PA Program Goals and Outcomes
This page describes the overall administrative mission, vision and goals for the Physician Assistant Program at University of Detroit Mercy. They are listed below, with outcome measures for each goal.
(Prospective PA students should refer to the main PA Program page.)
The Detroit Mercy PA Program developed its program goals as a reflection of the Competencies for the Physician Assistant Program in conjunction with the mission and vision statement of our College and University, as well as respect for the historical dedication to service of our founders. Find more PA Program information, such as course requirements for the degree, in the academic catalog entry for Physician Assistant.
Program mission
To produce highly ethical, clinically competent medical professionals thoroughly prepared to deliver quality care and dedicated to serve diverse and underserved populations.
Program vision
To engage and support a diverse student body that through their varied learning opportunities develop the required foundational skills to become caring, confident, and capable Physician Associates who continue to develop and master their trade throughout their professional career.
Program goals
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Goal #1 – The PA Program will recruit and matriculate qualified applicants.
Outcome measure
The program aims to have an average undergraduate GPA >3.70, average GRE > 305, and an average patient care experience >1750 hours. These benchmarks are above our minimum required scores for each individual applicant, and reflect the highly competitive nature of the admission process.
Actual outcome
Matriculated Student Data Entering class averages 2021 2022 2023 Undergraduate GPA 3.72 3.75 3.78 GRE score 307 307 308 Patient care experience hours 1956 2028 2206 -
Goal #2: The PA program will support matriculated students throughout all phases of their PA education.
Outcome measure
The program aims to have a deceleration/attrition rate of less than 10%. This would be below the threshold needed to develop a root cause analysis and report for ARC-PA.
Outcome measure
The program aims to have a graduation rate of >95%. UDM recognizes that there may be factors that interfere with even a qualified student’s ability to complete their education but commits to graduate nearly every student that we admit into our program.
Actual outcomes
Student Attrition and Graduation Rates Graduated class Class of 2021 Class of 2022 Class of 2023 Maximum entering class size
(as approved by ARC-PA)80 80 80 Entering class size 60 67 65 Graduates 58 65 61 Attrition rate* 3% 3% 6% Graduation rate** 97% 97% 94% *Attrition rate calculation: number of students who attritted from cohort divided by the entering class size.
**Graduation rate: number of cohort graduates divided by the entering class size.Outcome measure
A subsection of the Annual Student Survey will be dedicated to assessing student perceptions regarding the availability and the quality of support services available during their PA education. For the survey items regarding the adequacy of student support, the target goal will be 80% or more of the respondents score their responses as >4 on a Likert scale of 0-5.
Actual outcome
Data pending. Data subset will be collected August 2024 as part of the Annual Student Survey.
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Goal #3 – The PA program will graduate highly qualified Physician Associates ready to enter the workforce.
Outcome measure
The PA Program aims for a first time PANCE rate > the national average.
Actual outcome
See the first time PANCE Pass Rates in the PANCE Performance Summary Report (PDF).
Outcome measure
The PA Program will meet all of their core competencies.
Actual outcome
Program Competencies Data Competency met 2021 2022 2023 Program Competency #1 No data No data Yes Program Competency #2 No data Yes Yes Program Competency #3 No data No data Yes Program Competency #4 No data No data Yes Program Competency #5 No data No data No Outcome measure
A Graduate Survey will be sent to recent graduates, approximately six months after their graduation date. A subset of questions on the Graduate Survey will address the respondent’s perceptions on their preparedness to enter the workforce and practice effectively as a PA. For the survey items regarding preparedness, the target goal will be 80% or more of the respondents score their responses as >4 on a Likert scale of 0-5.
Actual outcome
Data pending. Graduate Survey will be disseminated February 2025.
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Goal #4 – The PA Program will strive to develop future leaders of the PA profession.
Outcome measure
The number of students who participate in research and leadership activities will be tracked. These will include research publications, research presentations, delegate roles within MAPA or AAPA, and board membership of the William Beaumont Society, a University of Detroit Mercy PA student organization. Our initial benchmark will be for 50% of all students to engage in leadership activities during their PA education. This benchmark will be reassessed as we collect longitudinal data.
Actual outcome
Data collection will begin with cohort entering Fall 2024.
Program competencies
- Program Competency #1: Clinical and technical skills
PA Candidates will approach a patient of any group, in any setting, to elicit a detailed and accurate history, perform an appropriate physical examination, delineate problems, and record and present the data. - Program Competency #2: Clinical reasoning and problem-solving abilities
PA Candidates will demonstrate the ability to utilize up-to date scientific evidence to inform clinical reasoning and clinical judgment. - Program Competency #3: Medical knowledge
PA Candidates will apply core medical knowledge needed to care for patients. - Program Competency #4: Interpersonal skills
PA Candidates will demonstrate sensitivity to patient health needs and effectively communicate with patients, family members, and the health care team to address the patient's health needs. - Program Competency #5: Professional behaviors
PA Candidates will demonstrate accountability to patients, society and the profession.