PA Program
Mission, Vision and Goals
In This Section
The Penn State Physician Assistant (PA) Program, located at the Penn State College of Medicine campus in Hershey, PA, is a 24-month, full-time graduate program enrolling 30 students each May.
Our first class graduated in May 2016.
Consistent with the goals of the entire College of Medicine, the PA Program emphasizes humanism in medicine, which takes into account the dedication required for individualized and personalized medicine.
Mission
The Penn State College of Medicine Physician Assistant Program’s mission is to prepare graduates to be academically, clinically, professionally and culturally competent physician assistants who are devoted to serving patients in their communities through the application of clinical reasoning, critical thinking, and evidence-based practice to deliver compassionate and comprehensive care.
Goals of the PA Program
To determine our effectiveness in meeting this goal each year consideration is given to the following data sources:
Demographics: Percentage of students who met one or more of the following categories collected from self-reported data on CASPA applications by matriculating students: underrepresented in medicine, first generation in college, veterans, and active-duty service members, educationally or economically disadvantaged.
Student Academic Profiles: The average undergraduate GPA, science GPA and GRE scores of matriculating students.
Demographics
The following table shows the number and percent of matriculating students who self-report underrepresented in medicine, first generation in college, veterans and active duty Service Members, educationally disadvantaged, or economically disadvantaged. Additional special consideration for admission is also given to those applicants who are from the state of Pennsylvania, and/or are employees of Penn State Health, and/or have graduated from/will be graduating from Penn State.
Student Profiles
The following table shows the average undergraduate GPA, Science GPA and GRE scores of matriculated students collected from CASPA applications displayed by graduating class. Acceptable alternatives to the GRE are: MCAT total score of at least 29 or higher (old version) or 505 (new version); or PCAT total score 75th percentile rank or higher; or DAT total score of 18 or higher.
To determine our effectiveness in meeting this goal, we utilize the following data sources:
Number of courses that utilize Team-Based Learning (TBL), a critical thinking pedagogy, throughout the PA curriculum
Preceptor ratings of student’s critical thinking skills during clinical rotations
Performance on the PACKRAT in the area of "Diagnosis"
Performance on the PAEA End of Curriculum assessment in the task area of “Diagnosis”
Performance on the PANCE in the task area of “Formulating Most Likely Diagnosis”
Team-Based Learning (TBL)
Courses that utilize TBL:
Summer: PAS 783 Introductory Concepts in Medicine, PAS 763 Principles of Immunology, Hematology, and Oncology, PAS 784 Principles of Dermatology, PAS 785 Principles of Infectious Disease, PAS 786 Principles of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology
Fall: PAS 787 Principles of Endocrinology, PAS 789 Principles of Pulmonology, PAS 788 Principles of Nephrology and Genitourinary Disease, PAS 790 Principles of Cardiology, PAS 791 Principles of Gastroenterology
Spring: PAS 723 Principles of Behavioral Medicine, PAS 792 Principles of Neurology, PAS 793 Principles of Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Diseases, PAS 722 Principles of Human Sexuality and Reproductive Health, PAS 729 Principles of Emergency Medicine, PAS 794 Principles of Surgery, PAS 719 Evidence Based Medicine
Critical Thinking
Mean score by graduating class of preceptor ratings of student’s critical thinking skills displayed by graduating class.
Ratings: 1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neutral, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree, 0 = Neutral - excluded from calculations
Class of 2019: 4.4
Class of 2020: 4.6
Class of 2021: 4.5
Class of 2022: 4.5
Class of 2023: 4.4
Class of 2024: 4.5
PACKRAT Performance
This table shows performance on the PACKRAT in the area of “diagnosis” for Year 1, Year 2 and compared with national score data displayed by graduating class.
Summative
Performance on the PAEA End of Curriculum assessment in the task area of “Diagnosis” compared with national score data displayed by graduating class. Note: The program implemented use of PAEA End of Curriculum assessment in 2023.
Class of 2023:
Penn State: 1524
National: 1531
Class of 2024:
Penn State: 1544
National: 1523
PANCE Performance
Performance on the PANCE in the task area of “Formulating Most Likely Diagnosis” compared with national score data displayed by graduating class. Note: National results are available after testing period.
To determine our effectiveness in meeting this goal each year consideration is given to the following data sources:
The program considers the curriculum and preparation provided in the course offerings.
The number of NHSC scholars who are committed to provide primary care health services in communities in need after graduation.
The percentage of Penn State College of Medicine PA graduates who practice in at least one of the following: primary care and/or in a federally designated underserved community.
