Anesthesiologist Assistant Degree

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Anesthesiologist Assistant Degree -
Savannah, GA

A successful career as a clinical anesthesiologist assistant demands a series of perfect balances. It requires consideration of the patient’s condition, as well as accommodation of the surgeon’s requirements. It also calls for a carefully measured combination of compassion, professional dedication, and commitment — all of which play key roles in positive surgical outcomes.

At the South University College of Health Professions, we recognize the impact this balance can have on the professional development of a clinical anesthesiologist assistant. We also see the critical role each element plays in the delivery of pain management services, surgical success, and ultimately, the delivery of quality patient care. In the Master of Medical Science in Anesthesiologist Assistant program, students learn the facets and acquire the skills to effectively deliver anesthesiology services.

This program incorporates a mock operating room and an anesthesia laboratory into the coursework. And through wireless capability available in all classrooms, students have access to industry-related educational facilities and technologies.

The Anesthesiologist Assistant program is a professional graduate education in South University’s College of Health Professions. Individuals who successfully complete this program are awarded a Master of Medical Science degree by South University. Graduates of this program function as anesthetists who are integral members of a healthcare team led by a qualified anesthesiologist.

Classroom, laboratory, and clinical education occur during 28 continuous months, beginning in June and culminating with graduation in September (nine academic quarters following matriculation). All classroom, laboratory, and clinical requirements must be satisfied prior to graduation. Since the classroom, laboratory, and clinical activities run continuously for 28 months, the program does not follow the university’s typical undergraduate calendar for quarter start and end or for vacations and breaks.

Quarter I
(Summer - 13 weeks - 17 quarter hours, 20 hours of clinical experience)

ANS 5001 - Clinical Anesthesia I (1 hr pass/fail)
ANS 5020 - Medical Terminology (Self Study) (1 hr pass/fail)
ANS 5040 - Introduction to Cardiovascular Anatomy and Physiology (1 hr)
ANS 5060 - Introduction to Pulmonary Anatomy and Physiology (1 hr)
ANS 5081 - Principles of Airway Management I (2 hrs)
ANS 5100 - Physics of Anesthesia (2 hrs)
ANS 5120 - Intro to Anesthesia Delivery Systems & Equipment (2 hrs)
ANS 5140 - Pre-anesthetic Evaluation (3 hrs)
ANS 5160 - Introduction to Clinical Anesthesia (3 hrs)
ANS 5181 - Anesthesia Laboratory I (1 hr)
Basic life support certification will be accomplished during Quarter I.

Quarter II
(Fall - 14 weeks - 20 quarter hours, 144 hours of clinical experience)

ANS 5002 - Clinical Anesthesia II (4 hrs)
ANS 5082 - Principles of Airway Management II (1 hr)
ANS 5182 - Anesthesia Laboratory II (1 hr)
ANS 5201 - Cardiovascular Physiology for Anesthesia Practice I (2 hrs)
ANS 5221 - Principles of Instrumentation and Patient Monitoring I (2 hrs)
ANS 5345 - Anesthesia Principles and Practice I (3 hrs)
ANS 5900 - Anatomy (3 hrs)
ANS 5921 - Physiology I (4 hrs)

Quarter III
(Winter - 11 weeks - 21 quarter hours, 120 hours of clinical experience)

ANS 5003 - Clinical Anesthesia III (3 hrs)
ANS 5183 - Anesthesia Laboratory I (1 hr)
ANS 5202 - Cardiovascular Physiology for Anesthesia Practice II (3 hrs)
ANS 5222 - Principles of Instrumentation & Patient Monitoring II (2 hrs)
ANS 5301 - Pulmonary Physiology for Anesthesia Practice I (3 hrs)
ANS 5346 - Anesthesia Principles and Practice II (3 hrs)
ANS 5922 - Physiology II (2 hrs)
PAS 5028 - Pharmacology I (4 hrs)

Quarter IV
(Spring - 12 weeks - 17 quarter hours, 150 hours of clinical experience)

ANS 5004 - Clinical Anesthesia IV (4 hrs)
ANS 5144 - Anesthesia Laboratory IV (1 hr)
ANS 5302 - Pulmonary Physiology for Anesthesia Practice II (2 hrs)
ANS 5347 - Anesthesia Principles and Practice III (3 hrs)
ANS 5400 - Renal Physiology for Anesthesia Practice (1 hr)
ANS 5421 - Pharmacology in Anesthesia Practice I (2 hrs)
PAS 5029 - Pharmacology II (4 hrs)

Quarter V
(Summer - 13 weeks - 17 quarter hours, 200 hours of clinical experience)

ANS 5005 - Clinical Anesthesia V (6 hrs)
ANS 5348 - Anesthesia Principles and Practice IV (3 hrs)
ANS 5422 - Pharmacology in Anesthesia Practice II (2 hrs)
ANS 5500 - Advanced Anesthesia Delivery Systems & Mechanical Ventilation (2 hrs)
ANS 5520 - Advanced Airway Management (2 hrs)
ANS 5540 - Advanced Concepts in Patient Monitoring (2 hrs)
*Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification will be obtained during this quarter.

