graduate, you are ready to step into practice and care for patients with confidence.
Didactic Curriculum
During the didactic portion of the program, you will complete intensive coursework that provides the scientific and clinical foundation for practice as a physician assistant.
Core Medical Sciences
You will study:
- Anatomy and physiology
- Pathophysiology
- Pharmacology
- Microbiology and immunology
- Clinical laboratory science
Coursework emphasizes understanding disease processes, mechanisms of action for medications, and how laboratory and imaging studies inform diagnosis and management.
Clinical Medicine & Decision-Making
You’ll also complete courses organized around common clinical presentations and organ systems, such as:
- Cardiovascular and pulmonary medicine
- Gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary disease
- Musculoskeletal and orthopedic conditions
- Endocrine and metabolic disorders
- Neurology and psychiatry
- Women’s health and pediatrics
- Infectious disease and dermatology
These courses help you connect pathophysiology and pharmacology to patient assessment, diagnosis, and management.
Clinical Skills & Professional Development
In addition to the core sciences, you will:
- Learn history-taking and physical examination techniques
- Practice documentation and oral case presentation
- Develop skills in patient counseling and shared decision-making
- Explore ethics, professionalism, and the PA role within the healthcare team
- Engage in simulation and lab-based experiences to apply classroom concepts
Faculty use case-based learning, small-group discussions, and simulated patient encounters to help you think like a clinician from early in the program.
Clinical Experiences
After building your foundation in the classroom, you will move into supervised clinical experiences where you apply what you’ve learned in a range of care settings.
Core Supervised Experiences
Typical core experiences include:
Family medicine / primary care
Internal medicine
Emergency care
General surgery and surgical specialties
Pediatrics
Women’s health
Behavioral health
In each area, you work under the supervision of physicians and experienced PAs who guide your patient assessments, procedures, and management plans while gradually increasing your responsibility as you demonstrate competence.
Emphasis on Rural and Underserved Settings
Consistent with the program’s mission, many clinical experiences occur in rural and underserved communities across Montana and neighboring states.
In these settings you may:
- Care for patients in small hospitals and clinics where specialty services are distant
- See a wide mix of acute and chronic conditions in the same day
- Coordinate care with limited local resources and referral options
- Experience the close relationships that often develop in smaller communities
“I graduated and stepped right into a position at one of my clinical sites in a small town in northeastern Montana. Having a job lined up before graduation—and in a place I already knew I loved—was a huge relief.”
Sierra, MPAS ’22 – Physician Assistant, Montana
How Clinical Experiences Lead to First Jobs
Preceptors who supervise students from multiple programs regularly comment on the preparation, work ethic, and compassion of Rocky MPAS students.
Emergency Medicine – Williston, ND
“RMC does it again! Giving me amazing preceptees!! … This student was absolutely amazing… It’s not often you get a student who so naturally becomes part of the team, but he did exactly that. He jumped right in, offered help before being asked, and stayed calm and focused in situations that would overwhelm many people… He was comforting, patient, and an incredible listener… He has the perfect balance of intelligence, compassion, work ethic, and humility… Any department would be incredibly lucky to have him.”
Dermatology – Helena, MT
“This student arrived at this rotation prepared to work hard accompanied by a hard-won fund of knowledge that prepared her to learn dermatology most effectively… She immediately became part of the office family… Our clinic has hosted medical students, nurse practitioner students, and many PA students. She is a tribute to the rigorous education received at Rocky Mountain College and will always shine brightly as a member of our team. I would recommend her for any job, anywhere when she becomes a licensed physician assistant.”
These comments mirror what your survey data show: that Rocky students arrive at supervised clinical experiences with a solid foundation and grow into capable, trusted members of the care team.
How Clinical Experiences Lead to First Jobs
Many graduates describe their clinical experiences as the key step toward their first PA positions:
Some graduates accept offers directly from sites where they completed their supervised clinical experiences.
Others receive strong referrals from preceptors who have seen their performance up close.
Many feel more confident starting in challenging roles because they have already worked in similar environments during the program.
“During my second-year rotations, I worked with the gynecologic oncology group I’m with today. They kept telling me, ‘We really like you; we appreciate you; you’re good at this.’ That rotation opened the door to my first PA position, and it’s been a really great first job.”
— Lauren, MPAS ’23 – Physician Assistant, Montana
“Rocky gave me exactly what I needed to step into orthopedics right after graduation. The academics were rigorous and my professors genuinely wanted us to be better providers. Now I’m in Dillon assisting with everything from joint replacements to sports-related surgeries, and I feel well-prepared for each day.”
— Trinity, MPAS ’24 – Orthopedic PA, Montana
What This Means for You
As an MPAS student at Rocky Mountain College, you can expect:
- A demanding but supportive didactic curriculum that builds deep medical knowledge and clinical reasoning
- Supervised clinical experiences across primary care, emergency care, surgery, and other specialties—including placements in rural and underserved communities
- Close interaction with preceptors who challenge you, support you, and often become references or future colleagues
- A clear link between your supervised experiences and early employment opportunities
Together, the curriculum and clinical experiences are structured so that when you graduate, you are ready to care for patients, pass your certification exam, and step into roles that fit your goals and the needs of the communities you serve.