Program Mission and Goals | M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies

The Mission of the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program is to educate physician assistants to provide comprehensive quality health care to all, to be respectful of patient values, to be committed to ethical principles and to be grounded in evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning. Graduates will contribute to the profession and their communities and be prepared to practice medicine in a variety of primary care settings in collaboration with physicians and other healthcare professionals. Graduates will also be prepared to provide service to medically underserved communities and diverse patient populations.
To achieve its mission, the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program has the following three goals:
To develop highly-skilled primary care physician assistants who are prepared using an interdisciplinary approach and who:

1. demonstrate the medical knowledge to provide optimal patient care
2. regularly assess, evaluate and improve their patient care practices
3. demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in effective information exchange with culturally diverse patients and families, professional associates, and a diverse health care system

Success in Achieving Program Mission and Goals

Goal 1: Graduates are prepared to demonstrate the medical knowledge to provide optimal patient care.

Major Outcome Measures

• Five-year first-time PANCE pass rate that meets or exceeds the national average.
• Summative End-of-Curriculum Exam Class Mean Score meets or exceeds the national average
• Final Class average cumulative GPA meets or exceeds Program benchmarks (> 3.33)
• Class average Preceptor evaluation score on student medical knowledge overall meets or exceeds Program benchmarks (> than 7 on a 9-point scale indicating exceeding standards)
• Class average Employer survey score on graduate’s medical knowledge overall meets or exceeds Program benchmarks (> than 4 on a 5-point Likert scale indicating agreement with positive statements concerning the graduate’s medical knowledge). The Program began surveying employers for cohorts 2021
• Class average Alumni survey score on graduate’s response on survey questions concerning the Program’s preparation with regard to medical knowledge for entry level PA practice meets or exceeds Program benchmarks (> than 4 on a 5-point Likert scale indicating agreement with positive statements concerning medical knowledge preparation)

• Carroll University PA Program five-year first-time PANCE pass rate is 95% (2019-2023) compared to the national average of 94%--Program exceeds the national average.
• Carroll University PA Program exceeded its benchmarks on the summative end-of-curriculum exam class mean score for cohorts 2020, 2021 and 2023. It met the benchmark for cohort 2022.
• Carroll University PA Program exceeded its benchmarks on class average cumulative GPA for cohorts 2020-2023.
• Carroll University PA Program exceeded its benchmarks on class average Preceptor evaluation scores on medical knowledge, overall and each sub-division area for cohorts 2020-2023.
• Carroll University PA Program exceeded its benchmarks on class average Employer survey score on graduate’s medical knowledge, overall and each sub-division area for cohorts 2021-2023 (survey response rate was 25% for cohort 2021, 26% for cohort 2022 and 28% for cohort 2023).
• Carroll University PA Program met or exceeded its benchmarks on class average Alumni survey scores with respect to graduate’s response to medical knowledge preparation for entry level PA practice in the majority of the medical knowledge areas surveyed as shown in the table below:

• Two components of the summative evaluation, including the capstone research paper and the performance improvement project, are utilized, in part, to assess the student’s ability to regularly assess, evaluate and improve patient care practices through an evidence-based approach (practice-based learning and improvement). Success on the Program achieving goal 2 is measured by class average scores on these assessments meeting or exceeding Program benchmarks (> than 83%)
• Class average Preceptor evaluation score on practice-based learning and improvement overall (including sub-division scores on good initiative, responds to feedback positively, and appropriate research to optimize patient care) meets or exceeds Program benchmarks (> than 7 on a 9-point scale indicating exceeding standards)
• Class average Employer survey score on practice-based learning and improvement overall (including subdivision scores on application of scientific data and ability to interpret the medical literature/apply effectively in treatment plan) meets or exceeds Program benchmarks (>4 on a 5-point Likert scale indicating agreement with positive statements concerning practice-based learning and improvement). The Program began surveying employers for cohorts 2021
• Class average Alumni survey score on graduate’s response on survey questions concerning the Program’s preparation with regard to practice-based learning and improvement for entry level PA practice meets or exceeds Program benchmarks (> than 4 on a 5-point Likert scale indicating agreement with positive statements concerning practice-based learning and improvement)

• Carroll University PA Program exceeded its benchmarks on class average scores for the capstone paper and performance improvement project for cohorts 2020-2023. The class average capstone research paper score ranged from 94-96% and the class average capstone performance improvement project score ranged from 95-98% for cohorts 2020-2023.
• Carroll University PA Program exceeded its benchmarks on class average Preceptor evaluation scores on practice-based learning and improvement, overall and each sub-division area for cohorts 2020-2023
• Carroll University PA Program exceeded its benchmarks on class average Employer survey score on graduate’s practice-based learning and improvement, overall and each sub-division area for cohorts 2021-2023 (survey response rate was 25% for cohort 2021, 26% for cohort 2022 and 28% for cohort 2023).
• Carroll University PA Program met or exceeded its benchmarks on class average Alumni survey scores with respect to graduate’s response to practice-based learning and improvement preparation for entry level PA practice (survey response rate was 70%, 42%, 75% and 54% for cohorts 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 respectively).

