Medical Science - DMSc

Degree Offered

Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc)

Program Admissions

Application requirements are listed below:

An official application
75.00 application fee
No GRE Required
Official transcripts from all former institutions
Statement detailing a practice based issue or problem you are interested in improving.
3 letters of recommendation
Current CV/Resume
NCCPA Certification, current and active
Current Licensure in the US, preference for regional licensure- MD, DC,DE, PA
2 years minimum clinical experience or graduation from an accredited post graduate residency

Admission requirements are listed below:

A copy of your valid, unrestricted (current) Physician’s Assistant (PA) license in the United States. Students enrolled in the DMSc program must have an unencumbered license to be admitted and they must maintain licensure for the duration of their enrollment.
Applicants must report board actions and other professional actions on acceptance of admission. Students who are subject to actions during the time of their enrollment are required to inform the DMSc Graduate Program Director. Certain actions may limit the student’s clinical placement.
The date varies each semester, but students should be compliant at least two weeks prior to the start of the semester and remain compliant throughout enrollment.If you are not compliant before the start of the semester, you may be ineligible to register for and/or attend clinical. UMB Student Health may also place a registration hold on your account.

Program Description

The DMSc curriculum was designed to prepare PA leaders to navigate the complexity of healthcare delivery while improving healthcare outcomes and access. The curriculum was informed by the national PA competencies, PA educators, PA researchers from the Physician Assistant Leadership and Learning Academy (PALLA), alumni and students.

The UMB DMSc is unique in its design, we provide a common foundational core to all students and allow our students to choose focus areas from the myriad of courses we offer at UMB. Examples include taking elective courses in palliative care, thanatology, social innovation, intercultural leadership, health professions education, integrative medicine, or health informatics.

Educational-Learning Outcomes

Upon the completion of the Doctor of Medical Science for PAs, graduates will be able to:

Demonstrate knowledge about established and evolving biomedical and clinical sciences and the application of this knowledge to patient care.
Demonstrate interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information, advancing learning, and healthcare in collaboration with patients, families, and health professional team members.
Demonstrate leadership ability to engage with a variety of other health care professionals in a manner to optimize safe, effective, patient- and population-centered care.
Engage in reflection and critical analysis of one’s own practice experience, the medical literature, and other information resources for the purposes of self-evaluation, lifelong learning, practice improvement, and organizational health.
Demonstrate a commitment to practicing medicine ethically and in legally appropriate ways and emphasizing professional maturity and accountability for delivering safe, quality, affordable health care to patients and populations.
Provide person-centered care that includes patient- and setting-specific assessment, evaluation, and management and healthcare that is evidence-based, supports patient safety, and advances health equity.
Recognize and understand the influences of the ecosystem of person, family, population, environment, and policy on the health of patients and integrate the knowledge of these determinants of health into patient care decisions.
Utilize principles of intercultural leadership, health system science, implementation and dissemination science when dealing with complex problems to promote the strategic use of resources to improve care and operational effectiveness.

Degree Requirements

The following coursework will be offered online. These courses are generally 8-weeks in length and delievered in sequential order. With asynchronous and select synchronous options, students may study anytime, or anywhere.

15 credits (6 courses) from the MS Health Science - PA curriculum
5 credits (2 courses) from elective based on student interest/need
24 credits (8 courses) of didactic coursework

The following coursework will take place in-person, under the supervision of PA faculty with clinical practice and leadership experience within the state and at UMB.

16 credits (3 courses) of clinical and impact labs and capstone

The in-person component of the curriculum (impact labs/clinical symposiums) will require students to attend about four days of face-to-face lectures, training, discussions, and presentations at UMB’s campus in Baltimore, MD during the summer session.

Exact dates will depend on faculty, student, and facility availability. Students entering the programs in the fall will be expected to report to campus the following summer.

Program Completion Timeline

The degree is designed for completion within three academic years of part-time study. Students will have up to six years to complete curriculum.
Participants can start the program in the fall term only.

Required Coursework

DMSC 710	HEALTHCARE SYSTEM SCIENCE, ORGANIZATIONAL MICROECONOMICS AND FINANCE	3
DMSC 712	HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION LAW AND ETHICS	3
DMSC 713	CLINICAL SYMPOSIUM 1	6
DMSC 714	LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY	3
DMSC 716	CLINICAL LEARNING AND PRACTICE REFLECTION	3
INFO 604	DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS IN HEALTHCARE	3

MHS 600	INTRODUCTION TO LIBRARY RESOURCES AND SCHOLARLY WRITING	1
MHS 602	LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES FOR HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES AND CLINICAL PROFESSIONALS	2
MHS 608	RESEARCH SEMINAR I	3
MHS 615	BIOSTATISTICS FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS	3
MHS 630	ESSENTIALS OF CHRONIC INFECTIOUS EPIDEMIOLOGY	3
MHS 652	LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNICATION	3

Previous MHS coursework is transferrable.