Program Mission, Competencies & Goals

Medical Knowledge (MK): Apply current and developing knowledge of biomedical and clinical sciences to patient cases. 

1. Apply the principles of epidemiology, etiology, risk factors, pathophysiology, treatment strategies including available resources, and disease prevention/health promotion efforts to illnesses affecting groups and individuals.  
2. Apply principles of clinical sciences to help diagnose disease and utilize therapeutic decision-making, clinical problem-solving, and other evidence-based practice skills in patient care. 
3. Apply understanding of pharmacology to manage patient medications. 
4. Demonstrate an understanding of medical research and evidence-based medicine as it applies to clinical practice. 
5. Distinguish between acute, chronic, and emergent disease presentations among individual patients. 
6. Understand published medical guidelines for disease processes and their application to patients of all ages and backgrounds. 
7. Share the indications, contraindications, and complications associated with common procedures performed by physician assistants with patients and families. 

Interpersonal & Interprofessional Skills (IP): Facilitate communication and collaboration with patients and families, as well as other members of the healthcare team, while employing empathy and respect and adapting to the current context.

1. Communicate the findings of a patient encounter to colleagues through written documentation (including electronic medical records) and oral presentation in a complete, accurate, effective, objective, and culturally sensitive manner.  
2. Provide clear, empathetic, and respectful education and counseling to patients regarding their condition, treatment, expected outcomes, and preventative measures.  
3. Adapt communication to the current context, acknowledging effects of bias and diversity. 
4. Communicate and document in a timely manner, working to minimize errors and maximize clarity and organization. 

Clinical and Technical Skills (TS): Perform required elements of a patient visit, including history, physical exam, medical procedures, prescriptions, orders, and documentation.

1. Communicate effectively to obtain a complete, accurate, and relevant medical history in patients across the life span. 
2. Perform a focused or complete accurate physical exam, recognizing normal and abnormal findings.
3. Document clinical information in an accurate, complete, and succinct manner.
4. Develop required computer skills and utilize technology to aid with patient diagnosis and treatment decisions. 
5. Perform and/or assist common medical procedures in clinical practice and within the scope of physician assistants, with appropriate supervision if required.
6. Write accurate and complete medication prescriptions and orders.
7. Maintain standard precautions throughout all patient encounters and environments.

Clinical Reasoning & Problem Solving (CR): Formulate a thorough differential diagnosis, generate a final diagnosis, and formulate a patient-centered management plan through synthesis of patient information and medical guidelines and literature. 

1. Differentiate the pertinent elements of a patient’s history, physical findings, and testing.  
2. Assess for possible urgent, emergent, and life-threatening causes of the patient’s condition with special attention to red flags.  
3. Organize the information from patient interview and physical examination to formulate a thorough differential diagnosis. 
4. Order appropriate diagnostic studies and correctly interpret the results. 
5. Generate a final diagnosis (or diagnoses) after careful consideration of the patient’s history, physical, testing, and differential diagnoses. 
6. Compare potential treatment options for a patient’s condition and choose the most appropriate treatment based on a multitude of factors including risks and benefits to the patient, evidence-based medicine, financial burden, availability, and patient preference. 
7. Incorporate evidence-based medicine into medical decision making utilizing best practices and self-evaluate performance for improvement. 

Professional Behaviors (PB): Conduct interactions in a respectful and professional manner, acting ethically and legally with empathy, integrity, and sensitivity, and demonstrating initiative and responsiveness to others. 

1. Understand the legal and regulatory demands of licensed practicing physician assistants. 
2. Demonstrate respectful professional relationships in interactions with others. 
3. Act with empathy, integrity, and sensitivity with the ability to justify decisions utilizing ethical principles.  
4. Understand limitations and appropriately respond to performance feedback. 
5. Develop a balance between professional and personal commitments, recognizing personal biases and knowledge gaps. 
6. Take initiative to participate in patient care and seek further growth. 
7. Demonstrate punctuality and responsiveness to the needs of others, being an active member of the healthcare team.  

Healthcare Finance & Systems (HF): Support and advocate for positive patient experience through knowledge of healthcare finance and systems including patient cost, legal and regulatory requirements, billing and coding, and system biases and burden. 

1. Formulate a treatment plan with awareness of patient cost, system burden, and availability without compromising quality or safety. 
2. Explain the parties involved in healthcare delivery and the role of a physician assistant, including the collaborative physician relationship. 
3. Understand the differences between private insurance and government insurance plans, as well as differences in healthcare systems in the US and internationally. 
4. Proficiently complete medical billing and coding training.  

