PA Program Mission, Goals, and Outcomes

Mission

To prepare future PAs as socially responsible members of interprofessional teams, empowered to promote health, provide competent and compassionate patient-centered care, and advocate for the well-being of diverse communities.

Outcomes: Program Goals

The FDU PA Program has identified specific program goals or ends towards which its efforts are directed. These goals and the benchmarks utilized for determining their outcome are noted in the table below.

 

Goal 1

Prepare PAs who exhibit competency in medical knowledge consistent with entry level clinical practice

Benchmarks

Outcome Data

Class of 2024

Outcome Data

Class of 2025

PANCE pass rate:

Benchmark: FDU PA PANCE first-time pass rate meets or exceeds national first-time pass rate

86% FDU vs 92% National first-time pass rates

85% FDU ***National first-time pass rate for 2025 not available until January 2026

*End of Curriculum Exam:

Benchmark: 95% first-time pass rate

*2024 and 2025 cohorts: 1400 pass score
*2026 cohort: 1440 pass score

100% (37/37)

100% (40/40)

End of Program Survey item:

“How confident are you in your ability to implement patient-centered practice knowledge?”

Benchmark: Mean ≥ 3.5

[Scale 1=Not at all confident, 2=Not very confident, 3=Neutral, 4=Confident, 5=Very confident]

4.3

4.0

 

Goal 2

Deliver a curriculum that prepares students to provide quality patient care

Benchmarks

Outcome Data

Class of 2024

Outcome Data

Class of 2025

Preceptor evaluations: Verification of Clinical Practice Skills1 

Benchmark: Grand mean ≥ 4 across core (excluding elective) SCPEs

[Scale 1=Unsatisfactory, 2=Needs attention, 3=Weak, 4=Good, 5=Outstanding] 

4.6

4.7

Summative OSCE:  

Benchmark: 95% first-time pass rate 

97%

95%

End of Program Survey (EOPS) item: “How well did your didactic instruction in the following topic areas prepare you for clinical rotations – Patient communication skills/History taking/Physical examinations/Patient assessment?” 

Benchmark: Mean ≥3   

[Scale 1=Not at all well, 2=Somewhat well, 3=Very well, 4=Extremely well] 

3.4

3.1

 

Goal 3

Cultivate PA students’ abilities to care for diverse patient populations across care levels through clinical rotations 

Benchmarks

Outcome Data

Class of 2024

Outcome Data

Class of 2025

End of Program Survey (EOPS) item: “Evaluate instruction (both quality and amount) received in the following areas – Culturally appropriate care for diverse populations”  

Benchmark: Mean range 1.7 – 2.3 

[Scale 1 = Insufficient, 2 = Appropriate, 3 = Excessive] 

2.2

1.8

End of Program Survey item: “How confident are you in your ability to implement cultural humility?” 

Benchmark: Mean ≥ 3.5

[Scale 1=Not at all confident, 2=Not very confident, 3=Neutral, 4=Confident, 5=Very confident] 

4.6

4.3

Preceptor Evaluation of Interpersonal Skills and Professionalism2

Benchmark: Grand Mean ≥ 4 across core (excluding elective) SCPEs 

[Scale 1=Unsatisfactory, 2=Needs attention, 3=Weak, 4=Good, 5=Outstanding] 

4.8

4.9

 

Goal 4

Develop PA students into functional members of interprofessional healthcare teams 

Benchmarks

(Programmatic support for the FDU-PA Student Society (FDUPASS))

Outcome Data

Class of 2024

Outcome Data

Class of 2025

Student Evaluation of Clinical Rotation & Site item: “The clinical site offers interprofessional collaborate work with other health professions (Standard B2.04)”  

Benchmark: Grand mean ≥ 4 across core (excluding elective) SCPEs 

[Scale 1=Unsatisfactory, 2=Needs remediation, 3=Weak, 4=Good, 5=Outstanding] 

4.6

4.5

End of Program Survey item:  

Agreement with statement – “The learning experience(s) with students from different health professions helped me gain a better understanding of the roles of other professions in patient care” 

Benchmark: Mean ≥ 3.5

[Scale 1=Strongly disagree, 2=Disagree, 3=Neither agree nor disagree, 4=Agree, 5=Strongly agree] 

3.4

3.9

End of Program Survey item:  

“How confident are you in your ability to implement – Interprofessional collaborative practice and leadership?”  

