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

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 Program, 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.

  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
  2. Model an interdisciplinary approach to medicine which utilizes effective oral and written communication between members of the healthcare 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 healthcare providers
  5. Cultivate moral values, and ethical and professional behavior required for the practice of medicine

Outcomes supporting program goals:

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 2021 was 90% (66/68). The national average for first-time test takers in 2021 is 93%.
  •  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 2021 was 82.49%.
  • The average score on preceptor evaluations of student performance regarding basic medical knowledge during clinical rotations for the class of 2021 was 4.62 on a 5-point scale, with a minimum acceptable score of 4.

2

  • The average grade for the module Medical Interviewing and Documentation was a 95.31% for the class of 2021. 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 5-point rating scale with a minimum acceptable score of 4, for the class of 2021:
  • “Handled relationships and communications with other students and staff appropriately and professionally”= 4.95 on a 5-point scale, with a minimum acceptable score of 4.
  • “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”= 4.93 on a 5-point scale, with a minimum acceptable score of 4.
  • “Effectively educated patients/families about their condition, treatment, and required follow up”= 4.81 on a 5-point scale, with a minimum acceptable score of 4.
  • Effectively educated the patient regarding personal behaviors which could predispose him/her to illness= 4.83 on a 5-point scale, with a minimum acceptable score of 4.
  • “Presented cases orally in a complete, accurate and organized manner”= 4.79 on a 5-point scale, with a minimum acceptable score of 4.
  • “Consistently dictated and/or wrote complete and organized admission and discharge summaries”= 4.82 on a 5-point scale, with a minimum acceptable score of 4.
  • “Consistently documented data in the proper format, in an organized and timely manner that is concise, legible, and complete”= 4.83 on a 5-point scale, with a minimum acceptable score of 4.
  • 100% of our students participated in program-created IPE Activity.

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 2021 was a 94.06%.
  • The average preceptor evaluation of student performance score for clinical rotations for preventive care, for the class of 2021, was 4.85 on a 5-point scale, with a minimum acceptable score of 4.
  • 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 2021 was 96.83% on the written component and a 97.17% 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 2021 was 97.77%. 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 2021 had a 4.79 average score on a 5-point rating scale, with a minimum acceptable score of 4, 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 94.06% for 2021.
  • The clinical preceptor evaluation of students appraises ethical/moral behavior. The average evaluation score for the statement, “Exhibited moral values and behaviors” was 4.98 on a 5-point rating scale with a minimum acceptable score of 4, for the class of 2021.