MISSION STATEMENT
To provide students with a primary care-based foundation of knowledge, technical skills, critical thinking, and moral values to become competent and cost-effective healthcare providers.
PROGRAM GOALS
1. Identify for admission those students with the academic background, interpersonal skills, and maturity necessary to complete the training in the PA Program.
2. Maintain accreditation from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).
3. Develop and maintain a comprehensive didactic and clinical curriculum that will prepare students to successfully complete board certification and become competent health care providers.
4. Promote an interdisciplinary approach to medicine, which utilizes effective oral and written communication between members of the healthcare team and the patient.
5. Promote a comprehensive approach to health and disease by emphasizing primary care, health maintenance, and disease prevention
6. Promote life-long learning in students and graduates and foster education between providers, students, and patients.
7. Promote information literacy and technological competency to be effective healthcare providers.
8. Promote moral values and ethical behavior as a healthcare provider.
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
The minimum overall and science GPA required for admission is 3.2. For the class of 2015, the average overall GPA on admission was 3.68 and the average science GPA on admission was 3.62.
On admission interviews, this class had an average score of 4.39 on a 5-point rating scale for interpersonal skills and an average score of 4.53 on a 5-point rating scale for maturity.
2
The King’s College Physician Assistant Program has continuing accreditation from the ARC-PA until 2017.
3
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%.
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 2015 was 78%.
The average score on preceptor evaluations of student performance regarding basic medical knowledge during clinical rotations was 9.44 on a 10-point scale, with a minimum acceptable score of 6.
4
100% of our class participated in the 2014 Northeast and Central Pennsylvania Interprofessional Education Coalition (NECPA IPEC) Summit. For future IPE Summits, the expectation is 100% student participation for available seats designated for the King’s College PA Program.
The average grade for the module Medical Interviewing and Documentation was a 93% for the class of 2015. 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 2015:
“Handled relationships and communications with other students and staff appropriately and professionally”= 9.79
“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”= 9.72
“Effectively educated patients/families about their condition, treatment, and required follow up”= 9.52
“Consistently presented cases orally in a complete, accurate and organized manner”= 9.58
“Consistently dictated and/or wrote complete and organized admission and discharge summaries”= 9.66
“Consistently documented data in the proper format, in an organized and timely manner that is concise, legible, and complete”= 9.60
5
100% of the students complete a 12-week primary care preceptorship.
100% of students complete a graded Preventative Care Plan with a minimum passing score of 80%.
The average preceptor evaluation of student performance score for clinical rotations for preventive care, for the class of 2015, was 9.57 on a 10-point scale, with a minimum acceptable score of 6.
6
The 2015 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 2015:
Effectively educated patients/families about their condition, treatment, and required follow up= 9.52
Consistently educated the patient regarding personal behaviors which could predispose him/her to illness= 9.62
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 2015 was 95%. The minimum passing grade for this module is 80%.
7
100% of the students complete a Master’s Research project that requires utilization of information technology skills. The average Master Project grade in 2015 was 97.59%.
100% of the students complete a module of instruction on Research Methods. The average grade for this module in 2015 was 95%. The minimum passing grade for this module is 80%.
100% of the students take online exams through Exam Master, and use Typhon to log patient encounters.
100% of students learn how to use Epocrates, an online drug reference, 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 2015 had a 9.53 average score on a 10-point rating scale, with a minimum acceptable score of 6, for this evaluation.
8
100% of students complete an Ethics module, with a minimum passing grade of 80%. The average grade for the Ethics module was 91% for 2015.
The clinical preceptor evaluation of students appraises ethical/moral behavior. The average evaluation score for the statement, “Exhibited moral values and behaviors” was 9.83, on a 10-point rating scale with a minimum acceptable score of 6, for the class of 2015.