Society and Population Health (SH): Demonstrate concepts of disease prevention and appraise factors that influence patient interactions and compliance as well as the public health system.  

1. Assess the influences of psychosocial and cultural factors on health, disease, provider visits, and medical compliance by applying concepts of community health and social-behavioral health. 
2. Identify the genetic, social, economic, environmental, and other factors affecting the health of individuals and their communities. 
3. Participate in the improvement of the health of the local population by dedicating a portion of their time to helping the underprivileged.  
4. Collaborate with other health care professionals to participate in public health awareness and interventions. 
5. Understand the fundamental principles of epidemiology in patient care. 

Goal 1: Recruit and enroll students capable of successfully completing the PA (Physician Assistant) program and becoming certified as PAs.

• Benchmark 1: At least 75% of students will have either an overall GPA or a last 60-hour GPA of 3.2 or higher, along with at least 1,000 hours of direct patient care experience.
  • Data Source: Admissions data, CASPA (Central Application Service for Physician Assistants) reports, internal admissions database.
• Benchmark 2: First-time PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam) pass rate of at least 90% annually, at or above the national average.
  • Data Source: National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) PANCE performance reports.
• Benchmark 3: Retention rate: At least 90% of students progress from year 1 to year 2 without academic dismissal, with at least 90% program completion.
  • Data Source: Program retention reports. 

Goal 2: Provide a didactic and clinical curriculum to prepare students for patient-centered care as entry-level PAs.

• Benchmark 1: Cohort mean score on the PAEA (Physician Assistant Education Association) End-of-Curriculum Exam at or above the national average.
  • Data Source: PAEA End-of-Curriculum exam reports.
• Benchmark 2: An average of at least 85% on preceptor evaluations for the last two rotations of the clinical year.
  • Data Source: Supervised Clinical Practice Experience (SCPE) evaluations.
• Benchmark 3: Student perception of the didactic and clinical phases, indicating their ability to meet PA program competencies for graduation, rated an average of at least 4.0 out of 5.0 on a 5-point Likert scale.
  • Data Source: Didactic and Clinical end of phase surveys.
• Benchmark 4: An average of at least 4.0 out of 5.0 on exit survey items related to preparation for patient-centered care (5-point Likert scale).
  • Data Source: Graduate exit survey.

Goal 3: Demonstrate and continuously develop professional behavior throughout the program in both simulated and real-world clinical experiences.

• Benchmark 1: At least 85% of students meet or exceed expectations on professionalism criteria in summative OSCE (objective structured clinical examination) and simulation assessments.
  • Data Source: OSCE and simulation scoring criteria.
• Benchmark 2: All students receive ratings of at least 4.0 out of 5.0 on the preceptor overall professional conduct question (5-point Likert scale)
  • Data Source: SCPE evaluations by preceptors
• Benchmark 3: At least 85% of students meet or exceed expectations on the mid-program professionalism assessment, and at least 90% do so at program completion.
  • Data Source: Faculty-assessed professionalism evaluation criteria.

Goal 4: Demonstrate empathy and inclusiveness in all patient interactions, both during simulated and real-world clinical experiences. 

• Benchmark 1: At least 85% of students meet or exceed expectations on empathy and inclusiveness criteria in summative OSCE and simulation.
  • Data Source: OSCE scoring criteria.
• Benchmark 2: An average of at least 4.0 out of 5.0 on preceptor ratings regarding empathetic and sensitive patient care (5-point Likert scale).
  • Data Source: SCPE evaluations

Goal 5: Engage in collaborative, evidence-based learning through interprofessional education and an inquisitive capstone project.

• Benchmark 1: At least 90% of students will rate the interprofessional education (IPE) activities during the didactic year as valuable, at an average of at least 4.0 out of 5.0 on the End of Didactic Year Survey (5-point Likert scale).
  • Data Source: End of Didactic Year Survey
• Benchmark 2: At least 90% of graduating students will report comfort with working collaboratively with other health professionals, at an average of at least 4.0 out of 5.0 on the End of Program Exit Survey (5-point Likert scale).
  • Data Source: End of Program Exit Survey
• Benchmark 3: All students will complete an evidence-based medicine (EBM) capstone project through research and curiosity, with at least 80% of projects scoring “exceeding expectations” for clinical relevance and applicability based on the standardized evaluation criteria.
  • Data Source: Capstone evaluation criteria and project scores.