WESTERN MPAS > AboutYear 1: Pre-Clerkship
The first year focuses on building the foundation needed for clinical practice.
Students learn:
Medical sciences, including anatomy, physiology, pathology and pharmacology
Patient history-taking and physical examination skills
Clinical reasoning and diagnostic decision-making
Professionalism, ethics and healthcare team collaboration
Research methods and quality improvement
Learning takes place through in-person lectures, case-based learning, simulation and standardized patient encounters.
Students also have opportunities to learn alongside medical students, reflecting the collaborative nature of modern healthcare teams.