Program Goals

The following are the Slippery Rock University Physician Assistant Program Goals.

Please click on each goal to see how the program is meeting these goals.

**Goals Updated January 2024

Goal 1: Recruit and enroll a diverse student body who are qualified through academics and experience for the Physician Assistant program.

BENCHMARKS FOR SUCCESS:

15% of each cohort comprised of underrepresented groups (ethnic minorities and male gender) in the PA Profession
Cohort average cumulative undergraduate GPA >3.50 on a 4.00 scale
Direct Patient Care and Healthcare Experience hours >2,000 average total hours per cohort.

SUCCESS OF GOALS

Underrepresented Populations in the Physician Assistant Profession
- - - Cohort Class of 2020
      - 16% Underrepresented Ethnic Minorities
      - 19% Male Gender
    - Cohort Class of 2021
      - 15% Underrepresented Ethnic Minorities
      - 19% Male Gender
    - Cohort Class of 2022
      - 20% Underrepresented Ethnic Minorities
      - 40% Male Gender
    - Cohort Class of 2023
      - 10% Underrepresented Ethnic Minorities
      - 8% Male Gender
    - Cohort Class of 2024
      - 17% underrepresented minorities
      - 13% Male Gender
    - Class 2025
      - 5% underrepresented minorities
      - 20% Male Gender
    - Cohort Class of 2026
      - 9.62% underrepresented minorities
      - 21.15% identify as male gender
  - Cumulative undergraduate GPA

- - - Cohort Class of 2020
      - Cumulative Undergraduate GPA Average: 3.67
    - Cohort Class of 2021
      - Cumulative Undergraduate GPA Average: 3.67
    - Cohort Class of 2022
      - Cumulative Undergraduate GPA Average: 3.78
    - Cohort Class of 2023
      - Cumulative Undergraduate GPA Average: 3.68
    - Cohort Class of 2024
      - Cumulative Undergraduate GPA Average: 3.69
    - Cohort Class 2025
      - Cumulative Undergraduate GPA Average: 3.74
    - Cohort Class of 2026
      - Cumulative undergraduate GPA Average: 3.74

- - Direct Patient Care and Health Care Experience Hours
  - - Cohort Class of 2020
      - Cohort Average: 1,326 hours
    - Cohort Class of 2021
      - Cohort Average: 2,166 hours
    - Cohort Class of 2022
      - Cohort Average: 2,105 hours
    - Cohort Class of 2023
      - Cohort average 1,929 hours
    - Cohort Class of 2024
      - Cohort Average 2,746 hours
    - Cohort Class of 2025
      - Cohort Average 1,522
    - Cohort Class of 2026
      - Cohort Average 2,571

**Updated September 2024

Goal 2: Develop Physician Assistants who have an awareness of special populations, health care disparities, and cultural sensitivity.

BENCHMARK FOR SUCCESS

Preceptor Evaluation of Student Performance in Demonstrating Cultural Sensitivity: Benchmark > 3.5/5.0
Student End of Didactic Phase Survey – Preparation for caring for diverse patients: Benchmark > 3.5/5.0
Student Graduate Exit Survey – Preparation for caring for diverse patients: Benchmark > 3.5/5.0

SUCCESS OF GOALS

Preceptor Evaluation of Student Performance in Demonstrating Cultural Sensitivity
- Cohort Class of 2020: Cohort Average: 4.79
- Cohort Class of 2021: Cohort Average 4.76
- Cohort Class of 2022: Cohort Average 4.75
- Cohort Class of 2023: Cohort Average 4.75
- Cohort Class of 2024: Cohort Average 4.72
Student End of Didactic Phase Survey Preparation for caring for Diverse patients
- Cohort Class of 2021 3.9
- Cohort Class of 2022 3.63
- Cohort Class of 2023 4.91
- Cohort Class of 2024: 3.96
- Cohort Class of 2025: 4.2
Student Graduate Exit Survey preparation for caring for diverse patients
- Cohort Class of 2020 : 4.3
- Cohort Class of 2021: 3.54
- Cohort Class of 2022: 3.86
- Cohort Class of 2023: 4.86
- Cohort Class of 2024: 3.7

*Updated September 2024

Goal 3:Graduate Physician Assistants who are prepared to become competent healthcare providers

BENCHMARK FOR SUCCESS

Preceptor Evaluation of Students' Performance Overall Average > 3.5/5.0
Cohort Average of >75% on Summative Examination
PANCE Performance at or above the National Average for First-time pass rate.

SUCCESS OF GOALS

Preceptor Evaluation of Students' Overall Performance
- Cohort Class of 2020: Overall Performance Average: 4.6
- Cohort Class of 2021 : Overall Performance Average; 4.6
- Cohort Class of 2022: Overall Performance Average: 4.6
- Cohort Class of 2023: Overall Performance Average: 4.6
- Cohort Class of 2024: Overall Performance Average: 4.6
>75% Class Average on the Written Summative Examination
- Cohort Class of 2020: Cohort Average on Written Summative Examination: 76.0%
- Cohort Class of 2021: Cohort Average on Written Summative Examination: 80.1%
- Cohort Class of 2022: Cohort Average on Written Summative Examination: 82%
- Cohort Class of 2023: Cohort Average on Written Summative Examination: 84%
- Cohort Class of 2024: Cohort Average on Written Summative Examination: 83%
PANCE Performance at National Average for First-time pass rate.
- Cohort Class of 2020: Program First-Time Pass Rate: 84%
  - National Average: 95%
- Cohort Class of 2021: Program First Time Pass Rate: 93%
  - National Average: 93%
- Cohort Class of 2022: Program First Time Pass Rate: 91%
  - National Average: 92%
- Cohort Class of 2023: Program First Time Pass Rate: 87%
  - National Average: 92%
- Cohort Class of 2024: Program First Time Pass Rate: 95%
  - National Average: TBA January 2025

*Updated September 2024

Goal 4: Provide a curriculum that includes opportunities for students to prepare for clinical practice using simulation and standardized patients to replicate real-life practice scenarios.

