Program Goals
The Physician Assistant Program at DeSales University is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive community.
1. Maintain PANCE first-time taker pass rates higher than the national average.
- Measure: PANCE first-time taker cohort pass rate
- Benchmark: Above national average
- Success of Goal:
| Cohort
| DeSales Cohort First-Time Taker Pass Rate | National First-Time Taker Pass Rate |
| 2019
| 100%
| 93% |
| 2020 | 99% | 95% |
| 2021 | 99% | 93% |
| 2022 | 95% | 92% |
| 2023 | 97% | 92% |
2. Prepare graduates to obtain employment within the first six months following program completion.
The DeSales PA Program utilizes various modalities in the curriculum to prepare graduates for employment and assist with job placement.
- Measure: Curricular Offerings
- Benchmark: Provide more than 3 varied curricular offerings annually
- Success of Goal
| | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| Employment Lecture | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Resume Assignment | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mock Interview | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Recruiting Visit #1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Recruiting Visit #2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Credentialing/Licensure Lecture | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Career Services Availability | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
- Measure: Job Placement
- Benchmark: 90% of graduates placed in six months
- Success of Goal*:
| Cohort
| Job Placement Rate
|
| 2019 | 91.4% |
| 2020 | 93% |
| 2021 | 100% |
| 2022 | 100% |
| 2023 | 96% |
*Results based on Graduate Survey (Response rate varies from 32% to 74%)
3. Foster and maintain collaborative connections between the students and faculty.
- Measure: Student to Faculty Ratio
- Benchmark: Better than National PAEA Average
- Success of Goal:
*Data updated to coincide with current PAEA Program Report
**PAEA Program Report 34
***PAEA Program Report 35
****PAEA Program Report 36
- Measure:
- Faculty Evaluation of Curriculum (Collaborative Connections between Faculty and Students)
- End of Didactic Evaluation of Curriculum (Collaborative Connections between Faculty and Students)
- Exit Survey Evaluation of Curriculum (Collaborative Connections between Faculty and Students)
- Graduate Survey Evaluation of Curriculum (Collaborative Connections between Faculty and Students)
- Benchmark: Better than program benchmark of 3.5 out of 5.0 on all assessments
- Success of Goal:
| Cohort | Faculty Survey
| End of Didactic Survey
| Exit Survey | Graduate Survey |
| 2020 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4.76 |
| 2021 | 4.86 | 4.36 | 4.42 | 4.50 |
| 2022 | 4.76 | 4.72 | 4.63 | 4.52 |
| 2023 | 5.00 | 4.49 | 4.63 | 4.64 |
| 2024 | 4.82 | 4.52 | Pending | Pending |
4. Provide early clinical experiences to complement classroom teaching.
- Measure: Exit Survey (Value of First Year Clinical Experiences)
- Benchmark: Better than program benchmark of 3.5 out of 5.0
- Success of Goal
| Cohort
| Exit Survey
| Grad Survey |
| 2019 | 4.24 | 4.60 |
| 2020 | 4.36 | 4.64 |
| 2021 | 4.77 | 4.52 |
| 2022 | 4.60 | 4.18 |
| 2023 | 4.76 | 4.57 |
- Measure:
- Faculty Evaluation of Curriculum (Student Preparation with Simulation)
- End of Didactic Evaluation of Curriculum (Student Preparation with Simulation)
- Exit Survey Evaluation of Curriculum (Student Preparation with Simulation)
- Graduate Survey Evaluation of Curriculum (Student Preparation with Simulation)
- Benchmark: Better than program benchmark of 3.5 out of 5.0 on both assessments
- Success of Goal:
| Cohort
| Faculty Survey
| End of Didactic Survey
| Exit Survey | Graduate Survey |
| 2020 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4.57 |
| 2021 | 4.77 | 4.47 | 4.50 | 4.55 |
| 2022 | 5.00 | 4.56 | 4.77 | 4.68 |
| 2023 | 4.91 | 4.60 | 4.73 | 4.35 |
| 2024 | 5.00 | 4.47 | Pending | Pending |
- Measure: Early Clinical Experiences including off-site experiences and simulation
