The Relationship of Selected Admission and Program Variables and the Success of Marietta College Physician Assistant Student Performance on the Physician Assistant National Certification Examination
Year: 2006
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics has reported that the physician assistant profession will increase by 50% between the years 2004 -2014.Because of this projected growth, the popularity of the profession is increasing and physician assistant programs across the United States are facing increasing numbers of applicants.Choosing applicants that are successful both in completion of the program and in passing the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) is a goal that all physician assistant programs strive to achieve.The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between admission and performance variables and PANCE scores for two classes of the Marietta College Physician Assistant Program from June 2002 through September 2005.The variables examined included; age, gender, ethnic background, Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (verbal and quantitative), didactic comprehensive exam scores, clinical comprehensive exam scores, Physician Assistant Clinical Knowledge Rating and Assessment Tool (PACK-RAT) scores, pre-requisite GPAs, entering GPAs, didactic GPAs, clinical GPAs, overall GPAs.Identification of a relationship between one or more of the variables with scores on the PANCE will help to provide physician assistant programs with objective admission criteria and standards to gauge student performance throughout the program, as well as help to predict the students' future success on the PANCE.Admission and Performance Variables on PANCE Success 3 Chapter I Statement of the Problem Student capability and performance are important to all educators.Choosing students with intelligence and ability is critical for producing successful graduates.The selection process is especially important to educators involved with graduate level programs in the health science fields.According to Kuncel & Hezlett (2001, p. 167), by admitting poorly qualified students the resources of students, faculty, and schools are all misused.Kuncel et al (2001) also stated that "failure to admit and retain outstanding candidates ultimately weakens a field" (p.168).Many studies have been conducted to determine specific variables that enhance student performance in various fields such as medicine, nursing, physical therapy, psychology and other allied health professions.The physician assistant profession, by comparison, is still considered to be a young profession and has less research available to guide educators through the daunting task of student selection and evaluation.By determining specific characteristics displayed by qualified students, such as scores on standardized tests or grade point averages (GPAs), the process of student selection may be improved.Choosing the qualified students will help create an atmosphere conducive for learning.Successful students will promote an active classroom and elimination of less qualified students will permit forward progression of the class. Purpose of the StudyThe purpose of the study is to find a relationship between one or more of the admission and performance variables and scores on the Physician Assistant National
Author: Collins M Miranda
Institution: Marietta College
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2336348104