PA Program Mission, Values and Goals

We emphasize the importance of giving back to the community through service and volunteering, fostering compassionate and socially responsible healthcare professionals.

We expect and cultivate rigorous academic preparation, lifelong learning, and professionalism in all aspects of healthcare education and practice.

We emphasize the development of strong critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and problem-solving skills necessary for success in clinical practice. Students are encouraged to approach challenges with curiosity, creativity, and evidence-based decision-making to ensure safe, effective, and patient-centered care.

We uphold the highest standards of ethical behavior, honesty, and integrity in all academic, clinical, and professional activities.

We value effective communication, cultural awareness, and collaboration among healthcare professionals as essential to delivering high-quality, patient-centered care.

We value maturity, self-reflection, and a commitment to personal and professional growth to ensure our graduates excel in their roles as healthcare providers.

We value strong organizational abilities, time management, and prioritization skills, which are critical for success in both PA education and clinical practice.

We emphasize the importance of fostering wellness in both personal and professional spheres. This includes cultivating practices that support personal well-being, effective stress management, and work-life balance, while also promoting health and wellness among patients and within the communities we serve. By prioritizing health promotion, we empower ourselves and others to achieve better health outcomes for all.

The Rowan-Virtua SOM PA Program anticipates graduating its first cohort in August 2028. Program goals will be reviewed and updated in a timely manner to reflect the evolving objectives and to demonstrate the program’s effectiveness in achieving them.

Goal: Prepare clinically competent PAs who exhibit the knowledge and skills necessary to be an entry-level PA

Rationale: Achieving a high first-time pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) and demonstrating clinical excellence throughout the program are critical indicators of student preparedness and program success.

Benchmarks of Effectiveness:

• Program PANCE Pass rates for first-time test takers will be ≥85%.
• At least 85% of students will earn an average rating of ≥4.0/5.0 in Medical Knowledge on preceptor evaluations across all rotations.
• At least 85% of students will earn an average rating of ≥4.0/5.0 in Clinical Skills on preceptor evaluations across all rotations.
• At least 85% of students will earn an average rating of ≥4.0/5.0 in Technical Skills on preceptor evaluations across all rotations.
• At least 85% of students will earn an average rating of ≥4.0/5.0 in Interpersonal Skills on preceptor evaluations across all rotations.
• At least 85% of students will earn an average rating of ≥4.0/5.0 in Clinical Reasoning and Problem Solving on preceptor evaluations across all rotations. 
• At least 85% of students will earn an average rating of ≥4.0/5.0 in Professionalism on preceptor evaluations across all rotations.
• At least 85% of students will achieve an average score above the national average on End-of-Rotation Exams across all rotations.
• At least 85% of students will achieve an average score above the national average in ≥50% of topic and task areas on the End-of-Curriculum Exam in the PAST 70209 Capstone Course.
• At least 85% of students will earn an average score of ≥80% on the Summative Skills component of the PAST 70209 Capstone Course.
• At least 85% of students will earn an average score of ≥80% on the Professional Practice Summative Exam of the PAST 70209 Capstone Course.

Evidence of Effectiveness: Evidence of effectiveness towards achieving program goals will be available in the future as it becomes available. Evidence of effectiveness will be updated annually.

Goal: Prepare compassionate and community-focused PAs who demonstrate the empathy and commitment to service necessary to deliver patient-centered care.

Rationale: Compassionate care is fundamental to fostering strong patient relationships, improving health outcomes, and maintaining ethical and professional standards. Community engagement and service reinforces the altruistic nature inherent to medicine and medical service and further aligns with the mission and values of the PA program and the PA profession.

Benchmarks of Effectiveness:

• At least 85% of students will complete ≥20 hours of voluntary community service engagement by the end of the program.
• Each cohort will demonstrate at least a 20% improvement on the Community Service Knowledge and Attitudes Assessment from orientation to program completion.
• Each cohort will demonstrate at least a 20% improvement on the Empathy Benchmark Assessment from orientation to program completion.
• Each cohort will demonstrate at least a 20% improvement on the Compassionate Patient-Centered Care Benchmark Assessment from orientation to program completion.
• At least 85% of students will achieve an average score of ≥5.0/6.0 on standardized patient interaction evaluations.
• At least 85% of students will achieve an average score of ≥80% on didactic assessment items related to social determinants of health.
• At least 85% of students will achieve an average score of ≥80% on didactic assessment items related to public health.
• At least 85% of students will achieve an average score of ≥80% on didactic assessment items related to establishing clinical rapport.

Evidence of Effectiveness: Evidence of effectiveness towards achieving program goals will be available in the future as it becomes available. Evidence of effectiveness will be updated annually.

Goal: Develop PAs who develop research skills and utilize evidence-based medicine to inform clinical decision-making. 

Rationale: Practicing evidence-based medicine ensures that graduates provide high-quality care informed by the latest research and best practices, supporting better patient outcomes and advancing healthcare excellence.

Evidence of Effectiveness:

• At least 85% of students will achieve an average score of ≥80% on didactic assessment items related to critically analyzing evidence-based medicine.
• At least 85% of students will achieve an average score of ≥80% on didactic assessment items related to critically analyzing medical informatics.
• At least 85% of students will earn an average rating of ≥4.0/5.0 on preceptor evaluations for incorporating evidence-based medicine resources across all rotations.
• At least 85% of students will earn an average rating of ≥4.0/5.0 on preceptor evaluations for recognizing when to appropriately seek consultation across all rotations. 
• At least 85% of students will earn an average score of ≥90% on the research project components of the PAST 70209 Capstone Course.
• At least 85% of graduating students will report using evidence-based resources during clinical rotations (End-of-Program Survey).
• At least 85% of program graduates will report using evidence-based resources in their clinical practice (Post-Graduate Survey).

Evidence of Effectiveness: Evidence of effectiveness towards achieving program goals will be available in the future as it becomes available. Evidence of effectiveness will be updated annually.

Goal: Engage students in interprofessional medical education that will enable them to adapt to the changing healthcare environment, work with a healthcare team, and understand the various roles in healthcare and a PA’s scope of practice. 

Rationale: Mastery of interprofessional collaboration and team-based care is essential for improving patient outcomes and ensuring effective healthcare delivery in dynamic, multidisciplinary environments.

Benchmarks of Effectiveness:

• At least 85% of students will earn an average rating of ≥4.0/5.0 for professional interaction with the healthcare team on preceptor evaluations across all rotations.
• At least 85% of students will earn an average rating of ≥4.0/5.0 for recognizing limitations and seeking help on preceptor evaluations across all rotations.
• At least 85% of students will earn an average rating of ≥4.0/5.0 for awareness of the PA role on the healthcare team on preceptor evaluations across all rotations.
• At least 85% of students will achieve an average score of ≥80% on didactic assessments related to multidisciplinary teamwork and education of healthcare professionals.
• At least 85% of students will achieve an average score of ≥80% on didactic assessments related to professional and clinical limitations, scope of practice.
• At least 85% of students will achieve an aggregate average score of ≥80% on didactic assessments related to either communicating risks, benefits, and results effectively to other members of the health care team and communicating and consulting with healthcare team members.

Evidence of Effectiveness: Evidence of effectiveness towards achieving program goals will be available in the future as it becomes available. Evidence of effectiveness will be updated annually.