By the Numbers: Curriculum Report 4: Prerequisites

The current pipeline of physician assistant (PA) school applicants reflects the future workforce of the profession, which is why the admissions process with all its components and variables is so important. Many studies have shown that a workforce that represents the patients it cares for leads to improved health outcomes, especially among underrepresented minor-ity populations. Yet, PA programs have made little progress over the past 2 decades in increasing the diversity of matriculants and graduates. As a profession, it is our collective responsibility to intentionally advance diversity, equity, and inclusion, and examining the admissions process would be the most logical place to start. This Presidents Commission paper seeks to address current barriers, perceptions, and misconceptions surrounding PA admissions, especially through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The paper reviews some of the barriers that may make it more difficult for URM students to apply and be admitted to PA programs, drawing on previous Presidents Commission papers and other research on various aspects of the pipeline from admissions through graduation. It also addresses current outreach efforts and considers ways to augment those efforts to improve the pipeline to the profession. PA educators need to understand obstacles that applicants may encounter as they prepare for PA school andThe authors declare no conflict of interest.

Section: Matriculationmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Pre-pa Preparationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Matriculationmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Pipeline to the Physician Assistant Profession: A Look to the Future

VanderMeulen

Snyder

Kohlhepp

et al. 2022

“…Most PA programs have a prematriculation requirement (median = 500 hours) for patient care experience, and PA students enter with an average of 3240 hours. 41 Perhaps that experience allows students to build some competence in their interpersonal and communication skills and professional behaviors, leading to a smaller growth curve from didactic to clinical phases in these areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Student Self-assessment: Reflecting on Physician Assistant Educator's Perceptions and Current Practices in Physician Assistant Training

Ditoro,

Bernstein

2023

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between physician assistant (PA) educators' perspectives on students' self-assessment (SA) accuracy and students' use of SA education practices and types of abilities assessed. Methods Using correlation analysis and a novel, online survey, PA educators were asked about their perceptions of students' SA accuracy in relation to SA educational activities and assessed abilities. Results A total of 308 educators responded. Most respondents used at least one type of SA activity, with feedback and practice being the most common types and comparative assessment, the least common type. Most respondents indicated that students self-assess noncognitive abilities more than cognitive abilities, with SA of communication skills occurring most. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used for correlation analysis with a significant, small correlation noted between the frequency of activities and educators' overall perceptions of students' SA accuracy (r = 0.15, P = .02) and SA accuracy of cognitive abilities (r = 0.17, P = .02). Educators' perceptions of students' SA accuracy were positively skewed, regardless of student training level (ie, didactic and clinical training phases). A mild predictive relationship exists between overall perception of students' SA accuracy and how frequently educators use SA activities (r = 0.29, P = .05). Conclusion Although respondents indicated they used practice and feedback activities, providing instruction on how to self-assess and using comparative evaluations to calibrate SAs will improve accuracy. Further research is needed to understand why educators perceive PA students' SA abilities as more accurate, regardless of training level.

“…In 2018, of the 236 programs surveyed in the PAEA Curriculum Report 4, 67.8% of the 233 responding programs indicated support for prerequisite standardization or universal prerequisites. 12 The potential impact on diversity, equity, and inclusion of standardizing prerequisites should be studied.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Course Prerequisites: Here, There, and Everywhere. Time to Standardize?

Snyder

Brown

Quincy

2022

Introduction This study's aim was to examine prerequisite course requirements and compare them to previous studies with a secondary aim to examine potential differences relative to program characteristics.Methods Data were extracted from the websites of 265 entry-level physician assistant (PA) programs from October 2020 until December 2020. Course prerequisites as well as number of courses and semester hours required were described and examined according to program location, phase, Carnegie Classification, association with a medical school, and the public/private status of the sponsoring institution.Results Of 264 PA programs, more than 50% of programs required 6 common prerequisites: anatomy, physiology, microbiology, statistics, general chemistry, and psychology. The total number of unique prerequisite courses was 28 for all programs with a reduction in humanities and social sciences semester hours compared to previous studies and a slight increase in credit hours required for the common 6 courses. Total prerequisite hours and courses required were higher for master's programs; private, not-for-profit programs; newly established programs; and those not associated with a medical school. Newer programs are generally located in private, not-for-profit educational institutions that are not associated with a medical school. Programs in the Mountain Division required a lower number of prerequisites, and the South Region required the greatest number of prerequisite courses and semester hours.Discussion The present study demonstrates a difference in prerequisite requirements across the country. This could translate to increased cost and a potential barrier to those considering a career as a PA.