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Mission, Goals, and Outcomes

Knoxville Physician Assistant Program

Mission

Consistent with the mission and purpose of Lincoln Memorial University, the primary mission of the LMU-Knoxville PA Program is to train future PAs to provide high-quality patient-centered care in the Appalachian region and beyond by providing a rigorous educational experience, with expanded training in surgical sciences, which supports each student’s academic success and professional development.

 

Program Goals 

  1. Support student success in the program,
  2. Prepare graduates for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination,
  3. Prepare students for surgical Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences (SCPEs), and
  4. Foster an atmosphere of community, support, and mutual respect for all students, faculty, and staff.

 

 

Program Outcomes

  •   Benchmarks
    1. Program completion rate > 90%
    2. PANCE first-time pass rate > 85%
    3. Mean of > 3.5 on clinical preceptor evaluations of student performance in surgical SCPEs
    4. Mean of > 4 on student, faculty, and staff survey items related to diversity, equity, and inclusion

     

  •   Student Attrition and Graduation Rates

     ARC-PA Student Attrition Table

  •   Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE)

    The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), is the United States’ only certifying organization for PAs.  The Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C) credential, issued by the NCCPA, is a mark of professional accomplishment, indicating the achievement and maintenance of established levels of knowledge and clinical skills.  In order to become certified (PA-C), PA graduates must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE), administered by the NCCPA.  PA programs are required to post the NCCPA PANCE Pass Rate Summary Report, as provided by the NCCPA, of the most recent five-year first-time graduate performance. 

    Five-Year First-Time Taker Summary Report

    www.nccpa.net/
     

  •   Surgical SCPE Outcomes Data

    A Likert scale is utilized to evaluate student performance during supervised clinical practice experiences (SCPEs). A score of “5” means “Strongly Agree,” and a score of "1” means “Strongly Disagree”. The Program’s goal is to achieve a mean of > 3.5 on clinical preceptor evaluations of student performance in surgical SCPEs.

    Below are the outcomes for the PA 2023 Cohort.

    •   General Surgery - Clinical Preceptor Evaluation of Student Performance

      PA Cohort 

      2023

      Clinical and Technical Skills

      4.87

      Clinical Reasoning and Problem-Solving Abilities

      4.75

      Interpersonal Skills

      4.82

      Professional Behaviors

      4.84

      Mean

      4.82

    •   Orthopedic Surgery - Clinical Preceptor Evaluation of Student Performance

      PA Cohort 

      2023 

      Clinical and Technical Skills

      4.84

      Clinical Reasoning and Problem-Solving Abilities

      4.84

      Interpersonal Skills

      4.89

      Professional Behaviors

      4.84

      Mean

      4.85

    •   Comments from Clinical Preceptors

      “Very well prepared. Exceptional student. Technical skills more advanced than peers.” – General Surgery

      “Excellent student! Advanced suturing skills.” – General Surgery

      “Great student, very engaged. His professionalism and ability speak highly of the program.” – General Surgery

      “Has excellent wound closure and suturing skills for someone in the clinical year.” – Orthopedic Surgery

      “One of the best PA students that has come through this office. I would hire him if we had an opening.” – Orthopedic Surgery

  •   Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Outcome Data

    The Program seeks to foster community, support, and mutual respect for all students, faculty, and staff. All students, faculty, and staff complete an annual survey to evaluate the Program’s progress in reaching this goal. The quantitative portion of the survey utilizes a Likert scale where a score of “5” means “Strongly Agree” and a score of "1” means “Strongly Disagree.” The Program achieved a mean of > 4.0 on student, faculty, and staff survey responses. Below are the current faculty and staff outcomes and the PA 2023, PA 2024, and PA 2025 cohort.

    Students

    Quantitative Survey Results

     PA 2023

    PA 2024

    PA 2025

    Atmosphere of community, support, and mutual respect

    4.14

    4.26

    4.62

    All cultures and backgrounds are valued and respected

    4.37

    4.36

    4.69

    Environment for free and open expression of ideas, opinions, and beliefs

    4.26

    4.28

    4.59

    Mean

    4.26

    4.30

    4.63

     

    Faculty and Staff

    Quantitative Survey Results

     2022

    2023

    Atmosphere of community, support, and mutual respect

    4.73

    4.62

    All cultures and backgrounds are valued and respected

    4.64

    4.54

    Environment for free and open expression of ideas, opinions, and beliefs

    4.45

    4.23

    Mean

    4.61

    4.46

     

    While the Program meets the quantitative goal for these surveys, the qualitative responses continue to identify opportunities to provide additional resources and support. The School of Medical Sciences (SMS) and Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) fully support the Program’s efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

  •   Graduate Competencies

    Upon completion of the LMU-Knoxville PA Program, graduates will have proven competency in areas of medical knowledge, clinical and technical skills, clinical reasoning and problem solving, interpersonal skills, and professional behaviors.

     

    Knoxville PA program Graduate Competencies PDF