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)
      
      

      Cohort	Cumulative	Science
      Co2024	3.46	3.36
      Co2025	3.43	3.33
      Co2026	3.59	3.48

   2. Preceptor end of rotation student evaluations
      
      

      Cohort	Likert Average
      Co2024	4.89
      Co2025	4.89
      Co2026	4.84

   3. Student exit and graduate surveys
      
      

      Cohort	Exit Survey	Graduate Survey
      Co2024	4.18	3.78
      Co2025	4.70	4.51
      Co2026	4.34	pending

      Conclusion: Program is meeting Goal #1 based on data to date

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
      
      

      Cohort	Didactic Courses	Didactic Instructors	Clinical Courses/Rotations	Clinical Instructors/Preceptors
      Co2024	4.14	4.14	4.55	4.82
      Co2025	4.32	4.37	4.61	4.86
      Co2026	4.43	4.68	4.54	4.80

   2. Student exit and graduate surveys
      
      

      Cohort	Exit Survey	Graduate Survey
      Co2024	4.52	3.73
      Co2025	4.75	4.51
      Co2026	4.34	pending

   3. Preceptor rating of student’s preparedness for entry into clinical practice
      
      

      Cohort	Likert Average
      Co2024	4.67
      Co2025	4.73
      Co2026	4.61

   4. Preceptor rating of student’s performance in clinical and technical skills
      
      

      Cohort	Clinical Skills	Technical Skills
      Co2024	4.83	4.83
      Co2025	4.85	4.85
      Co2026	4.79	4.80

      Conclusion: Program is meeting Goal #2 based on data to date

3. Engage all students in community outreach activity to foster community service
   1. 100% student participation in community outreach (benchmark 100%)
      
      

      Cohort	Participation
      Co2024	100%
      Co2025	100%
      Co2026	100%

   2. 100% student success in community service course (benchmark 100%)
      
      

      Cohort	Pass Rate
      Co2024	100%
      Co2025	100%
      Co2026	100%

   3. Student exit survey
      
      

      Cohort	Exit Survey
      Co2024	4.28
      Co2025	4.88
      Co2026	4.24

      Conclusion: Program is meeting Goal #3 based on data to date

4. Encourage and prepare graduates to work with patients from all populations
   1. Student exit and graduate surveys
      
      

      Cohort	Exit Survey	Graduate Survey
      Co2024	4.45	3.50
      Co2025	5.00	4.51
      Co2026	4.34	pending

   2. Preceptor rating of students interpersonal and communication skills
      
      

      Cohort	Likert Average
      Co2024	4.84
      Co2025	4.85
      Co2026	4.84

      Conclusion: Program is meeting Goal #4 based on data to date

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
      
      

      Cohort	Didactic Courses	Clinical Courses
      Co2024	3.80	4.84
      Co2025	3.92	4.87
      Co2026	4.74	4.69

   2. Student exit and graduate surveys
      
      

      Cohort	Exit Survey	Graduate Survey
      Co2024	4.00	3.75
      Co2025	4.75	4.55
      Co2026	4.33	pending

      Conclusion: Program is meeting Goal #5 based on data to date

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
      
      

      Cohort	Program 1st Time Pass Rate	National 1st Time Pass Rate
      Co2024	100%	92%
      Co2025	100%	91%
      Co2026	100%	pending

   2. Student exit and graduate surveys
      
      

      Cohort	Exit Survey	Graduate Survey
      Co2024	4.31	4.25
      Co2025	4.75	4.75
      Co2026	4.33	pending

      Conclusion: Program is meeting Goal #6 based on data to date

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.