Emergency Management and Global Health Concentration

A woman gazes through an instrument at the sky.

An instructor stands at the front of a classroom, pointing at a screen on the wall.

A student sits at a table surrounded by other students.

The world needs you.

PAs are especially suited to be frontline providers during emergencies and global disasters, as evidenced by the response demonstrated during the COVID-19 crisis. PAs are essential to increased access to care. With the training available through the DMSc-EMGH degree track, you will be able to successfully initiate and manage global disaster response in all types of settings.

The EMGH Concentration within the DMSc provides PAs with access to both didactic and active learning in emergency preparedness and global response to disasters, regardless of clinical or professional background. Our faculty are nationally known experts in disaster preparedness, emergency management, and global health. As a DMSc student, you will have direct access to their knowledge and expertise to build on your own skills and experience.

You will obtain your doctorate. The DMSc-EMGH can be completed in 12 months. Most coursework is online and asynchronous, and the degree program culminates in a 7-10 day intensive, in-person experience, where you will apply the skills you have learned in a real-world situation.

“When you become a PA, you always know that the possibility of a disaster exists. In my Disaster Medicine course, I learned how to look at a situation and figure out what needs to be done!”
– Dr. Daniela Garza, DMSc, PA-C

Emergency Management and Global Health Curriculum

Lynchburg’s DMSc-EMGH Concentration enrolls in July. Students can complete the degree in 12 months.

First 12-week academic term (9 credits):

PA 930 Disaster Medicine (3 Credits)

This course is designed to expose the student to the clinical aspects of disaster medicine by encouraging exploration of the roles of healthcare providers in disasters, the study of clinical situations that occur during disasters, analysis of public, occupational, and environmental health issues, and applying clinical research and epidemiology concepts. Special emphasis will be made to leadership roles in disaster medicine.

PA 960 Evidence-Based Medicine (3 credits)

This course will cover key principles of scientific research and performance improvement in PA practice. Research design, methodology, ethics, and critical appraisal of medical publications will be reviewed. This course will emphasize the application of principles of evidence-based research and quality performance to achieve patient-centered clinical outcomes. Students will develop their proposal of their or doctoral project.

PA 986 Emergency Management & Global Health Practicum I (3 Credits)

The practicum series courses provide professional exposure in chosen clinical and administrative specialties that further the student’s achievement in professional competencies. Students will extrapolate work-based experience to an emergency management and global health setting. This practicum is one of three, preparing the PA for a fourth practicum which is an on-site Emergency Management and Global Health intensive.

Second 12-week academic term (9 credits):

PA 940 Global Health Issues (3 Credits)

This course provides an introduction to important global health issues, including determinants of health, key areas of disease burden, and the role that PAs can play in taking a leadership role in solving these problems. The goal of the course is to expand the PAs understanding of the impact of infectious and chronic diseases on the world’s population with particular attention paid to the health status of women, children and the poor. Students will examine case studies of successful global health interventions to understand features of successful programs.

PA 966 Doctoral Project (3 Credits)

Students will advance and execute the doctoral project proposal suitable for publication and/or presentation in medical journals or conferences. Students will synthesize findings, draw conclusions, and receive evaluation of their final project. Students will be encouraged to submit for publication and/or present their work at conferences.

PA 987 Emergency Management & Global Health Practicum II (3 Credits)

The practicum series courses provide professional exposure in chosen clinical and administrative specialties that further the student’s achievement in professional competencies. Student’s will extrapolate work-based experience to a disaster and global health setting. This practicum is one of three, preparing the PA for a fourth practicum which is an one-site Emergency Management and Global Health intensive.

Third 12-week academic term (9 credits):

PA 931 Wilderness Survival Medicine (3 Credits)

This course will provide PAs with exceptional adaptive critical thinking skills, leadership and teamwork traits, multi-tasking ability, and position them to be well suited for work in high stress wilderness environments.

PA 941 Clinical Issues in Infectious Disease (3 Credits)

This course will provide an in-depth analysis of infectious and tropical disease epidemiology, presentation, treatment, and prevention options. There will also be a discussion of the care of refugees and displaced persons, medical tourism, and traditional healing practices one might encounter. The information gained from this course can also be translated into clinical practice in the US as PAs often provide pre-travel care to individuals traveling to other parts of the world and treat patients who have traveled to tropical destinations and return ill.

PA 988 Emergency Management & Global Health Practicum III (3 Credits)

The practicum series courses provide professional exposure in chosen clinical and administrative specialties that further the student’s achievement in professional competencies. Student’s will extrapolate work-based experience to an emergency management and global health setting. This practicum is one of three, preparing the PA for a fourth practicum which is an one-site Emergency Management and Global Health intensive.

Fourth 12-week academic term (10 credits):

PA 932 Emergency and Disaster Management Principles and Practice (3 Credits)

This course will provide PAs with exceptional critical thinking skills and leadership and teamwork traits, multi-tasking ability, and position them to be well suited for work in high stress emergency and disaster environments.

PA 942 Social and Behavioral Issues in Global Health (3 Credits)

This course will provide PAs with an overview of key social and behavioral issues associated with global health. Focus areas include social determinants of health, measuring socioeconomic status, global health disparities, health and human rights, medical anthropology, and ethics in global health research.

PA 989 Emergency Management and Global Health Practicum Intensive (4 Credits)

This course is the fourth session of the Emergency Management and Global Health Practicum and provides intensive on-site exposure in a remote, supervised setting. The exposure develops PA skills in Emergency Management and Global Health as an administrator and clinician. Students will apply all prior educational experiences to the practicum setting. At the completion of this course students will summarize their understanding of emergency management, disaster response, and global health theory as it relates to austere and remote medical care in the US and international settings.

Student Learning Outcomes – Emergency Management and Global Health Concentration

Upon completion of the Lynchburg DMSc – Emergency Management and Global Health Concentration, graduates will be able to:

Apply advanced and specialized knowledge of disaster and global health competencies to include:
- Survival in austere and remote locations
- Response to natural, industrial, and intentional disasters
- Global health
- Emergency management
Integrate knowledge of leadership and management principles for local, national, and international emergency and disaster response
Design and implement projects that improve patient outcomes in austere and remote locations
Create professional and scholarly written communications