In response, the MEDEX faculty came together in the spring of 2012 for a retreat to discuss the challenge before them. “We needed to look at this in a very open and transparent way,” he says. Scott directed the combined efforts of the MEDEX faculty and staff to both “own” the situation and to remedy it. MEDEX can have a social justice mission, and we can still have high quality academics with the students we choose.” They are mission-driven, but there is no reason that they can’t perform at the highest level on any exam. We are proud of the type of people we go after. “There were excuses made,” says Terry Scott, “and that just didn’t serve them. “Our students are special,” was often heard, or “Our students are older.” MEDEX Northwest Program Director Terry Scott, MPA, PA-Cįacing a downward slide in the PANCE scores, there was a tendency to offer excuses based on this typical MEDEX student profile. As a result, many are unaccustomed to the rigorous classroom and learning demands of PA school. Consequently, MEDEX students are on their second or even third career, and often quite a ways down the road from their previous academic pursuits. In part, this is driven by the MEDEX requirement of 4,000 hours of prior patient contact, something most PA schools do not ask of their applicants. The profile of the MEDEX cohort reveals an older student, averaging around 33 years in age. But they were also a symptom of a greater issue.” We recognized that the PANCE scores had to improve. In the face of this, the falling PANCE pass rates served as a “wake-up call,” says MEDEX Program Director Terry Scott, MPA, PA-C. If programs don’t keep up and provide academic preparation for the exam, then the pass rates drop.” What could account for this 14-point rise in the MEDEX first-time pass rate over six years? And, perhaps more importantly, what was behind the all time low?įirst, it’s worth considering the certification exam itself, which “has gotten increasingly more difficult over the past 10 years,” according to Scott Massey, PhD, PA-C, a national expert on PA education. In contrast, the 2009 MEDEX scores were as low as 79%. The most recent PANCE records from the 2015 graduating classes see MEDEX Northwest at a 93% first-time pass rate. For MEDEX Northwest, this information appears through a link in the footer of every page: In the interest of transparency, NCCPA requires that the cumulative first time pass rates over five years be clearly visible on the institution’s website. In part, this is because it is a matter of public record. For most, this has meant foregoing 2+ years without earning an income, focusing all their resources on their education and a future profession.įor educational institutions, particularly those with high first time pass rates, news of one of its students failing the PANCE test is not taken lightly. That’s 3 months added to the previous 27 months spent fulltime in studies. NCCPA requires that they wait at least 90 days before they attempt the certification exam again. Those who pass can add the credential PA-C (for certified) after their name, and begin their careers as physician assistants.īut for those who fail the PANCE on their first attempt, life gets a bit more complicated. In quick order, the test results are known and reported back to NCCPA, the student, and the educational institution. A typical testing center where MEDEX graduates might go to take the national PANCE licensure exam. All testing is done using secure computers. Once they register for a PANCE session, graduates report to one of any number of regional testing centers to take the exam. Many take the national test-the PANCE, or Physician Assistant National Certification Exam-right out of PA school, others in the months that follow graduation. In the United States, the certifying body is NCCPA-the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. A ll graduates of physician assistant training programs must pass a certification exam before they can practice in their new profession.
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