Overview of Your DMSc Studies Program

The Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) Program at Marshall B. Ketchum University is dedicated to the ongoing pursuit of academic excellence and to the continuous professional growth of physician associates/assistants. This DMSc program is a 100% online, asynchronous experience that emphasizes excellence in practical knowledge and scholarship. 

The program offers a six-month bridge option for recent graduates of ARC-PA-accredited schools who completed their degree within 2 academic years of the DMSc start date, and a 12-month option for experienced PAs. Both concentrations culminate in the award of the Doctor of Medical Science degree.

Two Concentrations

The DMSc program has two concentrations: 1) PA Education and 2) Healthcare Administration and Leadership. The PA Education concentration is designed for PAs who currently teach at one of the more than 300 accredited U.S. PA schools or aspire to do so. The Healthcare Administration and Leadership concentration is designed for PAs in leadership roles or those seeking increased administrative and leadership responsibilities. 

PA Education

This concentration is for PAs who serve or aspire to serve in PA education by building skills in educational theory, instructional strategies, and a scholarly approach to medical education. Marshall B. Ketchum University’s DMSc PA Medical Education Concentration was designed to give PA faculty the skills to succeed in academia. The curriculum aligns with the PA educator competencies outlined by PAEA: teaching; learner-centeredness; interprofessional communication skills; professionalism and role-modeling; program and curriculum design and implementation; program evaluation; scholarship development; leadership; and mentorship. This program will prepare our students to:

1. Apply learning theory and concepts from the medical education literature to advance student learning and improve program effectiveness by developing competencies in:
   1. Student-Centered Teaching
   2. Effective Communication Skills
   3. Professionalism and Role Modeling
   4. Program and Curriculum Design and Implementation
   5. Program Evaluation
2. Design, develop, and execute projects that improve student learning outcomes, program curriculum or operations, and ARC-PA accreditation compliance, including program self-assessment.
3. Develop professional medical writing skills to advance the PA profession.

Healthcare Administration and Leadership

This concentration is for PAs who serve or aspire to serve in an array of health system roles, including clinical management, administrative, and executive leadership positions. The Healthcare Administration and Leadership Concentration is designed to equip PAs with the skills to excel as leaders in their respective healthcare delivery or other healthcare-related organizations. The curriculum aligns with the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) competencies, including leadership, communication and relationship management, professional and social responsibility, health and the healthcare environment, and business. Upon completion of the Healthcare Administration and Leadership Concentration, graduates will be able to:

1. Create a shared vision and successfully manage change to achieve an organization’s strategic ends and successful performance.
2. Communicate clearly and concisely with internal and external customers, establish and maintain relationships, and facilitate constructive interactions with individuals and groups.
3. Align personal and organizational conduct with ethical and professional standards that include a responsibility to the patient and community, a service orientation, and a commitment to lifelong learning and improvement.
4. Understand the U.S. healthcare system and the environment in which healthcare managers and providers function.
5. Apply business principles, including systems thinking, to the healthcare environment.
6. Develop professional medical/scholarly writing skills to advance the PA profession

Six-Month Bridge from PA School

Only those PAs who graduated from an ARC-PA-accredited PA school within the last two academic years are considered for this program option. Students enrolled in this option will take several courses alongside the 12-month program, with a Bridge Scholarly Project unique to this option. Successful graduates of this concentration will be able to:

1. Apply advanced and specialized administrative knowledge with an emphasis on:
   1. Interpersonal Communication Skills
   2. Professionalism
   3. Organization-Based Healthcare Management
   4. Practice-Based Learning and Improvement
2. Demonstrate skills needed to understand leadership needs at local and global healthcare institutions.
3. Design, develop, and execute projects that improve patient outcomes.
4. Develop professional medical writing skills to advance the PA profession.

Academic Requirements

All courses are asynchronous and are taught 100% online, and student cohorts follow the same academic schedule. All course activities are to be completed within their assigned quarter as outlined in individual course syllabi. The courses are designed for working PAs and recognize that we are competing with each student’s other daily work and family priorities.

To successfully complete the Doctor of Medical Science Program and graduate, a student must complete and pass each course and the final Scholarly Project. The Doctor of Medical Science Program monitors student performance and progress on an ongoing basis. To graduate from the program and earn a DMSc degree, students must complete all coursework with a passing grade of 73% (C) or better and maintain a minimum overall GPA of 3.0.

