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Mission, Vision, and Goals

Image of Physician Assistant Studies student in lab

Mission

The mission of the University of South Alabama Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Program is to educate compassionate and competent individuals from diverse backgrounds to become highly qualified physician assistants in accordance with the highest professional standards to provide a broad spectrum of preventative and curative healthcare to patients in various communities and clinical settings with physician supervision including underserved populations in Alabama both rural and urban. The emphasis of the program is one of primary care, including a broad foundation in the medical and surgical specialties.

Vision

The Physician Assistant Studies program curriculum is closely related to the goals of the University of South Alabama as well as to the degree. The program fosters an environment that promotes the acquisition and application of culturally sensitive, patient-oriented clinical knowledge and skills to produce a diverse workforce of primary care physician assistants who practice medicine with competence, professionalism, and compassion driven by academic excellence and a spirit of service to the community.

Goals

The goals of the PA program are to:

▼   Emphasize in rural and medically underserved communities.
1. Criteria # 1 – Student Community Service
Measure/ Benchmark:
  1. Student End of Didactic Phase Survey (Student Community Service Involvement) />3.5 out of 5.0 per cohort
  2. Faculty Eval of Curriculum (Student Community Service Involvement) />3.5 out of 5.0 per cohort
  3. Graduate Exit Survey (Student Community Service Involvement) />3.5 out of 5.0 per cohort

Success

Measure Cohort 2020 Cohort 2021 Cohort 2022 Cohort 2023
Student End of Didactic Phase Survey (Student Community Service Involvement) No data No data No data No data
Faculty Eval of Curriculum (Student Community Service Involvement) No data No data No data 4.875/5
Graduate Exit Survey (Student Community Service Involvement) 3.906/5 4.444/5 4.096/5 4.115/5
▼   Promote excellence in healthcare by preparing competent physician assistants to practice evidence-based medicine in all clinical settings.

Criteria # 1 – Evidence-based medicine
Measure/ Benchmark:

  1. Preceptor Eval of Student (evidence-based medicine) />3.5 out of 5.0 per cohort
  2. Student End of Didactic Phase Survey (Preparation in EBM) />3.5 out of 5.0 per cohort
  3. Faculty Eval of Curriculum (Preparation in EBM) />3.5 out of 5.0 per cohort
  4. Graduate Exit Survey (Preparation in EBM) />3.5 out of 5.0 per cohort

Success

Measure Cohort 2020 Cohort 2021 Cohort 2022 Cohort 2023
Preceptor Eval of Student (Practice EBM) 4.743/5 4.776/5 4.715/5 4.713/5
Student End of Didactic Phase Survey (Preparation in EBM) No data No data No data No data
Faculty Eval of Curriculum (Preparation in EBM) No data No data No data 4.115/5
Graduate Exit Survey (Preparation in EBM) 4.531/5 4.519/5 4.442/5 4.596/5
▼   To recruit, select, and educate a highly qualified student body.

Criteria #1 – Highly Qualified Applicants
Measures/Benchmarks:

  1. Undergraduate cumulative GPAs/ >3.5 out of 4.0 average for cohort
  2. Undergraduate science GPAs/ >3.5 out of 4.0 average for cohort

Success of Goal

Criteria Cohort 2020 Cohort 2021 Cohort 2022 Cohort 2023
Average undergraduate cumulative GPA 3.706 3.67575 3.63133 3.65716
Average undergraduate science GPA 3.654 3.6185 3.53483 3.615

Measures/Benchmarks:

  1. Underrepresented minority students in healthcare professions/ >20% of cohort
  2. Environmentally or economically disadvantaged students/ >20% of cohort

Success of Goal

Criteria Cohort 2020 Cohort 2021 Cohort 2022 Cohort 2023
Underrepresented minority students in healthcare professions 5% 10% 20% 10%
Environmentally or economically disadvantaged students 50% 55% 46% 50%
▼   Prepare physician assistant students to provide patient-centered healthcare services as part of an inter-professional, collaborative team in a variety of clinical settings.

Criteria # 1 – Practice patient-centered medicine
Measure/ Benchmark:

  1. Preceptor Eval of Student (patient-centered medicine)/ >3.5 out of 5.0 per cohort
  2. Graduate Exit Survey (Preparation in Patient -centered care) / >3.5 out of 5.0 per cohort
  3. Faculty Eval of Curriculum (Preparation in Patient -centered care) / >3.5 out of 5.0 per cohort
  4. Graduate Exit Survey (Patient-centered care)/ >3.5 out of 5.0 per cohort

