Recruit and matriculate applicants who meet or exceed admission requirements.

The average GPA of the matriculating applicants for the most recently admitted class was a 3.8 overall, with a science GPA of 3.7. All matriculating student patient care experience hours exceeded the required number.
Offer an integrated, evidence-based, dynamic didactic phase that provides the knowledge, skills, and humanistic principles required for the clinical year.

The program is currently in the process of a formal curriculum redesign. It continues to integrate and incorporate evidence-based approaches to teaching and learning into curriculum delivery. This approach combines various delivery methods, including synchronous and asynchronous content delivery and a variety of educational technology to make classes more active and interactive and to support continued development of students as lifelong learners. There is also an emphasis on facilitating knowledge and skills in preparation for clinical rotations and practice. Through its humanistic approach, the didactic phase strives to develop clinical thinking and problem-solving, hone communication skills that foster open, respectful, and trustworthy patient care interactions, and teach techniques for self-care and stress management for providers and patients.
Provide varied experiential clinical education with diverse populations that fosters the development of humanistic, medical, and clinical practice skills needed for entry into the workplace.

All students complete nine clinical rotations spanning seven medical disciplines and the opportunity to request two clinical placements in medical areas of interest. Our students have exposure to various clinical settings, including hospitals, clinics, prison systems, behavioral health and recovery centers, and telemedicine and home medicine experiences. Students also spend at least one rotation in sites working with underserved populations.

Unsolicited, many of our preceptors let us know that the students exceeded their expectations in medical knowledge, engagement, interest in learning, and professionalism.
Graduate physician assistants who demonstrate medical, clinical, and professional competency.

The 5-year composite pass rate for the PANCE National Certification Exam for all Jefferson EF/NJ PA students is 94%. This rate compares to the composite national pass rate during the same period of 95%.
Support and encourage ongoing faculty development to ensure the quality and longevity of the PA profession through those who choose to educate the next generation of PA providers.

The program is fortunate to have experienced PA faculty and leadership who value and embrace the importance of ongoing faculty development as it relates to the quality and longevity of our profession. The program leadership is committed to ongoing mentorship through periodic in-house faculty development sessions, retreats, and group and individual workshops that occur throughout the year. Recent faculty development sessions have included: rubric development, assessment alignment with learning outcomes and instructional objectives, test question writing, and setting tone, mindset, and expectations in the classroom.

Faculty are also encouraged and supported to attend faculty development programs both within and outside the university and to pursue advanced degrees in education. Many faculty attend the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) annual conference and continue to work clinically.

In addition, our faculty pursue their continued development as educators through various educational research and projects. These activities include coordination and participation with students in annual interprofessional symposiums on Substance Use Disorders (SUDS), patient safety through TeamSAFE, and death and dying at the Emotions and Empathy at the End of Life.

Our faculty have completed educational research leading to a national presentation with current work on a publication, and have presented at state-level PA organizations. They also teach in neighboring PA programs and in other health profession programs within the University.
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Jefferson - East Falls & Voorhees, NJ Attrition Rates
Program Graduate Outcomes/Competencies
Recruitment & Matriculation of Highly Qualified Applicants
The average GPA of the matriculating applicants for the most recently admitted class was a 3.7 overall with a science GPA of 3.6. All matriculating students (including those from the 5 year BS to MS accelerated track) averaged 2800 hours of patient care experience and 100 shadowing hours.

Maintain a comprehensive didactic curriculum that will prepare students for their clinical experiences
During the didactic curriculum there are 10 credit hours devoted to a building a strong scientific foundation in courses such as Anatomy A & B, Medical Physiology and Pathophysiology, and Immunology, Microbiology, and Genetics. This then gives the foundation for the additional 29.5 credit hours of clinically oriented courses such as Physical Diagnosis and Medical History Taking, Clinical Medicine, Clinical Reasoning, and Clinical Disciplines Overview.

Students are required to successfully pass all didactic coursework prior to entering the clinical year. The program utilizes various methods of assessment to ensure students are well prepared for clinical rotations including simulation, standardized patients, and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE).

Preceptors have noted that students are consistently well prepared for clinical rotations when surveyed, noting that 95-100% of students are appropriately prepared on key areas of practice such as medical history-taking, physical exam skills, diagnostic ability, and medical documentation, among others.

Provide a high quality clinical curriculum that will prepa