Scholarly Project

All students will complete an Evidence-Based Medicine course, and students in the 12-month program will complete three courses that culminate in a publishable manuscript. Those in the bridge program will do this through one course. The goal of the Scholarly Project Course or Course Series is to guide students through the development and completion of a publishable manuscript. Students will conduct a comprehensive literature review, develop a structured academic outline to guide the writing and formatting of a manuscript for publication, learn to navigate the manuscript submission process, respond to peer-review feedback, and finally reflect on the process in the spirit of self-improvement.

Faculty

The MBKU faculty comprises principal and adjunct faculty who deliver the doctoral-level content to DMSc students. This blend of diverse, talented expertise provides students with excellent educational experiences and mentorship.

In addition to the faculty's primary goal of achieving excellence in teaching, faculty are also actively engaged in research and scholarly activities, and regularly participate in professional, educational, and scientific organizations at local, state, and national levels.

Faculty are also involved in state and national leadership roles that help shape policy and decision-making to influence the future of physician assistant education and the profession. View Directory

Doctor of Medical Science Degree

The Doctor of Medical Science has emerged as the premier PA-specific post-professional terminal degree. The Doctor of Medical Science degree will be conferred on students who are officially admitted to, and who satisfactorily complete, the Marshall B. Ketchum Doctor of Medical Science post-professional curriculum.

Doctor of Medical Science degrees are conferred at the University’s Commencement Exercise, which is held each November at the conclusion of the fall quarter.

Transcript Requests

Requests for the release of records for currently enrolled students must be made through the Office of Student Affairs.

Research

All students enrolled in either of the 12-month concentrations will complete an Evidence-Based Medicine course followed by the three-course Scholarly Project Series that provide students with the structure and guidance to design, execute, and disseminate a Doctoral-Level Scholarly Project, facilitate students building collaborations within their professional networks to continue engagement and advancement of their Doctoral Projects, guide students in navigating the journal peer-review and submission process, and to build skills necessary to engage ongoing Doctoral pursuits and publication. Those enrolled in the Bridge program will be guided through these steps in an accelerated manner. (See descriptions above for more detail)

Technical Standards

Doctorally trained PAs must not only have the knowledge and skills to practice in a variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of care based on the patient’s needs, but also to effectively teach future PAs and or manage and lead healthcare delivery and other related organizations. To successfully complete the DMSc program, students must demonstrate proficiency in academic activities regarding the competencies described below.

• Observation: Students must have sufficient sensory capacity to effectively interact with an electronic, cloud-based, asynchronous educational environment.
• Communication: Students must be able communicate effectively and efficiently in oral and written English, demonstrate reading skills at a level sufficient to accomplish curricular requirements.
• Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities: These include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Problem solving requires all these intellectual abilities. Students must be able to interpret dimensional relationships, search, read, and interpret medical literature, and have the ability to incorporate new information from peers, teachers, and the medical literature.
• Behavioral and Social Attributes: Compassion, integrity, ethical standards, interpersonal skills, and motivation are all personal qualities important for any PA to be successful in their career. DMSc candidates must demonstrate the maturity and emotional stability required for full use of their intellectual abilities, accept responsibility for learning, exercising good judgment, and promptly completing all responsibilities, understand the legal and ethical aspects of their unique professional situation, and function within both the law and ethical standards of the medical profession. Also, candidates are expected to interact with all academic and work contacts in a courteous, professional, and respectful manner, be able to manage multiple priorities simultaneously, to function effectively under stress, and to display flexibility and adaptability to changing environments. The most successful DMSc candidates are those who are able to contribute to collaborative, constructive learning environment, accept constructive feedback from others, and take personal responsibility for making appropriate positive changes as needed.
• MBKU Student Disabilities Services: It is our experience that individuals with disabilities, as defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, are qualified to study and work as health care professionals and scientists with the use of reasonable accommodations. To be qualified for health sciences programs at MBKU those individuals must be able to meet both our academic standards and the technical standards, with reasonable accommodations if necessary. For further information regarding services and resources for students with disabilities and/or to request accommodations, please contact the Enrollment and Student Services Office at StudentServices@ketchum.edu.
• Student Work Policy: Students are not permitted to substitute for or function as faculty or staff, except as approved by the Program Director. Students with specific prior knowledge, experiences, or skills may assist faculty in select sessions to share their knowledge and skills. Although our program is designed for students who will also be working full-or-part-time, DMSc candidates are expected to manage their time such that they will fully engage in all instructional activities and satisfy all their educational requirements.