BENCHMARK FOR SUCCESS

Student End of Didactic Phase Survey
- Preparation for Clinical Rotations Using Simulation > 3.5/5.0
- Preparation for Clinical Rotations Using OSCEs > 3.5/5.0
Student Graduate Exit Survey
- Preparation for Clinical Practice Using Simulation > 3.5/5.0
- Preparation for Clinical Practice Using OSCEs >3.5/5.0
Faculty Eval of Curriculum
- Preparation of Students for Clinical Practice Using Simulation/ Benchmark > 3.5/5.0
- Preparation of Students for Clinical Practice Using OSCEs/ Benchmark > 3.5/5.0

SUCCESS OF GOALS

Student End of Didactic Phase Survey
- Preparation for Clinical Rotations Using Simulation > 3.5/5.0
  - Cohort Class of 2021 3.78
  - Cohort Class of 2022: 2.57
  - Cohort Class of 2023: 4.4
  - Cohort Class of 2024: 3.35
  - Cohort Class of 2025: 3.8
- Preparation for Clinical Rotations Using OSCEs > 3.5/5.0
  - Cohort Class of 2021: 3.87
  - Cohort Class of 2022: 2.79
  - Cohort Class of 2023: 4.2
  - Cohort Class of 2024: 3.61
  - Cohort Class of 2025: 4.0
Student Graduate Exit Survey
- Preparation for Clinical Practice Using Simulation > 3.5/5.0
  - Cohort Class of 2020: 3.9
  - Cohort Class of 2021 : 3.62
  - Cohort Class of 2022: 3.46
  - Cohort Class of 2023: 4.45
  - Cohort Class of 2024: 3.3
- Preparation for Clinical Practice Using OSCEs >3.5/5.0
  - Cohort Class of 2020: 3.8
  - Cohort Class of 2021: 3.62
  - Cohort Class of 2022: 3.38
  - Cohort Class of 2023: 4.32
  - Cohort Class of 2024: 3.5
Faculty Evaluation of Curriculum
- Preparation of Students for Clinical Practice Using Simulation/ Benchmark > 3.5
  - Academic Year 2020: 3.78
  - Academic Year 2021: 4.50
  - Academic Year 2022: 4.5
  - Academic Year 2023: 4.5
  - Academic Year 2024: 4.3
- Preparation of Students for Clinical Practice Using OSCEs/ Benchmark > 3.5
  - Academic Year 2020: 3.58
  - Academic year 2021: 4.50
  - Academic Year 2022: 4.5
  - Academic Year 2023: 4.6
  - Academic Year 2024: 4.2

*Updated September 2024

Goal 5: Graduate Physician Assistants who exhibit effective interpersonal communication skills and work collaboratively within a healthcare team.

BENCHMARK FOR SUCCESS

Interpersonal Skills
- Preceptor Evaluation of Student Performance in Interpersonal Skills: Benchmark > 3.5/5.0
- Student Graduate Exit Survey Preparation in Interpersonal Skills: Benchmark > 3.5/5.0
Work collaboratively with a Health care team
- Preceptor Evaluation of Student Performance Work collaboratively with a healthcare team: Benchmark >3.5/5.0
- Student Graduate Exit Survey Preparation to Work collaboratively with a healthcare team: Benchmark > 3.5/5.0

SUCCESS OF GOALS

Interpersonal Skills
- Preceptor Evaluation of Student Performance Interpersonal Skills > 3.5/5.0
  - Cohort Class of 2020: Cohort Average: 4.84
  - Cohort Class of 2021: Cohort Average: 4.77
  - Cohort Class of 2022: Cohort Average 4.68
  - Cohort Class of 2023: Cohort Average: 4.93
  - Cohort Class of 2024: Cohort Average: 4.82
- Student Graduate Exit Survey (Preparation in Interpersonal Skills) > 3.5/5.0
  - Cohort Class of 2020: 4.44
  - Cohort Class of 2021: 4.12
  - Cohort Class of 2022: 3.85
  - Cohort Class of 2023: 4.55
  - Cohort Class of 2024: 3.7
Work collaboratively with a healthcare team
- Preceptor Evaluation of Student Performance: Work collaboratively with a Health care team >3.5/5.0
  - Cohort Class of 2020: Cohort Average: 4.77
  - Cohort Class of 2021: Cohort Average: 4.80
  - Cohort Class of 2022: Cohort Average: 4.77
  - Cohort Class of 2023: Cohort Average: 4.93
  - Cohort Class of 2024: Cohort Average: 4.79
- Student Graduate Exit Survey (Preparation to Work collaboratively with a healthcare team) Benchmark > 3.5/5.0
  - Cohort Class of 2020: 4.3
  - Cohort Class of 2021: 4.00
  - Cohort Class of 2022: 4.07
  - Cohort Class of 2023: 4.82
  - Cohort Class of 2024: 3.5

*Updated September 2024

Physician Assistant Studies

Program Goals

Physician Assistant Studies

Contact Information