Success

Measure Cohort 2020 Cohort 2021 Cohort 2022 Cohort 2023
Preceptor Eval of Student (patient-centered medicine) 4.864/5 4.87/5 4.788/5 4.784/5
Student End of Didactic Phase Survey (Preparation in Patient -centered care) No data No data No data No data
Faculty Eval of Curriculum (Preparation in Patient -centered care) No data No data No data 4.115/5
Graduate Exit Survey Preparation in (Patient -centered care) 4.032/5 4.519/5 4.345/5 4.365/5

Criteria # 2 – Interprofessional education
Measure/ Benchmark:

  1. Preceptor Eval of Student (Interprofessional teamwork/ >3.5 out of 5.0 per cohort
  2. Student End of Didactic Phase Survey (Preparation in interprofessional education/ >3.5 out of 5.0 per cohort
  3. Faculty Eval of Curriculum (Preparation in interprofessional education/ >3.5 out of 5.0 per cohort
  4. Graduate Exit Survey (Preparation in interprofessional education/ >3.5 out of 5.0 per cohort

Success

Measure Cohort 2020 Cohort 2021 Cohort 2022 Cohort 2023
Preceptor Eval of Student (Inter-professional teamwork) 4.868/5 4.874/5 4.826/5 4.745/5
Student End of Didactic Phase Survey (Preparation in Interprofessional Education) No data No data No data No data
Faculty Eval of Curriculum (Preparation in Interprofessional Education) No data No data No data 4.625/5
Graduate Exit Survey Preparation in (Preparation in Interprofessional education) 3.774/5 4.556/5 4.385/5 4.327/5
▼   Charge physician assistant students to become graduates who reflect high standards of professionalism.

Criteria #1 – Professionalism of students
Measures/Benchmarks:

  1. End of Didactic Phase Survey, (Preparation in Professionalism) >3.5/5.0 cohort average
  2. Student Graduate Exit Survey (Preparation in Professionalism) >3.5/5.0 cohort average
  3. Faculty Eval of Curriculum (Preparation in Professionalism) >3.5/5.0 cohort average
  4. Preceptor Eval of Student (Preparation in Professionalism) >3.5 out of 5.0 per cohort

Success of Goal

Criteria Cohort 2020 Cohort 2021 Cohort 2022 Cohort 2023
Student End of Didactic Phase (Preparation in Professionalism) No data No data No data No data
Student Graduate Exit Survey (Student Preparation in Professionalism) 3.875/5 4.407/5 4.115/5 4.212/5
Faculty Eval of Curriculum (Student Preparation in Professionalism) No data No data No data 4.875/5
Preceptor Eval of Student (Student Preparation in Professionalism) 4.933/5 4.849/5 4.858/5 4.789/5
▼   Foster the growth and development of PA education by preparing physician assistant graduates who possess depth of knowledge and clinical skills for excellence in practice.

Criteria #1 – Medical knowledge of students
Measures/Benchmarks:

  1. End of Didactic Phase Survey, (Preparation in medical knowledge)/ >3.5/5.0 cohort average
  2. Student Graduate Exit Survey (Preparation in medical knowledge) >3.5/5.0 cohort average
  3. Faculty Eval of Curriculum (Preparation in medical knowledge) >3.5/5.0 cohort average
  4. Didactic GPA

Success of Goal:

Measure Cohort 2020 Cohort 2021 Cohort 2022 Cohort 2023
Student End of Didactic Phase (Preparation in medical knowledge) No data No data No data No data
Student Graduate Exit Survey (Student Preparation in medical knowledge) 4.065/5 4.481/5 4.192/5 4.385/5
Faculty Eval of Curriculum (Student Preparation in medical knowledge) No data No data No data 4.875/5

Criteria #2 – Clinical skills of students (Physical Exam)
Measures/Benchmarks:

  1. End of Didactic Phase Survey, (Preparation in clinical skills)/ >3.5/5.0 cohort average
  2. Student Graduate Exit Survey (Preparation in clinical skills) >3.5/5.0 cohort average
  3. Faculty Eval of Curriculum (Preparation in clinical skills) >3.5/5.0 cohort average
  4. End of Didactic Complete Physical Exam GPA

Success of Goal:

Criteria Cohort 2020 Cohort 2021 Cohort 2022 Cohort 2023
Student End of Didactic Phase (Preparation in clinical skills) No data No data No data No data
Student Graduate Exit Survey (Student Preparation in clinical skills) 4.063/5 4.407/5 4.308/5 4.577/5
Faculty Eval of Curriculum (Student Preparation in clinical skills) No data No data No data 4.75/5
▼   Promote in our physician assistant students the importance of ongoing professional development to meet and/or exceed contemporary performance standards within their area(s) of clinical practice.

Criteria #1 – Professional Involvement
Measures/Benchmarks:

  1. Student members of the AAPA / 100% cohort participation

Success of Goal:

Criteria Cohort 2020 Cohort 2021 Cohort 2022 Cohort 2023
Student AAPA participation        

 

 

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