Curriculum, Preparation and Outcomes:
100% of students participated in a longitudinal PCP series, taught by instructional faculty from the Department of Family and Community Medicine, in the following courses:
PAS 763 Principles of Immunology, Hematology, and Oncology
PAS 784 Principles of Dermatology
PAS 785 Principles of Infectious Disease
PAS 786 Principles of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology
PAS 788 Principles of Nephrology and Genitourinary Disease
PAS 787 Principles of Endocrinology
PAS 789 Principles of Pulmonology
PAS 790 Principles of Cardiology
PAS 791 Principles of Gastroenterology
PAS 723 Principles of Behavioral Medicine
PAS 792 Principles of Neurology
PAS 793 Principles of Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Diseases
PAS 722 Principles of Human Sexuality and Reproductive Health
PAS 729 Principles of Emergency Medicine
PAS 794 Principles of Surgery.
100% of students complete Family Medicine rotations at an academic Family and Community Medicine Practice Site.** During the clinical year phase, students also have the opportunity to complete an Ambulatory Selective at a Family and Community Medicine Practice Site, and an elective in Family Medicine.
To determine our effectiveness in meeting this goal, we utilize the following data sources:
Preceptor ratings of student performance
Preceptor ratings of student preparedness for practice
Number of courses incorporating patient centered practices working as part of an interprofessional team, and/or courses that PA student engage in interdisciplinary learning with the MD students
Students ratings on the Graduating Student Exit Survey
Preparedness for Practice
Percent of preceptors answering “Yes” to students prepared for practice at an entry level taken collected from Spring semester rotations preceptor evaluations displayed by graduating class.
Note: Effective the 22-23 academic year, the Preparedness for Practice question changed from a Likert scale of 1 (SD) to 5 (SA) to Yes/No. Percentage in previous years was calculated by greater than 2 = Yes, less than 3 = No.
Class of 2021: 100%
Class of 2022: 100%
Class of 2023: 99%
Class of 2024: 98%
Courses
Number of courses incorporating patient centered practices working as part of an interprofessional team, and/or courses that PA student engage in interdisciplinary learning with the MD students. Attendance in these courses is required for program completion.
100% of PA students participate in interdisciplinary learning in the following courses:
PAS 700 Medical Ethics and Professionalism
PAS 730 PA Fundamentals of Health Humanities
PAS 721 US Healthcare Systems
PAS 783 Inclusive Health Care Practices
PAS 725 Professional Practice
100% of PA students participate in interprofessional events in the following courses:
PAS 783 Inclusive Health Care Practices
Graduating Student Exit Surveys
Student perception of program competencies surrounding the development of patient centered professional clinicians working as part of an interprofessional team.
Graduation Requirements
Graduation requirements for PA students include:
Enrollment in the program for the time period specified by the program and approved by accrediting body for completion
Satisfactory completion of all curricular requirements in good academic standing
Cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher
No course or rotation grades below a “C” or “Low Pass”
Repeat and receive a “C” or higher in any course or rotation in the program for which a grade of “F” was earned.
Attainment of good professional standing
Successful completion of all components in the summative experience
Meet or exceed the minimum requirements for clinical experiences and competencies.
Recommendation for graduation by program faculty
Satisfactory fulfillment of all financial obligations to the Penn State College of Medicine and Penn State University
The PA Program requires 101 credits for successful program completion. The program curriculum contains a senior summative, one-credit course that also must be successfully completed in order to meet the program requirements for graduation eligibility.
All courses offered in the curriculum are required, and all of these courses must be successfully completed (as detailed above) to meet this eligibility for graduation.
Additional Policies
The Penn State College of Medicine Physician Assistant Program is a full-time academic program. The program’s curriculum is administered in a sequential fashion that builds on courses completed in the prior term. Consequently, the program does not award credit for experiential learning or accept advanced placement into the professional phase of the program.
The Penn State College of Medicine Physician Assistant Program faculty do not encourage students to work while enrolled in the program. However, we realize that students have different financial obligations and may need to work while enrolled in the program. The program is confident that we are educating adults who are capable of making a personal decision about the necessity of working and therefore we do not require students to disclose to the program whether work is taking place. However, it is the expectation that the PA Program is the student’s primary responsibility. Furthermore, concessions for missed classes, late assignments, scheduled assessments, and clinical rotation obligations due to work outside of the program will not be made.
Students are not permitted to work for the PA Program in any capacity while enrolled as a student at the Penn State College of Medicine.
Additionally, students may not substitute for or function as instructional faculty, clinical staff, or administrative staff while enrolled as a student at Penn State College of Medicine.
Students may not solicit their own clinical sites or preceptors, or trade preceptorships with other students. Students may, however, assist in communication with potential clinical preceptors to facilitate the program establishing affiliation agreements or clinical rotation site opportunities.
View the full Clinical Site Assignment Policy in the student handbook. (Penn State Health login required)