A comprehensive examination covering the material from the first five quarters will be administered to determine the preparedness of each student to advance to senior clinical year. Failure to successfully master the exam will result in remediation and necessary extension of the student's program by at least one quarter.

Quarter VI
(Fall - 14 weeks - 18 quarter hours, 559 hours of clinical experience)

ANS 6001 - Clinical Anesthesia I (16 hrs)
ANS 6021 - Senior Seminar (1 hr)
ANS 6041 - Anesthesia Review I (1 hr)

Quarter VII
(Winter - 11 weeks - 16 quarter hours, 473 hours of clinical experience)

ANS 6002 - Clinical Anesthesia II (14 hrs)
ANS 6022 - Senior Seminar (1 hr)
ANS 6042 - Anesthesia Review II (1 hr)

Quarter VIII
(Spring - 12 weeks - 16 quarter hours, 473 hours of clinical experience)

ANS 6003 - Clinical Anesthesia III (14 hrs)
ANS 6023 - Senior Seminar (1 hr)
ANS 6043 - Anesthesia Review III (1 hr)

Quarter IX
(Summer - 13 weeks - 18 quarter hours, 559 hours of clinical experience)

ANS 6004 - Clinical Anesthesia IV (16 hrs)
ANS 6024 - Senior Seminar (1 hr)
ANS 6044 - Anesthesia Review IV (1 hr)

The curriculum is dynamic and changes may be made to improve the integration of the curriculum. Changes will only be made prior to the matriculation of the next entering class. Should the curriculum depart from that published above, on the recommendation of the curriculum committee prior to matriculation, a letter identifying the changes will be mailed to all students that have been accepted into the incoming class. At this point, students may elect to continue with the Program accepting the changes in the curriculum, or cancel their registration and receive a full refund of their deposit without a penalty.

Examinations

Generally, examinations for classroom and laboratory work will be administered outside of normal class periods. Occasionally, exams, review sessions, and special certification classes (Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support) may involve weekends. Clinical rotations may involve evenings, nights and weekends during the second year, depending upon the rotation and the clinical site. Clinical sites may require students to take in-house call. When a student, in their second year, participates in daytime operating room assignments and is expected to remain in-house for call or extended clinical opportunities that exceed midnight, the student will have the next 24 hours free of clinical obligations. By official request, special arrangements will be made for students who have religious obligations that may conflict with educational program activities.

General Admissions Requirements
Familiarity with Practice of Anesthesia

Applicants to the program must be familiar with the practice of anesthesia, including related activities in the operating room. Individuals who are not familiar with the practice of anesthesia and have had no exposure to an operating room environment must spend at least 8 hours with an anesthetist or an anesthesiologist in an operating room observing the conduct of anesthetics. The applicant is encouraged to visit a local hospital and ask to speak with the anesthesiologist who directs the department of anesthesia. Explain that you are applying to an Anesthesiologist Assistant program to become a clinical anesthetist working as part of the anesthesia care team. Share this printed information with them if they are unfamiliar with the concept. A documentation form (provided) must be completed and submitted with the application. In addition, the applicant is required to summarize an article of their choice from current anesthesia literature on the form provided.

Students wishing to enter the Anesthesiologist Assistant program in the School of Health Professions should be aware that a prior felony conviction may restrict an individual's ability to obtain professional licensure or certification. Acceptance into a South University program or its completion does not imply or guarantee that a student will be able to obtain such licensure or certification.
• Baccalaureate degree, including above average performance in courses required in a premed curriculum.
• Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate course work.
• Advanced placement credits that appear in official transcripts may be considered based on courses, scores, and student's overall undergraduate performance.
• Undergraduate courses (substitutions NOT are permitted and survey courses for non-science majors are NOT acceptable)
• Labs preferred, but not required.

Please see academic catalog for additional requirements

Tuition & Fees

What is an AA?

• AAs are a veteran health care provider. Anesthesiologist assistants (AAs) have been working as part of the anesthesia care team for more than 30 years. AAs work under the supervision of an anesthesiologist, who is a physician. Together they form the anesthesia care team, proven to be the safest method of anesthesia delivery.

• AAs have long been recognized for their impeccable safety records. A recently-concluded four-year data review at the University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio, comparing the safety records of AAs and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) concluded that the two are on equal footing, saying, "Complication rates were no higher for AAs than CRNAs." The Medical Center conducted the research over four years (1999 - 2003) and measured more than 46,000 cases involving AAs and CRNAs (23,000 cases each). This was an unbiased comparison because the medical center trains both AAs and CRNAs.

