Accreditation & Outcomes

Recruit and Admit Qualified Applicants

Action Steps and Accountability Metrics

• Throughout the history of the University of South Dakota’s Physician Assistant Program the program and students have been the beneficiaries of significant support from the School of Medicine Basic Biomedical Science Faculty, who teach PA students select courses in an interdisciplinary classroom.  
• Over the past five years, the PA Program has received, on average, 18 applicants for every available seat. From this pool a strong group of approximately 90 applicants are selected annually for an interview and for possible selection and matriculation into one of the 25 available seats. These statistics, along with our graduation and PANCE pass rates, indicate that we recruit highly qualified applicants.
• Select Qualified Students Annually
  
   

Provide the means and support for every student to successfully complete the program and obtain employment

Action Steps and Accountability Metrics

This goal is achieved in the University of South Dakota PA Program through a state-of-the-art gross anatomy laboratory, clinical exam rooms, simulation center and study space. Similarly, technology is deployed throughout the teaching facility classrooms and PA students have 24/7 access to the teaching facilities. Students and the program have access to the Parry Simulation Center located in the Wegner Health Science Center and its library in Sioux Falls. In addition, PA students have access to the University library and writing center, to name a few of these available resources. Finally, upon admission each PA student is assigned an advisor to oversee the student’s academic progress.   

• Achieve five-year graduation rates (2020-2024) greater than or equal to the nation average as measured by the PAEA Annual Survey.

Provide a rigorous academic and clinical curriculum that prepares students to pass the PANCE examination

Action Steps and Accountability Metrics

The University of South Dakota provides a 24-month PA curriculum. The didactic phase (12 months) is delivered across three semesters. The first semester includes basic sciences foundational coursework (gross anatomy, human physiology and introduction to clinical basic sciences), which are taught by the basic science faculty. Additionally, PA faculty teach the introductory Professional Practice course and Research Perspectives. The second and third semester includes coursework in a body-system fashion where the content (clinical medicine, physical exam, and pharmacology) are taught concurrently for each body system. The clinical phase (12 months) is delivered across South Dakota and requires that students complete eight clinical rotations and two electives.

Throughout the curriculum we:

• Develop and refine educational activities that will prepare students to practice.
  
  • Simulation 
  • OSCE’s
  • Case studies
• Ensure an optimal educational experience for students, as demonstrated by:
  • Satisfaction with educational preparation as measured by the annual Preceptor survey.
    • 5-year average (2020-2024) “Quality of training before they enter clinical rotations."
    • Above average (4.33 on a 5-point Likert Scale)
  • Satisfaction with educational preparation, as measured by the Alumni survey.
    • 5-year average (2019-2023): “Ability to perform as an entry-level PA with minimal direction&rdquo."
    • Above average (3.96 on a 5-point Likert scale)
  • Attain five-year performance (2020-2024) at the mean of US schools on the following metrics:
    • First time PANCE percentage pass rates at or above national average
      
      • University of South Dakota Five-year NCCPA First-time PANCE pass rate = 90%                 
      • National Five-year NCCPA First-time PANCE pass rate = 92.8%
        
         

Improve access to medical care in South Dakota and the region

Action Steps and Accountability Metrics

As stated in the University of South Dakota PA Program Mission Statement, the program provides a comprehensive primary care education that prepares graduates to deliver high-quality health care to meet the needs of patients in South Dakota and the surrounding region.

The PA program strives to:

• Provide educational activities designed to promote higher order thinking and integration of material that will prepare students to practice using an interprofessional team-based health care delivery approach. This is evinced by:
  
  • Interprofessional simulation activities woven throughout clinical medicine curriculum.  
  • Interprofessional training event
  • Core Disaster Life Support
  • Rural/Underserved Primary Care Clinical Rotation
  • REHPS (Rural Experiences for Health Professional Students) opportunity
• Meet or exceed 32% of alumni practicing in a primary care field. 
  • 47.20% of graduates practice in a primary care setting, i.e., family medicine, general internal medicine, pediatrics, women's health. 
• Meet or exceed 60% of graduates practicing in South Dakota. 
  • 59.17 percent of University of South Dakota PA graduates’ practice in South Dakota
  • Of those, 34.17% practice in rural/frontier communities, i.e. communities with population ≤ 50,000
  • Over the last five graduating classes (2020-2024) 57.72% of University of South Dakota PA graduates’ practice in South Dakota

Provide the means and support for every student to develop professionalism 

Action Steps and Accountability Metrics

As stated in the PA Competencies, “Professionalism should be part of the essence of a person, not something that magically happens when a person puts on a white coat. Professionalism is acting in the best manner possible, following ethical principles, doing the right thing when no one is looking. It involves respect for the dignity of human life along with compassion for the patient as a fellow human being. Professionalism also involves an understanding of the patient’s cultural background and lifestyle choices.” To achieve this goal the University of South Dakota PA Program provides students with professionalism curriculum. Additionally, faculty model professionalism and monitor professionalism during the didactic phase. Finally, clinical faculty evaluate students on professionalism standards.

PA students are evaluated on professionalism by their clinical faculty:

• Five-year (2020-2024) average: 99.66% of evaluations report student professionalism; as measured by:
  • Truthfulness
  • Punctuality
  • Completes tasks in a timely manner
  • Awareness of limitations
  • Appropriate reaction to criticism 
  • Seeks learning opportunities 
  • Team player 

We demonstrate achievement of our goals by compiling data from the NCCPA, continuous program evaluation and graduating students.