Mission, Goals & Outcomes

Mission Statement

The mission of the Physician Assistant Programs is to educate capable students from diverse backgrounds to meet the challenges of practicing medicine in collaboration with physicians and other members of the health care team. The curricula are formulated to sensitize the student to diverse populations and the complexities of healthcare delivery that influence patients and their families. Students engage in community service to foster effective communication, compassion and dedication. We encourage research and create life-long learners trained to utilize evidence to deliver safe, effective patient- centered care to patients and their communities.

Goals and Outcomes

Ratings reported are on a scale from 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest. The program benchmark for meeting these goals is > 3.0.

1. Recruit capable applicants for PA education who will provide healthcare services as part of the healthcare team
1. Average incoming overall and science GPA’s in the 2020-2021 cycle were 3.66 and 3.61 and were above the national averages (3.58 and 3.49) as reported in the PAEA 35th annual report.
2. Preceptor evaluation of student ability to provide patient care 2020-2021 is rated 4.59    
3. Preceptor evaluations 2020-2021 of the student's ability to work collaboratively on a healthcare team. 4.83
4. Exit survey 2020-2021 results rate the development of communication skills at 4.13 and preparation for working as part of a healthcare team 4.10

2. Deliver a quality educational experience that provides students with knowledge and skills for employment and entry into clinical practice
1. In 2020-2021, students' average rating of curriculum from course evaluations was 4.25 and instructor evaluations was 4.37.
2. Exit survey 2020-2021 results rate the overall didactic education 3.69. Additionally, students rated overall clinical experience 4.09.
3. Exit 2020-2021 survey results rate the educational preparation for entry into clinical practice 3.95.
4. Preceptor compiled rating 2020-2021 of student’s preparedness for entry into clinical practice 3.87
5. Preceptor survey results 2020-2021 rate student performance in clinical skills 4.48
6. Graduate survey results 2020-2021 report employment rates of 98.8% within 3 months of graduation.

3.  Engage all students in community outreach activity to foster community service
1. 100% of our students participate in community outreach.
2. All students are required to participate in a minimum of 25 hours of community service during the PA program.

4.  Encourage and prepare graduates to work with patients from diverse populations
1. Graduate 2020-2021 survey results show that 98.7% respondents are working clinically and 75% work with diverse populations
2. Exit 2020-2021 survey results show that students received knowledge and clinical training to provide medical care to patients from diverse populations 4.02
3. All of our students participate in diverse clinical experiences throughout the program.
4. In the Exit Survey 2020-2021 survey, the students rated their ability to communicate in a culturally competent manner with all individuals at 4.13
5. Preceptors surveys rate the student's interpersonal and communication skills 4.81

5. Foster research and the application of evidence-based scientific information to improve patient-centered care and promote lifelong learning
1. 2020-21 Exit survey results rate the instruction in preparation for the Master Capstone and research at 3.95
2. 2020-21 Exit Survey results rate utilizing evidence-based medicine in clinical practice at 3.87

6. Provide students with the requisite knowledge to pass the PANCE and have a Five-Year First-Time Taker average PANCE pass rate that is within 5% of the national average.
1. Program Five-Year First-Time Taker average PANCE rate as of October 2021 was 97%, which exceeds the national average of 95%.
2. Exit 20-2021 survey results rate the program preparation for PANCE 4.12