• Didactic year students (through IPE experiences) and clinical year students (during rotations in family medicine and internal medicine) have an opportunity to rotate through medically underserved clinics including the Waukesha Free Clinic at Carroll University where they are exposed to a diverse patient and clinical staff population. The Program’s benchmark is that all didactic and clinical students are exposed to a diverse health care system. The Program tracks the number of medically underserved (diverse) patient encounters per student for each cohort.
• The summative OSCE assessment measures interpersonal communication skills overall and especially with respect to culturally diverse patient populations (case simulations involve medically underserved patient encounters). Success on the Program achieving goal 3 is measured by class average scores on the summative OSCE meeting or exceeding Program benchmarks (> than 83%).
• Class average Preceptor evaluation score on student sensitivity to cultural, age, gender, and disability issues meets or exceeds Program benchmarks (> than 7 on a 9-point scale indicating exceeding standards)
• Class average Employer survey score on graduate sensitivity to cultural, age, gender, and disability issues meets or exceeds Program benchmarks (>4 on a 5-point Likert scale indicating agreement with positive statements concerning cultural sensitivity). The Program began surveying employers for cohorts 2021
• Class average Alumni survey score on graduate’s response on survey questions concerning the Program’s preparation with regard to sensitivity to a diverse patient population for entry level PA practice meets or exceeds Program benchmarks (> than 4 on a 5-point Likert scale indicating agreement with positive statements concerning sensitivity to diverse populations preparation)

• All didactic and clinical students since cohort 2020 have had the opportunity to rotate through clinics that primarily care for medically underserved (including diverse) patient populations. The number of medically underserved encounters (including diverse patient populations) per clinical student ratios include 50:1 (cohort 2020), 74:1 (cohort 2021), and 166:1 (cohort 2022) and 180:1 (cohort 2023). The exclusive partnership with the Waukesha Free Clinic at Carroll University, which began for cohort 2021, continues to grow ensuring our students will care for increasing numbers of medically underserved and diverse patients in order to better understand the importance of cultural competency and diversity sensitivity.
• Carroll University PA Program exceeded its benchmarks on class average scores for the summative OSCE for cohorts 2020-2023. The class average score ranged from 86-90% for cohorts 2020-2023.
• Carroll University PA Program exceeded its benchmarks on class average Preceptor evaluation scores on student’s sensitivity to cultural, age, gender, and disability issues for cohorts 2020-2023.
• Carroll University PA Program exceeded its benchmarks on class average Employer survey score on graduate’s sensitivity to cultural, age, gender, and disability issues for cohorts 2021-2023 (survey response rate was 25% for cohort 2021, 26% for cohort 2022 and 28% for cohort 2023).
• Carroll University PA Program met or exceeded its benchmarks on class average Alumni survey scores with respect to graduate’s response to how well the Program prepared graduates for entry level PA practice with regard to sensitivity to a diverse patient population (survey response rate was 70%, 42%, 75% and 54% for cohorts 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 respectively).
• In addition, Carroll University PA Program exceeded its benchmarks on class average Preceptor evaluation scores, Alumni survey scores, and Employer survey scores with respect to effectiveness of interpersonal and communication skills overall and in all categories (including effective communication with patients and medical staff) for cohorts 2020-2023. Response rates on surveys shown above. The Employer survey was initiated for cohort 2021. 

• Didactic students have the opportunity to participate in interprofessional activities with PT, OT, nursing, and AT students. The PA Program has developed activities including Hispanic community wellness clinics, mental health first aid clinics, pediatric obesity clinics, and dementia clinics. The majority of these activities take place at the Waukesha Free Clinic at Carroll University with medically underserved patient populations. The Program’s benchmark is that all didactic year students participate in IPE experiences with appropriate student assessments
• Class average Preceptor evaluation score on student demonstration and recognition of interprofessional understanding and collaboration meeting or exceeding Program benchmarks (> than 7 on a 9-point scale indicating exceeding standards)

• All didactic students have participated in interprofessional activities since cohort 2020 with appropriate faculty supervision and student assessments as shown in the table below:

• Carroll University PA Program exceeded its benchmarks on class average Preceptor evaluation scores on student’s demonstration and recognition of interprofessional understanding and collaboration for cohorts 2020-2023