Mission, Vision, & Goals
Mission | Vision | Program Goals | Values
ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MS-PAS) program is a great place for you to achieve your professional goal to practice as a licensed PA and serve others with your unique skill set. You will develop key professional competencies as you work toward achieving the program learning outcomes that will equip you with practice-ready knowledge, skills and behaviors that are patient-centered. The program's goals are inspired by a strong mission and vision to contribute to the advancement of the physician assistant profession through exemplar practice, life-long learning, and service within and across the healthcare system and the community. Student success is measured in many ways, but is also reflected in the program's PANCE results and program attrition rates.
Mission Statement
ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ School of PA medicine is driven by a passion to be a Christian school of influence characterized by academic excellence and engagement with human need. Our mission is to equip graduates to engage in life-long learning, leadership, and service through exceptional academics, service-minded discipleship, and integration of faith within the practice of medicine, empowering graduates to invest their knowledge and experience to become leaders in their profession and community.
Matthew 5:14
Our Vision
To be the university of choice for preparing Physician Assistants whose skills, integrity and sense of purpose glorify God and distinguish them in the workplace and in the world.
2 Corinthians 9: 12-15
Program Goals and Outcomes
Benchmark: Until the program has sufficient cohort data to trend and establish internal benchmarks, the program will use the mean comparisons in the PAEA annual report to identify needs of improvement in the recruitment and admission process. The program will focus in the following areas:
- Patient care experience hours
- Science GPA
- Prerequisite GPA
- Last 60 hr. GPA
- Community Service hours
- Gender
- Age
- Socio-economic status
- Religious affiliation
- Military affiliation
- ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ Alumni
- Home state / Province / Territory
Outcome: Comparison to PAEA annual report will be = or > mean and will be posted after completion of the first admission process.
Benchmark: Achieve a PANCE first-time test-taker pass rate at or above the national average.
Outcome: Data will be reported after first cohort completes the exam.
Survey to PA graduates – 80% of responding students will agree or strongly agree that the PA program prepared them to use the medical knowledge and technical skills in the systematic process of patient evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment for an entry-level practitioner.
Benchmark: Students will participate in community service outreach opportunities/events in the didactic and clinical phases of the program.
Outcome:
- Record the number of hours of humanitarian and community service activities to under-served populations in the didactic phase to be > 10 hrs.
- During the clinical phase, track the PA student engagement with various cultural encounters to be at least 4 different cultures per student, on average.
- Post-graduate survey – 80% of responding graduates will agree or strongly agree that their education improved their ability to recognize healthcare disparities existing in underserved populations and the impact PAs can have on those patients and the community.
- Post-graduate survey - 100% of responding graduates will agree that they had participation in community service of underserved populations.
Benchmark: NU School of PA Medicine administration, faculty, and future alumni will mentor and encourage students to:
- participate in local and national organizations within the PA community
- attend one state or one national PA conference
- participate in advocacy day at the state capital
Outcome: The NU School of PA Medicine program will track student participation as follows:
- > 10% student participation in local and national organization
- 100% student participation in one advocacy activity
- 75% student attendance at one state or national conference
Benchmark: ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ will commit to demonstrating continued professional development of all faculty members of the School of PA Medicine by:
- support faculty in Continuing Medical Education (CME) requirements to maintain NCCPA Board-certification and state licensure.
- support faculty and program administration to attend one PA conference or professional development events that will foster professional development.
Outcome: Program administration will track the supported CME activities and conference attendance by all faculty by:
- Annual report of > 75% of required CME hours obtained by each faculty member that was supported by NU,
- annual report of > 75% faculty participation in attending an annual conference or event.
Values
Academic Excellence
As we seek wisdom, we will:
- Develop a lifelong pursuit of knowledge, wisdom and skills
- Create opportunities for students to build character and develop resilience
- Incorporate innovative teaching strategies that promote the 21st century learning skills of collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity
- Develop cultural intelligence
Empowered Engagement
A Christ-centered community will seek to:
- Celebrate diversity as an expression of the image of God and recognize the intrinsic worth and dignity of each individual by facilitating relationships and networks that value and reach out to welcome others in love.
- Serve and care for each other
- Protect the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of others
- Cultivate a culture of grace and truth that promotes humility and confidence, holding each other accountable in love
Faith Integration/Spiritual Vitality
As we explore our faith and spirituality, we seek to:
- Leverage moments of conflict, disappointment, or discipline to build character and courage to meet the challenges of our world
- Foster a heart for service to others
- Provide students with opportunities for fellowship, community and belonging
- Be conformed to the image of Christ
- Cultivate personal, spiritual, and relational growth