Benchmark: Mean ≥ 3.5

[Scale 1=Not at all confident, 2=Not very confident, 3=Neutral, 4=Confident, 5=Very confident] 

4.6

4.1

Preceptor Evaluation of Interpersonal Skills and Professionalism item: “Communicating collaboratively with other members of patient-centered teams” 

Benchmark: Grand Mean ≥ 4 across core (excluding elective) SCPEs 

[Scale 1=Unsatisfactory, 2=Needs attention, 3=Weak, 4=Good, 5=Outstanding] 

4.8

4.8

 

  1. Goal 2 results for the measure Preceptor evaluations: Verification of Clinical Practice Skills are computed from the following items:

    1. “Applying clinical reasoning and problem-solving skills – Preventative” rated in PHAS7510, PHAS7540, PHAS7550, PHAS8510

    2. “Applying clinical reasoning and problem-solving skills – Acute” rated in PHAS7500, PHAS7510, PHAS7540, PHAS7550, PHAS8500 (Class of 2024 only), PHAS8510, PHAS 8520, PHAS8530

    3. “Applying clinical reasoning and problem-solving skills – Chronic” rated in PHAS7500, PHAS7510, PHAS7540, PHAS7550, PHAS8500 (Class of 2024 only), PHAS8510, PHAS8530

    4. “Applying clinical reasoning and problem-solving skills – Emergent” rated in PHAS7500, PHAS7510, PHAS7550, PHAS8500 (Class of 2024 only), PHAS8510, PHAS8520, PHAS8530

    5. “Applying clinical reasoning and problem-solving skills” rated in PHAS8500 (Class of 2025 only)

  2. Goal 3 results for the measure Preceptor Evaluation of Interpersonal Skills and Professionalism are computed from the following items:

    1. “Providing culturally sensitive effective counseling and education about health promotion and disease prevention – Infants” rated in PHAS7540

    2. “Providing culturally sensitive effective counseling and education about health promotion and disease prevention – Children” rated in PHAS7510, PHAS7540

    3. “Providing culturally sensitive effective counseling and education about health promotion and disease prevention – Adolescents” rated in PHAS7510, PHAS7540

    4. “Providing culturally sensitive effective counseling and education about health promotion and disease prevention – Adults” rated in PHAS7510, PHAS7550, PHAS8510

    5. “Providing culturally sensitive effective counseling and education about health promotion and disease prevention – Elderly” rated in PHAS7510, PHAS8510

    6. “Providing culturally sensitive effective counseling and education about health promotion and disease prevention” rated in PHAS8510

    7. “Displaying tolerance, non-discriminatory, and ethical behaviors to members of a healthcare team” rated in PHAS7500, PHAS8500, PHAS8520, PHAS8530

    8. “Displaying tolerance, non-discriminatory, and ethical behaviors towards patients – Infants” rated in PHAS8500

    9. “Displaying tolerance, non-discriminatory, and ethical behaviors towards patients – Children” rated in PHAS8500

    10. “Displaying tolerance, non-discriminatory, and ethical behaviors towards patients – Adolescents” rated in PHAS8500

    11. “Displaying tolerance, non-discriminatory, and ethical behaviors towards patients – Adults” rated in PHAS7500, PHAS8500, PHAS8520, PHAS8530

    12. “Displaying tolerance, non-discriminatory, and ethical behaviors towards patients – Elderly” rated in PHAS7500, PHAS8500 PHAS8520, PHAS8530

    13. “Displaying tolerance, non-discriminatory, and ethical behaviors towards patients” rated in PHAS8500, PHAS8520

Outcomes: PANCE

Students who graduate from an accredited program are eligible to sit for the national certification examination administered by the National Commission on the Certification of Physician Assistants (PANCE).

PANCE Pass Rates for the FDU PA Program

Attrition

  • Attrition Rate: Number of students who attrite from cohort divided by entering class size
  • Graduation Rate: Number of cohort graduates divided by entering class size

  

Class of 2024 

Class of 2025 

Maximum Class Size (as approved by ARC-PA) 

40 

40 

Entering Class Size 

40 

40 

Graduates 

37 

39

Attrition Rate 

7.5% 

5% 

Graduation Rate 

92.5% 

95%