PAS 5333 - Cultural Competence and Health Disparities

CIP Code 510912
3 Credit Hours
Students will engage in critical thinking regarding fundamental ethical, legal, cultural, and social issues concerning health, medical practice, access to health care and public policy. By taking note of the plurality of cultural and social contexts in which medical care and moral discourse about medical care take place, students will explore the values, ideologies, and institutional practices that shape the meanings that health, illness, and acceptable medical practices have for patients and health care practitioners and how those meanings influence medical decision-making and interactions between patients and health care practitioners. By considering the impact of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic health disparities, students will become better prepared to provide care to patients from diverse populations. The student will also be introduced to the field of public health and its role in ensuring healthy populations and mitigating health disparities. The course will expose students to issues particular to caring for underserved populations with cultural sensitivity while gaining knowledge in developing cultural competency for the treatment of patients from diverse populations with an emphasis on American Indian health care. Students will improve professional communication skills through practice of basic counseling and patient education skills for health promotion related to knowledge previously acquired for various disease states.
Restrictions: Acceptance into the Physician Assistant Studies program with successful completion of previous semester; Cumulative 3.0 GPA; and permission from PAS Program Director.