DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDIES MISSION STATEMENT

The Department of Physician Assistant Studies educates students in a primary care-based curriculum that emphasizes the mastery of knowledge, technical skills, critical thinking, and moral reasoning.  King’s Department of PA Studies fosters excellence in teaching and faculty scholarship, and forms highly competent professional healthcare providers committed to patient-centered, compassionate care, and the inherent dignity of every person.

PROGRAM GOALS

  1. Develop and maintain a comprehensive didactic and clinical curriculum that will prepare students to successfully pass the PANCE and become competent health care providers committed to lifelong learning
  2. Model an interdisciplinary approach to medicine which utilizes effective oral and written communication between members of the health care team and the patient
  3. Develop PAs that utilize a comprehensive approach to health and disease by emphasizing primary care, health maintenance, and disease prevention
  4. Advocate information literacy and the technological competency to be effective health care providers
  5. Cultivate moral values and ethical and professional behavior required for the practice of medicine

Indicators of Success at Achieving the Program Mission and Goals

In order to meet the program’s mission and goals, the curriculum has been designed with an emphasis on primary care. The King’s College Physician Assistant (PA) Program utilizes the Competencies for the PA Profession, the content blueprint for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE), and the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) accreditation standards for PA education, as a guide for the curriculum content.

Outcomes supporting program goals:

   GOAL                                                                     OUTCOMES

1
  • Our program strives to prepare students to meet or exceed the national average on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE). The PANCE pass rate for the class of 2015 was 98%. The national average for first-time test takers in 2015 was 96%. The pass rate for the class of 2016 was 98%. The national average for first-time test takers in 2016 was 96%.
  • A summative exam, administered just prior to graduation, assesses medical knowledge, identifies content areas of weakness, and prepares the student for the PANCE. The minimum passing score is 70%. The average score for the class of 2016 was 80%.
  • The average score on preceptor evaluations of student performance regarding basic medical knowledge during clinical rotations for the class of 2016 was 9.41 on a 10-point scale, with a minimum acceptable score of 6.
  • 100% of students complete a module on PA Practices and Health Care Policies, which provides instruction on CME requirements, PANCE/PANRE strategies, and interactions between health care professionals. The average grade for the Health Policies Module in 2016 was 96%. The minimum passing grade for this module is 80%.
  • 100% of faculty maintain certification as a Physician Assistant through the national certification which requires ongoing continuing medical education.

 

2
  • The average grade for the module Medical Interviewing and Documentation was a 97% for the class of 2016. The minimum passing grade for this module is 80%.
  • The preceptor evaluations of student performance during clinical rotations revealed the following average scores, based on a 10-point rating scale with a minimum acceptable score of 6, for the class of 2016:
    • “Handled relationships and communications with other students and staff appropriately and professionally”= 9.81
    • “Partnered with the preceptor, health care managers, and other health care professionals to assess, coordinate,   and improve the delivery of health care and patient outcomes”= 9.79
    • “Effectively educated patients/families about their condition, treatment, and required follow up”= 9.56
    • “Consistently presented cases orally in a complete, accurate and organized manner”= 9.56
    • “Consistently dictated and/or wrote complete and organized admission and discharge summaries”= 9.60
    • “Consistently documented data in the proper format, in an organized and timely manner that is concise, legible, and complete”= 9.66
  • The 2016 NECPA IPEC Summit educated local students from various health care professions to learn about, from, and with one another. 100% of our students participated in this Summit.
  • Preceptor evaluations of student performance rate the student’s ability to provide patient education. Preceptor evaluation scores, based on a 10-point rating scale with a minimum acceptable score of 6, revealed the following averages for the class of 2016:
    • Effectively educated patients/families about their condition, treatment, and required follow up= 9.56
    • Consistently educated the patient regarding personal behaviors which could predispose him/her to illness= 9.60

 

3
  • 100% of the students complete 12-weeks in a family practice preceptorship.
  • 100% of students complete a graded Preventative Care Plan with a benchmark of 70%. The average score for the class of 2016 was a 93.4%.
  • The average preceptor evaluation of student performance score for clinical rotations for preventive care, for the class of 2016, was 9.59 on a 10-point scale, with a minimum acceptable score of 6.
  • 100% of students are trained in modules that have content that emphasizes primary care settings

 

4
  • 100% of the students complete a Master’s Research project that requires utilization of information technology skills. The average Master Project grade in 2016 was 94.23% on the written component and a 97.13% on the oral presentation component.
  • 100% of the students complete a module of instruction on Research Methods that requires students to read/evaluate and discuss the medical literature on a medical topic. The average grade for this module in 2016 was 97%. The minimum passing grade for this module is 80%.
  • 100% of the students take online exams and use an electronic system to log patient encounters.
  • 100% of students learn how to use online drug references during a prescription-writing seminar and continue to use this application throughout clinical rotations.
  • Clinical preceptors evaluate students on the statement, “consistently expanded his or her medical knowledge with appropriate research materials”. The class of 2016 had a 9.52 average score on a 10-point rating scale, with a minimum acceptable score of 6, for this evaluation.

 

5
  • 100% of students complete an Ethics module, with a minimum passing grade of 80%. The average grade for the Ethics module was 95.8% for 2016.
  • The clinical preceptor evaluation of students appraises ethical/moral behavior. The average evaluation score for the statement, “Exhibited moral values and behaviors” was 9.89, on a 10-point rating scale with a minimum acceptable score of 6, for the class of 2016.