• The Highest Educational Standards:
The training of an anesthesiologist assistant combines a premedical curriculum with an intense master’s degree training program, at two of the nation's most prestigious medical centers, Emory University in Atlanta and Case Western Reserve in Cleveland. This training includes a minimum of 2500 clinical hours (hands-on training) to produce the most competent, highly-trained, anesthetist practitioner, well above the standards for other well-trained non-physician anesthesia providers.

• AAs currently work in 16 states.
The states in which AAs work by a license, regulation, and/or certification are:
Alabama
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Missouri
New Mexico (university hospital settings)
Ohio
South Carolina
Vermont

• The states in which AAs are granted practice privilege through physician delegation (meaning the physician can specifically request an AA for the particular procedure):
Colorado
District of Columbia
Michigan
New Hampshire
Texas
West Virginia
Wisconsin

• The federal government recognizes and uses AAs. Both the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs authorize the use of anesthesiologist assistants to practice under the TRICARE insurance program.

Paralegal/Legal Studies

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The Paralegal/Legal Studies goals and objectives are stated in terms of educational results to be achieved. The Paralegal/Legal Studies goals and objectives are reviewed and amended regularly in order to meet the needs of an ever changing legal community. Graduates are trained to develop skills necessary to become contributing members of the paralegal profession in both the public and private sectors. A paralegal is a person who performs specifically delegated substantive legal work under the supervision of a lawyer but cannot give legal advice, set fees, or represent clients in court.

Modifications to the goals, objectives, and curriculum are based upon student surveys, graduate surveys, employer surveys, surveys of the broader legal and business community, advisory board feedback, faculty comments and departmental meetings. The goals and objectives for each program are as follows:

Associate Degree in Paralegal Studies

The paralegal studies program provides educational preparation for individuals to serve as paralegals or legal assistants. In keeping with the demands of professionalism, the paralegal program consists of specialized coursework and a supervised externship in selected legal settings both public and private, such as police administration, law firms, real estate companies, title companies, banks, trust departments and judicial offices. Extensive practical training prepares graduates, under the supervision of an attorney, to perform most of the functions in a legal office including but not limited to: interviewing clients, drafting and filing legal documents for attorneys, organizing files and exhibits for trial and assisting practicing attorneys with an understanding that a paralegal cannot give legal advice, set fees or represent clients in court.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

GOAL I: Provide a practical and relevant education for paralegal professionals.

Students will:

Receive a broad based general education which will sharpen their cognitive critical thinking skills.
Integrate focused study of various legal disciplines into a core of liberal arts courses designed to enrich the wide-ranging knowledge base of the student.
Gain a life-long commitment to learning.

GOAL II: Students will be able to apply legal theories and substantive law into practical applications in a law office or any organization involved with legal processes and exhibit a sensitivity to emerging concepts of the role of the paralegal in the effective delivery of legal services under the supervision of an attorney, in both the private and public sectors.

Students will:

Draft legal documents.
Participate in an externship if they are not working in a law office.
Employ the latest technologies available for legal applications.
Work on realistic case files in all legal courses.
Be instructed by specialists in their fields including judges, paralegals and lawyers.

GOAL III: Meet the needs of a sophisticated, technology based law practice interested in hiring diverse and highly educated paralegals who work under the supervision of an attorney.

Students will:

Learn hands on computer techniques used in modern law firms.
Incorporate computer applications such as research, title searches and court document retrieval into their field of knowledge.
Be able to compete with experienced paralegals for jobs.
Translate classroom experience into simulated law offices of the future.
Enhance their use of the Internet and other available legal databases.
Use computer document assembly programs to complete case files.

GOAL IV: Students will exhibit a thorough understanding and utilization of the skills necessary to contribute to the workings, processing, procedures, and management of a modern law office while working under the supervision of an attorney.

Students will:

Demonstrate proficiency in technological advances in the law office including data processing, telecommunications, and office equipment.
Implement law office accounting, billing, time and record management techniques.
Design time saving, efficient management prototypes for the progressive law office.
Organize different types of law offices.
Demonstrate competency and professionalism including ethics, communication skills, stress reduction techniques and professional development.

GOAL V: Stress professional and ethical standards that will enable students to become integral members of the law office team (or other legally oriented organizations) consistent with the general principles of ethical legal practice as promulgated by appropriate authorities in the relevant jurisdiction.

Students will:

Participate in role playing to learn applications of ethical standards in the business and legal workplace.
Understand how members of a law office function together, working as a team to benefit the client.
Refine professional skills and avoid the unauthorized practice of law.
Implement malpractice avoidance through law office technology.

