Program Goals and Outcomes

Mission Statement

The mission of the Physician Assistant Programs is to educate capable students 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 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

1. Recruit capable applicants for PA education who will provide healthcare services as part of the healthcare team 
2. Deliver a quality educational experience that provides students with knowledge and skills for employment and entry into clinical practice
3. Engage all students in community outreach activity to foster community service
4. Encourage and prepare graduates to work with patients from all populations
5. Foster research and the application of evidence-based scientific information to improve patient-centered care and promote life-long learning
6. Provide students with the requisite knowledge to pass the PANCE and have a Five Year First Time Taker PANCE pass rate that is at or above the national average

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

Outcomes

1. Recruit capable applicants for PA education who will provide healthcare services as part of the healthcare team
   1. Incoming cumulative and science
      GPAs (benchmark for each: > 3.0)
      1. Science: Co2024 (3.36), Co2025 (3.33), Co2026 (3.48)
      2. Cumulative: Co2024 (3.46), Co2025 (3.43), Co2026 (3.59)
   2. Preceptor end of rotation student evaluations
      Co2024 (4.88), Co2025 (4.88), Co2026 partial data (4.83)
   3. Student exit and graduate surveys
      1. Exit Co2024 (4.18), Exit Co2025 (4.70)
      2. Graduate Co2024 (3.78)
2. Deliver a quality educational experience that provides students with knowledge and skills for employment and entry into clinical practice
   1. Student evaluation of courses and instructors
      1. Didactic Courses: Co2024 (4.14), Co2025 (4.32), Co2026 partial data (4.43)
      2. Didactic Instructor: Co2024 (4.14), Co2025 (4.37), Co2026 partial data (4.42)
      3. Clinical Courses/Rotations: Co2024 (4.55), Co2025 (4.61), Co2026 partial data (4.51)
      4. Clinical Instructors/Preceptors: Co2024 (4.82), Co2025 (4.86), Co2026 partial data (4.87)
   2. Student exit and Graduate surveys
      1. Exit Co2024 (4.52), Exit Co2025 (4.75)
      2. Graduate Co2024 (3.73)
   3. Preceptor rating of student’s preparedness for entry into clinical practice: 
      1. Co2024 (4.67), Co2025 (4.73), Co2026 partial data (4.60)
   4. Preceptor rating of student’s performance in clinical and technical skills
      1. Co2024 (4.83), Co2025 (4.85), Co2026 partial data (4.81)
3. Engage all students in community outreach activity to foster community service
   1. 100% student participation in community outreach (benchmark 100%)
   2. 100% student success in community service course (benchmark 100%)
   3. Student Exit survey: Co2024 (4.28), Co2025 (4.88) 
4. Encourage and prepare graduates to work with patients from all populations
   1. Student Exit and Graduate surveys
      1. Exit Co2024 (4.45), Exit Co2025 (5.0)
      2. Graduate Co2024 (3.50)
   2. Preceptors rating of students interpersonal and communication skills
      1. Co2024 (4.84), Co2025 (4.85), Co2026 partial data (4.80)
5. Foster research and the use of scientific information to improve patient-centered care and life-long learning
   1. Student evaluation of courses and instructors
      1. Didactic Courses: Co2024 (3.80), Co2025 (3.92), Co2026 partial data (4.47)
      2. Clinical Courses: Co2024 (4.84), Co2025 (4.87), Co2026 partial data (4.80)
   2. Student Exit and Graduate surveys
      1. Exit Co2024 (4.00), Exit Co2025 (4.75)
      2. Graduate Co2024 (3.75)
6. Provide students with the requisite knowledge to pass the PANCE and have a Five Year First Time Taker PANCE pass rate that is at or above the national average
   1. PANCE first time pass rates:
      1. Co2024 (100%)
      2. Co2025: (100%)
   2. Student Exit and Graduate surveys
      1. Exit Co2024 (4.31), Exit Co2025 (4.75)
      2. Graduate Co2024 (4.25)

Conclusion (effective January 2026): the Program data collected to date is positive for meeting program goals and outcomes; however, data is pending at the time of this analysis. Final conclusion is dependent on 3 complete years of data and 3 graduated cohorts with both Program and National PANCE data.