Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc)

Mission

• Our mission is to advance Physician Assistant Education and cultivate exemplary lifelong learners through transformative educational experience focusing on leadership, evidence-based medical education and healthcare entrepreneurship to solve real-world healthcare problems. We believe in clinicians who will excel in not just medical knowledge, but also ethical clinical, business or educational practice and focus on student or patient-centered care. Our program strives to produce graduates who demonstrate a deep commitment to improving the well-being of individuals and communities, build value for their practice, and advance their career.

Values

• Excellence: We strive for the highest standards of academic, business and clinical excellence, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and a commitment to lifelong learning.
• Integrity: We uphold the highest ethical standards, promoting honesty, transparency, and integrity in all aspects of education, research, and healthcare business activities.
• Strategic Leadership: We inspire strategic leadership qualities in our students, empowering them to navigate complex healthcare environments and be influencers in healthcare policy, research, organizational management, and practice.
• Diversity and Inclusion: We are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion, recognizing the value of a diverse healthcare workforce in addressing the unique needs of a multicultural society.
• Quality Improvement: We are committed to continuous quality improvement, emphasizing the importance of data driven decision-making and evidence-based practices in healthcare education and business operations.
• Innovation: We embrace innovation in education and healthcare administration, encouraging creative thinking and adaptability to advancements in medical science, education, and technology that enhance operational efficiency of evolving landscape of healthcare.
• Collaboration: We believe in the power of collaboration, fostering a supportive and inclusive learning environment that encourages teamwork, communication, and mutual respect among students, faculty, healthcare professionals and business leaders.
• Community Impact: We aim to make a positive impact on the health and well-being of communities locally and globally, instilling a sense of social responsibility in our graduates.

• 100% online asynchronous
• 12 months (4 terms)
• 36 credit hours
• Cohort-based

Cohort entering Spring 2025 – Total costs are $28,450 for 36 credit-hour program with no additional program fees.  

Students who bring in applicable transfer credit approved by the program director may be eligible for reduced cost of $790 per credit hour.

Core Curiculum

• Scholarly Project I (DMS 901) – 1 credit hour – Offered Term 1
  • This course will introduce learners to scholarly research of evidence-based medicine, framework of qualitative and quantitative designs, statistical assessment, and focus on PICO vs PDSA frameworks, necessary for their scholarly project. The course will also examine elements required for successful publication. (Not required for UT PA program graduates).
• Scholarly Project II (DMS 902) – 5 credit hours – Offered Term 3
  • This course is the second of 3 parts and will focus on writing the piece for those electing a literature review; and for those doing original research, performing the study, and collecting and analyzing the results.
• Scholarly Project III (DMS903) – 5 credit hours – Offered Term 4
  • This course is the last of 3 parts and will focus on finalizing their research and dissemination to the respective journals.
• Global and Community Health (DMS910) – 5 credit hours – Offered Term 1
  • The course will address social and behavioral determinants of health and its effects on quality and patient safety, epidemiology of clinical disease, disaster situations, population health issues, as well as diversity, equity, health advocacy and promotion on global and focal spectrum. The course will further explore barriers and their solutions in interprofessional and patient communication in medicine. (Not required for UT PA program graduates).
• Healthcare Law and Systems (DMS911) – 5 credit hours – Offered Term 2
  • The course will address ethical and legal considerations in healthcare, healthcare policy development as well as PA role in today’s healthcare. The course will cover the healthcare system in the US as well as globally.

Concentrations

Higher Education in Healthcare Concentration:

• Curriculum Design for Adult Learners (DMS920) – 5 credit hours – Offered Term 2
  • This course will address diversity in healthcare education and sociocultural contexts of teaching and learning and evaluate the adult learning theories and processes. The course will further address PA/medical program teaching strategies and curriculum design of educational experience with graduate student’s perspectives in mind.
• Educational Strategy, Technology, and Simulation (DMS921) – 5 credit hours – Offered Term 3
  • This course will review various competency based educational approaches to include effective student assessment and feedback strategy. The course will explore the incorporation of educational simulation and technology in health professions instruction.
• Health Profession Program Development and Implementation (DMS922) – 5 credit hours – Offered Term 4
  • This course will provide framework for a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory and accreditation requirements for health profession programs, from initiation and design to process improvement implementation and approach to challenges commonly encountered throughout the daily operations.

Healthcare Leader and Entrepreneurship Concentration:

• Healthcare Finance (DMS930) – 5 credit hours – Offered Term 2
  • This course will focus on business concepts to equip PAs with skills in healthcare finance, resource allocation, and healthcare administration topics such as planning or designing budgets, organizing, communication and documenting techniques to improve organizational outcomes and create future value. The course will further equip students with skills in accounting for both managerial and financial benefit.
• Healthcare Administration and Management (DMS931) – 5 credit hours – Offered Term 3
  • This course will direct learners to break down healthcare organization’s structure, legal framework, and focus on concepts to increase problem solving, communication, and improve management practices. The course will also examine and focus on developing appropriate managing styles. This course will further address financial and human resource management, as well as managing conflict, change implementation, and team development to not only improve communication between individual employees and corporate representative, but to improve health outcomes through efficiency in clinical setting.
• Healthcare Economics (DMS932) – 5 credit hours – Offered Term 4
  • This course will discuss basic topics in economics and progress into a deep dive of healthcare economics and evolve knowledge in topics covering healthcare payment systems and insurance markets, financial management, reimbursements, and payment negotiation.