PA Goals and Outcomes

Goal #1: Equip graduates with the requisite preparation to enter into clinical practice.

Benchmarks

1. Maintain a 5-year Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) pass rate at or above the national average
2. Maintain 100% of the class scoring “Satisfactory Medical Knowledge” on the PAEA End of Curriculum assessment
3. Earn a 4.0 on a 5.0 (5.0=extremely well) scale on the question “How well do you feel the program prepared you (or our students) for clinical practice/profession?” on the following surveys:
   • Education Survey completed by students at graduation
   • Education Survey completed one year post-graduation by alumni
   • Student Preparedness Survey completed by active clinical preceptors

Outcomes

1. MET: UW-Madison PA Program 5-year average PANCE pass rate is 95%, compared to the 5-year national average of 94%
2. MET: 100% of the Class of 2022 and Class of 2023 graduates have scored above a 1400, or “Satisfactory Medical Knowledge” on the End of Curriculum exam, one data point in ensuring they are ready for graduation.
3. MET: Scores on the question “How well do you feel the program prepared you (or our students) for clinical practice/profession?” exceeded 4.0 on a 5-point scale.
   • Class of 2023 at graduation rated the question 4.4
   • Class of 2022 one year post-graduation alumni rated the question 4.1
   • Class of 2022 active preceptors rated the question 4.4

GOAL #2: Support our mission by recruiting and admitting highly qualified “Mission Match” applicants who are successful graduates.

Benchmarks

1. 50% of our class are” Mission Match” students, defined as:
   • Student from a Health Professions Shortage Area (HPSA) or Medically Underserved Community (MUC)
   • Student from an economically disadvantaged background
   • Student who is a first generation college student
   • Student that is a veteran of or currently serving in the military
2. Maintain a total attrition rate at or below the national average of 6.7% (PAEA Research, Program Report 35, 2019 National cohort), with ultimate graduation rate of at least 98%
3. Create and maintain a Student Success Coaching model. Score 4.0 on a 5.0 scale on the Global Survey completed annually by students to these questions: 1) I am satisfied with access to student services, 2) I am satisfied with access to academic support, and 3) The mentoring by faculty is effective.

Outcomes

1. MET: For the class entering in 2023 65% of our students are considered “Mission Match”
   • From a Health Professions Shortage Area (HPSA) or Medically Underserved Community (MUC): 45%
   • Economically disadvantaged background: 24%
   • First generation college student: 19%
   • Veteran of or currently serving in the military: 2%
2. PARTIALLY MET: The attrition rate for the Class of 2023 is 5%, which is better than our benchmark of 6.7% (which is the national average). However, our attrition rate was higher than the benchmark for the Class of 2021 and 2022 (as demonstrated on this table “ARC-PA Attrition Table”).
3. MET: For the class entering in 2023, 100% of incoming PA students completed the pre-matriculation curriculum around academic success. 100% of students are assigned a faculty and peer mentor. Regressive data analysis was used to predict students who will benefit from success coaching. For the Class of 2023 15 students qualified from coaching and 13 accepted it.
   • On the 22-23 Global Survey completed by current students the following benchmarks (4.0 on a 5.0 scale, 5=strongly agree) were also met:
     • I am satisfied with access to student services: 4.5 / 5.0
     • I am satisfied with access to academic support: 4.5 / 5.0
     • The mentoring by faculty is effective: 4.2 / 5.0

Goal #3: In support of our mission, expose students to clinical rotations in rural and underserved areas.

Benchmark

1. 100% of clinical year students will complete a minimum of a 4-week clinical rotation in a rural or underserved area.

 Outcome

1. MET: 100% of students in the last 3 graduating classes (2023 – 2021) completed a minimum of 4 weeks in rural and/or underserved clinic with the average number of weeks being 10.

Goal 4: Ensure new program graduates secure employment as a PA and gain entrance into the health care workforce.

Benchmark

1. 98% or more of graduates will employed as a PA at 6-months post graduation (5-year average)

Outcome

1. PARTIALLY-MET: An employment survey is sent to alumni 6 months post-graduation and follow up continues for one year.  For the Classes of 2018-2022, 95% were employed, of those employed:
   • 67% practice in Wisconsin
   • 24% practice in primary care
   • 44% practice in a HPSA/MUA
   • 27% practice in a rural area

Goal 5: Provide unique educational opportunities to prepare students for practice in diverse practice settings.

Benchmarks

1. Maintain an accredited program with 2 distant campuses serving rural communities of Wisconsin and an online option.
2. Enrollment of highly qualified students into each cohort
3. 10% of students will enroll in a Public Health Path of Distinction in the areas of: Global Health, Rural Health, Addiction Medicine or Tribal Medicine.
4. All students are offered the opportunity to participate in an international educational opportunity, annually we have 4 spots for the 8-week clinical rotation in Belize and 20 PA spots for students to participate in the 1-week interprofessional learning experience also in Belize.
5. All students are required to volunteer in a free clinic.

 Outcomes

1. MET: Full continued accreditation status was granted in 2015. Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be September 2025. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy. The UW-Madison PA Program has held continuous accreditation status since 1975. The program accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website.
2. MET: We continue to matriculate highly qualified students that far surpass our minimum requirements for admission. The class matriculating in 2023 had an average overall GPA of 3.73 with each cohort’s average being between 3.4 and 3.79. And an average healthcare experience of 3245 hours, with the median being 2686. The average healthcare hours for matriculating students from each cohort was consistent with a range between 2500 – 5300.
3. MET: Over the past 3 years the enrollment in Path of Distinction has remained constant at 13%
4. MET: All students were offered the opportunity to participate in global health opportunities with 15 PA students (27% of the class of 2023) participating in the one week interprofessional service learning trip in Belize. Four PA students completing  interprofessional elective rotations in Belize.
5. MET: 100% of students in 22-23 participated in either the MEDiC, a student-led organization that runs four free health clinics, and partners with three other free clinics, throughout the Madison area or Wausau Free Clinic which offers no-charge primary care services to low income, uninsured residents of the Wausau area.