Earn your degree at a top Physician Assistant program of 2025 according to U.S. News & World Report.
Celebrating the White Coat Ceremony
The White Coat Ceremony marks a student's entry as a junior colleague into the field of medicine. Just before Commencement, the Class of 2025 received their white coats and took the Physician Assistant Professional Oath.
Mission & Goals
The mission of the Physician Assistant program is to prepare students to provide healthcare in a broad range of medical settings by training them in the medical arts and sciences in an inclusive, multicultural environment dedicated to the delivery of patient-centered care, while fostering a strong commitment to clinical and community partnerships.
The overall goals of the Physician Assistant program are to prepare graduates to provide quality healthcare and to nurture their service as capable leaders in clinical, research and community service environments.
Accomplishment of our goals will serve the:
- Student, by fostering personal and professional discovery and development with the skills to become life-long learners
- Patient, through student preparation to provide competent patient-centered primary and specialty care
- Institution, by contributing to a seamless learning environment which fosters the development of competent and compassionate healthcare professionals
- Community, by graduating professionals who understand the importance of community service, forging community alliances, and having an understanding of culturally appropriate care
The successful achievement of the program鈥檚 mission is demonstrated through the following goals and performance indicators:
Goal
Recruit, enroll and retain a highly qualified and diverse student cohort.
Indicators
- Entering classes average prerequisite GPA equal to or above 3.75
- At least 50% of the entering student cohort will represent highly qualified, diverse backgrounds as indicated by admissions PEQs (Program Enhancing Qualities).
Measures
| Class | Average Prerequisite GPA | Percentage of Entering Students with at least 1 PEQ |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 3.85 | 78.50% |
| 2026 | 3.82 | 87.50% |
| 2025 | 3.83 | 92.50% |
| 2024 | 3.85 | 90% |
| 2023 | 3.85 | 92.50% |
| 2022 | 3.83 | 86.25% |
Findings
- Average Pre-requisite GPA of entering classes were equal to or above 3.75
- Entering student cohorts had well more than 50% representation of highly qualified, diverse backgrounds
Goal
Foster an attitude of service.
Indicator
- Entering class average has an average of 500 volunteer hours
- 40 hours of community service earned while in the program
Measures
| Class | Percent of student in the cohort who earned at least 40 hours of community service while in the program |
|---|---|
| 2027 | 504 |
| 2026 | 779 |
| 2025 | 851 |
| 2024 | 998.72 |
| 2023 | 725.67 |
| 2022 | 540.51 |
| Class | % of students to earn 40 hours of community service while in the program |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 100% |
| 2023 | 100% |
| 2022* | 100% |
*First cohort with this requirement
Findings
- Entering classes averaged more than 500 volunteer hours
- 100% of students earned 40 hours of community service while in the program
Goal
Produce graduates who function as collaborative members of the healthcare team.
Indicators
- Successful completion of Interprofessional Education (IPE) course series
- Clinical evaluations reflective of student collaboration on the healthcare team*
Measures
| Class | % Completion of IPE Course Series | Average Student Score on Preceptor Evaluation Domain: Interprofessional Collaboration |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 100% | 98% |
| 2023 | 100% | |
| 2022 | 100% | |
| 2021 | 100% | |
| 2020 | 100% |
Findings
- 100% of students successfully completed IPE course series
Goal
Ensure students successfully complete the program and graduate on time.
Indicator
- 100% successful completion of all graduation requirements prior to graduation
- 90% On-time graduation rate
Measures
| Class | Completion of all graduation requirements | On-time graduation rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 100% | 82.50% | 5 graduated late; 2 withdrawals; 4 Decelerated to CO2025; 3 Decelerated to CO2026 |
| 2023 | 100% | 77.50% | 5 graduated late; 1 withdrawal; 3 dismissals; 8 Decelerated to CO2023; 1 Decelerated to CO2025 |
| 2022 | 100% | 86.25% | 6 graduated late; 1 withdrawal; 2 dismissals; 1 Decelerated to CO2023; 1 Decelerated to CO2024 |
| 2021 | 100% | 90.00% | 2 graduated late; 3 withdrew; 3 decelerated to CO2022 |
| 2020 | 100% | 72.50% | 18 graduated late; 4 decelerated to CO2021 |
Findings
- 100% of students successfully completed all graduation requirements
Goal
Equip graduates to enter PA practice with excellent clinical knowledge and skills.
Indicators
- PANCE first time pass rate at or above national average
- 95% pass rate on final OSCE
- 95% first time pass rate on End of Curriculum Exam
Measures
| Class | EVMS PANCE First Time Pass Rate | National PANCE First Time Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 97% | 92% |
| 2022 | 95% | 92% |
| 2021 | 95% | 93% |
| 2020 | 97% | 95% |
| 2019 | 90% | 93% |
| 2018 | 100% | 98% |
| Class | Pass rate on Final OSCE | First time pass rate on EOC |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 92% | 100% |
| 2023 | 97% | 100% |
| 2022 | 100% | 99% |
| 2021 | 97.40% | 100% |
| 2020 | 97.50% | ** |
**No EOC due to COVID-19 Pandemic
Findings
- Program's first time pass rate on the PANCE was at or above the national average for 4 out of the past 5 years
- Pass rate on Final OSCE was above 95% the past 3 years
- First time pass rate on the End of curriculum exam was above 95% the past 2 years it has been administered
Program Benefits
The 2025 edition of U.S. News & World Report鈥檚 rankings 鈥 a peer-assessed category of its 鈥 ranks the Physician Assistant (M.P.A.) program 35th among the nation鈥檚 310 physician assistant programs.
The program鈥檚 rigorous 28-month, full-time curriculum ensures graduates are well equipped to provide care and work collaboratively in a variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, urgent care centers, outpatient offices and clinics.
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Learn through instruction based on the medical model of education on the campus of a medical school.
The PA program is divided into two phases, spanning 28 consecutive months.
Phase I: The 16-month pre-clinical year includes traditional classroom instruction and simulated patient interaction.
Phase II: Nine clinical field experiences provide direct supervised patient care in a variety of medical and surgical disciplines.
PA students conduct cadaver dissections in the Anatomy Lab.
Our Community-Engaged Learning program combines meaningful community service with structured learning and reflection to enhance PA students鈥 overall learning experience.
Work with standardized patients in the. Standardized patients are individuals trained to:
- portray a patient with a specific condition in a realistic, standardized and repeatable way,
- document learner performance,
- provide feedback on both clinical and interpersonal skills and
- realistically represent patient satisfaction.
Join a program with compassionate mentors and teachers who are dedicated to seeing their students succeed.
"The unparalleled opportunities for early clinical immersion, coupled with the exceptional academic instruction from the PA faculty, were key factors in my decision to pursue further education here.鈥 鈥 Clarissa Bielema, M.P.A. Class of 2026
Physician Assistant (M.P.A.)
Find more information about our Physician Assistant (M.P.A.) program.
Faculty & Staff