- Benchmark: Provide more than 30 experiences on average annually
- Success of Goal
| Cohort | Average Number of Early Clinical Experiences |
| 2020 | 36 |
| 2021 | 21 (limited experiences due to COVID restrictions) |
| 2022 | 16 (limited experiences due to COVID restrictions) |
| 2023 | 38 |
| 2024 | 38 |
5. Develop critical thinking skills.
- Measure:
- Preceptor Evaluation of Student (Critical Thinking Skills 2019-2021, Knowledge for practice 2022 cohort and beyond);
- Faculty Evaluation of Curriculum (Problem Solving Skills/Critical Thinking);
- End of Didactic Evaluation of Curriculum (Problem Solving Skills/Critical Thinking)
- Exit Survey Evaluation of Curriculum (Problem Solving Skills/Critical Thinking)
- Graduate Survey Evaluation of Curriculum (Problem Solving Skills/Critical Thinking)
- Benchmark: Better than program benchmark of 3.5 out of 5.0 on all three assessments
- Success of Goal:
| Cohort
| Preceptor Evaluation of Student
(Critical Thinking Skills)
| Faculty Survey
| End of Didactic Survey
| Exit Survey | Graduate Survey |
| 2020 | 4.68 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4.65 |
| 2021 | 4.71 | 4.86 | 4.51 | 4.63 | 4.55 |
| 2022 | 4.76 | 4.64 | 4.67 | 4.78 | 4.61 |
| 2023 | 4.79 | 5.00 | 4.49 | 4.79 | 4.61 |
| 2024 | Pending | 5.00 | 4.57 | Pending | Pending |
6. Provide education on and/or experiences with diverse and vulnerable populations.
The DeSales PA Program includes curricular elements that expose students to diverse and vulnerable populations. All students care for patients at the DeSales Free Clinic at the Allentown Rescue Mission multiple times during their education and may have
experiences with other varied vulnerable populations.
- Measure:
- Faculty Evaluation of Curriculum (Education/Experience with Diverse and Vulnerable Populations)
- End of Didactic Evaluation of Curriculum (Education/Experience with Diverse and Vulnerable Populations)
- Exit Survey (Education/Experiences with Diverse and Vulnerable Populations)
- Graduate Survey (Education/Experience with Diverse and Vulnerable Populations)
- Benchmark: Better than program benchmark of 3.5 out of 5.0 on all three assessment
- Success of Goal:
| Cohort
| Faculty Survey
| End of Didactic Survey
| Exit Survey | Graduate Survey
|
| 2020 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4.48 |
| 2021 | 4.57 | 4.28 | 4.48 | 4.54 |
| 2022 | 4.64 | 4.58 | 4.61 | 4.52 |
| 2023 | 5.00 | 4.32 | 4.58 | 4.41 |
| 2024 | 4.64 | 4.37 | Pending | Pending |
7. Emphasize a focus on interprofessional education and practice.
The DeSales PA Program participates in various interprofessional education activities including work with physical therapy students, nursing students, registered dietetics students, and medical students.
- Measure:
- Faculty Evaluation of Curriculum (Interprofessional Team Care)
- End of Didactic Evaluation of Curriculum (Interprofessional Team Care)
- Exit Survey Evaluation of Curriculum (Interprofessional Team Care)
- Graduate Survey Evaluation of Curriculum (Interprofessional Team Care)
- Benchmark: Better than program benchmark of 3.5 out of 5.0 on both assessments
- Success of Goal
| Cohort
| Faculty Survey
| End of Didactic Survey
| Exit Survey | Graduate Survey |
| 2020 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4.48 |
| 2021 | 4.64 | 4.42 | 4.47 | 4.28 |
| 2022 | 4.73 | 4.69 | 4.61 | 4.57 |
| 2023 | 4.73 | 4.49 | 4.68 | 4.57 |
| 2024 | 4.73 | 4.44 | Pending | Pending |
8. Support the diverse backgrounds of all program constituents including students, staff, and faculty.
The DeSales PA Program has an active Diversity and Inclusion Mission Advancement Committee (DIMAC) which aids the program in developing goals, tracking progress, and providing curricular and extra-curricular diversity, equity, and inclusion activities
for students, staff, and faculty.
- Measure:
- Faculty Survey Achievement of Goals
- End of Didactic Survey Achievement of Goals
- Exit Survey Achievement of Goals
- Graduate Survey Achievement of Goals
- Staff Survey
- Benchmark: Better than Program benchmark of 3.5 out of 5.0 on both assessments
- Success of Goal:
| Cohort
| Faculty Survey
| End of Didactic Survey
| Exit Survey | Grad Survey | Staff Survey |
| 2020 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4.48 | N/A |
| 2021 | 4.57 | 4.38 | 4.54 | 4.58 | N/A |
| 2022 | 4.64 | 4.73 | 4.66 | 4.59 | N/A |
| 2023 | 4.90 | 4.53 | 4.68 | 4.55 | N/A |
| 2024 | 4.73 | 4.54 | Pending | Pending | 4.33 |
- Measure:
- Faculty Evaluation of Curriculum (Institutional Support of DEI)
- Staff Survey (Institutional Support of DEI)
- Benchmark: Better than program benchmark of 3.5 out of 5.0 on all assessments
- Success of Goal:
| Cohort
| Faculty Survey
| Staff Survey |
| 2021 | 4.36 | N/A |
| 2022 | 4.64 | N/A |
| 2023 | 4.90 | N/A |
| 2024 | 4.10 | 3.67 |
