Program Mission and Goals

Mission Statement

The mission of the UTHSC Physician Assistant Program is to prepare a diverse group of highly skilled physician assistants who:

1.  Are dedicated to improving access to health care
2.  Provide high quality primary and/or specialty care as part of interprofessional teams
3. Are knowledgeable about all factors that can affect a patient’s health and well-being
4. Are committed to lifelong learning and service to their community

Program Goals

1. Recruit and matriculate a unique class of highly qualified students who successfully complete the medical education program as physician assistants.
   1. 1. Admission variables
         1. Average Matriculated Student
            
            1. Cumulative Overall GPA – 3.62
            2. Cumulative Science GPA – 3.53
            3. Last 60 hours GPA – 3.71
            4. Patient Contact Hours - 3852
         2. Attrition rate
            1. Benchmark - < 10% attrition
            2. 5yr average – 4%
            3. ARC-PA Student Attrition Table
         3. Graduation rate
            1. Benchmark - > 90% graduation rate
            2. 5yr average – 96%
   2. Provide a comprehensive medical education program to educate and prepare future physician assistants with requisite medical knowledge and skills for both entry-level primary and specialty care.
      1. EOC data
         1. Benchmark - > 1400
         2. 5yr average - 1498
      2. PANCE data
         1. Benchmark - > 90% 1^st time pass rate
         2. NCCPA 5yr Summary Report
   3. Foster an awareness of and sensitivity for social determinants of health and the unique needs for all patients in the community.
      1. Special topics curriculum
         1. UTHSC SDoH curriculum
      2. Participation in S&W clinic
      3. Outreach activities
         1. Benchmark - at least 2 throughout the didactic year
      4. Benchmark - > 4.0 on End of Program Survey
         1. Evaluate the impact of the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic ramifications on health and well-being
   4. Develop and support faculty members to provide modeling of professionalism, service, and leadership.
      1. Service Roles - university, regional, national
      2. Presentations – regional, national
      3. Publications – articles, book chapters
      4. Other noteworthy endeavors