MSPAS – Program Outcomes | Francis Marion University (2024)

Program Goals

Francis Marion University Department of Physician Assistant Studies graduated the first group of PA students in December 2018.

Goal 1: The first-time pass rate for each graduating class on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) will be at or above the national average.

• Outcome: The first-time pass rate for the Class of 2018 was 78%.
• Outcome: Overall pass rate for the Class of 2018 currently is 97%.

Goal 2: The student attrition rate for each cohort will be 3.5% or less.

• Outcome: The attrition rate for the Class of 2018 was 0%.
• Outcome: The current attrition rate for the Class of 2020 is 3.13%.
• Outcome: The current attrition rate for the Class of 2021 is 0%.

Goal 3: The employment rate at six months after program completion will be 95%.

• Outcome: Current employment rate for the Class of 2018 is 100%, of the respondents from the data collected in June 2019 (n=17) .

Goal 4: Fifty percent of graduates will be employed in primary care after graduation.

• Outcome: For the Class of 2018, 58.8% of respondents are employed in primary care (n=17).

Goal 5: All students will complete a required clinical rotation in an under-served area.

• Outcome: 100% of students completed a clerkship in a medically under-served area.
• Outcome: 87% of students completed more than half of their clerkships in a medically under-served area.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Medical Knowledge
   • Knowledge and understanding of the established and evolving biomedical and clinical sciences and the application to patient care involving infants, children, adolescents, adults, and elderly in medical and surgical settings to include pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative care. (B1.02, B3.03a, B3.03c).
   • Knowledge base of anatomy, physiology, genetics and molecular mechanisms of health and disease and their application in clinical practice (B2.02a, b, e).
   • Knowledge and understanding of pathophysiology in all organ systems and disease processes and the application in clinical practice to include preventive, emergent, acute, and chronic encounters as well as prenatal, gynecological, and behavioral and mental health conditions. (B2.02c, B2.03, B3.02, B3.03b, B3.03d).
   • Knowledge of pharmacology principles and an understanding of the pharmacotherapeutics to provide appropriate pharmacologic therapy and implementation of an appropriate patient treatment plan (B2.02d, B2.05, B2.09).
   • Knowledge of professional issues related to practice as a physician assistant (B2.17).
2. Patient Care
   • Demonstrate the clinical and technical skills of eliciting a medical history and performing a physical examination that is relevant and accurate of patient information across the lifespan (infants, children, adolescents, adult, and elderly) and the ability to appropriately differentiate preventive, acute, emergent, and chronic patient presentations as well as manage prenatal, gynecological, and behavioral and mental health encounters (B2.05, B3.02, B3.03a, B3.03b, B3.03d).
   • Knowledge of routine clinical and technical skills and more specialized diagnostic studies/procedures and the ability to accurately interpret the diagnostic studies/procedures for patient care (B2.05).
   • Competency in medical and surgical technical skills/procedures that are required by the program to include pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative care of patients. (B2.07, B3.03c).
   • Develop a diagnostic and therapeutic management plan based on patient information and clinical reasoning and problem solving skills for common medical, surgical (pre-operative, intra-operative, post-operative), gynecological and prenatal, and behavioral health conditions across the life span (infants, children, adolescents, adults, and elderly), taking into consideration cost, sensitivity/specificity, invasiveness, appropriate sequencing, and level of acuity (preventive, acute, emergent, chronic) (B1.07, B2.06, B2.10, B3.02, B3.03a, B3.03b, B3.03c, B3.03d).
   • Apply clinical reasoning and problem solving skills of patient data by utilizing medical knowledge to develop a differential diagnosis and patient management that applies the principals of epidemiology and evidence-based medicine (B2.05, B2.10).
3. Interpersonal and Communication Skills
   • Utilize medical knowledge and interpersonal skills to provide accurate patient education inclusive of health promotion and disease prevention in oral and written forms taking into consideration literacy, diversity, inclusiveness of family/caregivers and utilization of other healthcare professionals and community resources/services for medical, surgical (pre-operative, intra-operative, post-operative), prenatal, gynecological, and behavioral and mental health conditions. (B1.06, B1.08, B2.04, B2.09, B2.12, B3.03b, B3.03c, B3.03d).
   • Demonstrate interpersonal skills that provide clear and effective communication in oral and written forms with patients, family/caregivers and members of the healthcare interprofessional team to provide competent comprehensive patient-centered care across the lifespan (infants, children, adolescents, adults, and elderly) related to preventive, emergent, acute, and chronic encounters. (B1.08, B2.17, B3.02, B3.03a).
   • Demonstrate patient education skills that are culturally sensitive for patients from diverse populations and help patients cope with their illness, injury and stress to promote positive health behaviors (B2.05, B2.08, B2.09, B2.12).
   • Demonstrate the interpersonal skills necessary to effectively collaborate interprofessionally with all members of the healthcare team (B1.08).
4. Professionalism
   • Demonstrate professional behavior with high ethical standards sensitive to the patient, family/caregiver and members of the health care team across the lifespan (infants, children, adolescents, adults, elderly) (B2.16, B2.17, B3.03a).
   • Demonstrate respect for self and others, tolerance, empathy, and confidentiality (B1.05).
   • Understand and abide by all practice laws and regulations as a physician assistant and be committed to ethical principles and knowledge of current health care and legal issues to ensure that best care practices are provided in a professional manner during preventive, emergent, acute, and chronic encounters involving medical, surgical (pre-operative, intra-operative, post-operative), prenatal, gynecological, and behavioral and mental health conditions. (B2.14, B3.02, B3.03b, B3.03c, B3.03d).
   • Demonstrate reliability, positive work ethic, and commitment to on-going professional development (B1.05).
5. Practice-Based Learning and Improvement
   • Be knowledgeable of the public health system and the role of providers in disease prevention and public health (B2.12).
   • Demonstrate ethical principles and implement best practice principles in patient safety, quality improvement, risk management, and prevention of medical errors (B2.13, B2.16).
   • Maintain practice-based and problem-solving skills with continued critical analysis of medical literature to evaluate manage and improve patient-centered care (B2.10).
   • Understand the impact of racial, ethnic and socioeconomic health disparities on health care delivery (B1.06).
6. System-Based Practice
   • Demonstrate responsiveness and clinical reasoning to systems-based practice by practicing cost effective care and resource allocation that does not compromise the quality of care (B2.13, B2.12).
   • Understand reimbursem*nt as it relates to coding, billing, and documentation of care (B2.15).
   • Understand the use of technology resources to support patient care and patient education (B2.10).
   • Understand the health care delivery systems and health care policy and concepts of public health (B2.11, B2.12).

PANCE Pass Rates

First Time Test Taker Pass Rate