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Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Technology -- Physician Assistant Studies option

ACP students focused on a pathway to a graduate program in Physician Assistant Studies are enrolled in the B.S. in Biomedical Technology program with a concentration in Clinical Laboratory Sciences, a degree in the field of laboratory diagnostics.

During the freshman and sophomore years, students in the program enjoy opportunities to develop a strong background in basic science as well as a liberal arts core that encourages personal intellectual growth and a sense of professionalism. During the sophomore year, students will be able to begin their Early Health Care Experience (required 1,000 hours), which is critical to the application to Physician Assistant Studies programs. Throughout the curriculum, students will be assisted in obtaining the appropriate exposure to patient care and the health care environment. This experience may be undertaken as part of the academic curriculum or students may choose to obtain the experience during the summers. Faculty at ACP and Albany Medical College will assist the student in documenting the activities that they pursue.

Professional courses in the Clinical Laboratory Sciences concentration begin in the junior year and continue through the summer between the junior and senior years. In the fall and spring of the senior year, students spend several hours a week in clinical laboratories around the Capital Region. Classes on campus on Mondays and Fridays offer not only laboratory management and molecular diagnostics, but also the opportunity to perform clinical correlations, during which students integrate the information from all clinical laboratory testing to build a comprehensive picture of the patient's health.

Upon completion of the program, in addition to being prepared to seek admission to a graduate program in Physician Assistant Studies -- either through ACP's academic affiliation with Albany Medical College's Center for Physician Assistant Studies or another avenue -- students are eligible to take the national certification examination in a clinical laboratory specialty such as Clinical Microbiology, Hematology or Clinical Chemistry.

ACP's B.S. in Biomedical Technology degree program has clinical affiliations with the following hospitals: St. Peter's Hospital, Northeast Health, Ellis Hospital, Seton Health, Albany Medical Center Hospital, Sunrise Medical Associates, Stratton VA Hospital and the New York State Department of Health Wadsworth Center for Laboratories and Research. In addition, the College participates in an academic affiliation with The College of St. Rose and Sage College of Albany.

Biomedical Technology B.S. Clinical Laboratory Sciences concentration/Physician Assistant Studies curriculum (subject to change)

FIRST YEAR
Fall		Spring
General Biology I	4	General Biology II	4
General Chemistry I	4	General Chemistry II	4
Humanities I	3	Humanities II	3
Mathematical Concepts	3	Elective	3
Academic Reading and Writing or Principles of Communication*	3	Calculus	3
Total Hours	17	Total Hours	17

SECOND YEAR
Fall		Spring
Physics for Life Sciences	4	Statistics	3
Organic Chemistry I	4	Organic Chemistry II	4
Humanities III	3	Microbiology	4
Anatomy and Physiology I	4	Anatomy and Physiology II	4
		Early Health Care Experience (EHCE)**	3
Total Hours	15	Total Hours	18

THIRD YEAR
Fall		Spring
Biochemistry	3	Molecular Biology	3
Immunology	3	CLS Specialty Track course: Track A: Clinical Microbiology II Track B: Advanced Hematology Track C: Clinical Chemistry I	4
CLS Specialty Track course: Track A: Clinical Microbiology Track B: Hematology	4	Psychology	3
Early Health Care Experience (EHCE)**	3	Elective	3
Elective (sociology-related)	3	Early Health Care Experience (EHCE)**	3
Total Hours	16	Total Hours	16
Summer Session I		Summer Session II
CLS Specialty Track course Track A: Microbiology III Track C: Clinical Chemistry II	4	CLS Specialty Track course Track B: Immunohematology	4
Early Health Care Experience (ECHE)***	4	Early Health Care Experience (EHCE)***	4

FOURTH YEAR
Fall		Spring
CLS Specialty Track course Advanced topics A, B or C	4	Entrance into AMC Master's in Physician Assistant Studies ****
Molecular Technologies	3
CLS Clinical Practicum	4
Early Health Care Experience (EHCE)**	4
Total Hours	15

* All incoming students participate in the Writing Assessment that is administered as part of the Orientation program. The assessment is designed to direct students to the courses for which they are best prepared in the first year of the curriculum.

** Early Health Care Experience (EHCE) credits are included as part of the academic program. Students are required to maintain a portfolio. If a student wishes to obtain this experience outside of the academic program, the same expectations of portfolio development must be met in order to assure compliance with admission criteria for PA programs. Students will be expected to take elective courses to reach a total of 120 credit hours to complete the B.S. Biomedical Technology-PA option degree.

*** Students will be expected to attend only one Summer Session at ACP based on the clinical studies track they have chosen. With prior approval, EHCE experience during the Summer Sessions may be arranged outside of the Albany area.

**** Students whose academic performance falls below the ACP-AMC Pysician Assistant Studies program's standards but otherwise remain in good academic standing would be able to complete the B.S. in Biomedical Technology. Fourth-year Spring semester courses would be Laboratory Management and Education (4 credits), Clinical Practicum (3 credits) and two Directed Electives (3 credits each), for a semester total of 13 credit hours. Directed electives may include courses offered by the Department of Basic and Pharmaceutical Sciences such as Advanced Cell Biology, Genetics, Pharmacology sequence and Independent Research, as well as courses offered in other departments such as Economics of Health Care, Bioethics and Introduction to Epidemiology. Directed electives will be chosen with consent of Faculty Advisor.