Physician Assistant Graduates Earn Perfect Pass Rate on National Exam

The Physician Assistant program is once again boasting a 100 percent first-time pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE).

The graduating class of 2017, comprised of 74 students, earned a perfect pass rate on the PANCE, while the national average was 97 percent.

"They're spectacular results. It means that we're successful in preparing our candidates to be licensed PAs," says Wayne Stuart, MD, head of the Division of Healthcare and director of the PA program.

PANCE is the only exam given to graduating physician assistants and it must be passed in order to be eligible for licensure in all 50 states. Between 2002 and 2015, the PA program maintained a perfect pass rate. But in 2016, it dropped to 97 percent. Still, the program has never been below the national average.

"There are lots of ways to measure quality," says Stuart. "But this pass rate certainly is one measure of that quality."