GOAL VI: Enhance communication skills, including public speaking, letter and memorandum writing as well as legal document drafting under the supervision of an attorney.

Students will:

Write a memorandum of law to the court.
Research and produce an appellate brief.
Produce letters to clients, judges, attorneys and others involved in the legal process.
Engage in mock trials and hearings.
Role-play interviews with clients and witnesses.

GOAL VII: Provide a curriculum that is responsive to the needs of the local legal community in a manner that allows graduates to contribute to the advancement of the paralegal profession.

Students will:

Be encouraged to join local paralegal organizations.
Have the benefit of teachers and speakers who are working lawyers, paralegals, judges and others involved with the local legal community.
Participate in an externship that allows them to experience the needs of a local legal office.
Take courses that are constantly monitored and modified based upon advisory board comments, student surveys, graduate surveys, and employer surveys.

Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies

The Legal Studies program provides students with a broad academic background in general education, fundamental theoretical legal concepts and practical applications.

Coursework emphasizes development of keen analytical and reasoning skills as well as foster sensitivity to cultural and political diversity. Graduates can become significant contributing members of the legal team in law firms, banks, insurance companies, government agencies and large corporations while working under the supervision of an attorney.

The Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies represents an extension of the associate degree program. Beyond the higher levels of critical thinking, this curriculum encompasses intensive specialty areas including worker’s compensation, employment, immigration, international law, as well as managerial aspects associated with the law office and other legally oriented institutions.

Students Completing the Legal Studies Program Will Attain the Above Goals in Addition to Attaining the Following Goals:

GOAL VIII: Provide graduates of the associate degree in paralegal studies from South University and neighboring colleges and universities with a logical and valuable extension to their educational goals in order to further their careers as paralegals.

Students will:

Integrate various specialized courses into their general knowledge of the law.
Gain a more in depth knowledge base of legal theories and procedures.
Demonstrate to their employers that they are serious about their careers.
Have the opportunity to network with other working paralegals who share their drive and ambitions.
Expand their confidence and skills in solving legal problems.

GOAL IX: Graduates will be able to make the most of specific subject matter courses to get promotions in law firms or other specialized legal environments. Students completing specialized courses in the bachelor’s program will be able to perform tasks relevant to the specialized area, as follows:

Students who complete LGS3008 Workers Compensation will be able to analyze a workers compensation claim, identify the remedies and draft the necessary documents.
Students who complete LGS 3009 International Law will be able to create an international business and draft an international contract.
Students who complete LGS 3010 Bankruptcy Law will be able to draft basic motions used in bankruptcy court and follow court filing procedures.
Students who complete LGS 3025 Insurance Law will be able to examine and interpret insurance contracts.
Students who complete LGS3030 Administrative Law will be able to participate in a mock hearing and draft documents for an administrative agency case.
Students who complete LGS3040 Constitutional Law will be able to describe how the US Constitution is engrained into our present day law.
Students who complete LGS 3050 Immigration Law will be able to prepare immigration forms for various situations and argue on behalf of an immigrant in mock hearings before the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Students who complete LGS 4005 Advanced Legal Research and Writing will be able to use analytical and logical problem solving skills to explain complex legal issues, draft a memorandum of law, appellate brief or proposed judge’s opinion on an unsettled issue of law.
Students who complete LGS 4008 Litigation Support Management will be able to investigate and analyze a civil case, prepare trial exhibits and draft motions for summary judgment and motions on admissibility of evidence based on federal rules of evidence, prepare pleadings for injunctive relief and post judgment pleadings.
Students who complete LGS 4010 Evidence will be able to demonstrate the paralegal’s responsibility in handling, identifying, and finding evidence for the preparation of trial.
Students who complete LGS 4020 Advanced Real Estate Law will be able to organize the documents for a commercial real estate closing.
Students who complete LGS 4030 Employment Law will be able to recognize and learn how to avoid employment issues on the job such as sexual harassment and wrongful discharge and design an employment manual that addresses discrimination, sexual harassment, American with Disabilities Act and other employment issues.
Students who complete LGS 4050 Environmental Law will be able to draft an environmental impact statement.
Students who complete LGS 4055 Intellectual Property will be able to file an application for a copyright, patent or trademark.

GOAL X: Graduates will demonstrate more acute reasoning and analytical approaches to legal problem solving, hence becoming more valuable, contributing paralegals in the law firm, private business or public legal department.

Students will:

Work more independently in applying the laws to the facts of a given situation.
Understand and explain more complex legal issues.
Show greater proficiency using the Internet, Westlaw and other legal computer databases to research the law.
Develop and apply critical thinking and logical problem solving skills in a more advanced manner.
Draft a proposed order for a judge on an unsettled area of the law.
Investigate, analyze and draft complex pleadings and motions for a multifaceted civil case.