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By Kate Hunger

All of the Physician Assistant Studies class of 2019 graduates who took the national certifying exam passed on their first try, making the program’s five-year first-time pass rate average 100%.

Forty-four students took the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) between December and Feb. 1, said PA Studies Program Director, Chair and Assistant Professor Paul B. Allen, Sr., DSc, MPAS, PA-C, FAAPA. 

 “This is an extraordinary track record for PA board exam performance,” said School of Health Professions Dean David C. Shelledy, Ph.D., RRT, FASAHP, FAARC.

The national first-time pass rate is 97%, Dr. Allen said. He attributes the program’s stellar first-time pass rate to the caliber of faculty and students and to the program’s learning environment. 

Another factor, he said, is the program’s commitment to preparing students for the exam. In addition to the material covered in the program’s didactic phase, students receive regular practice tests in the exam’s functional areas during the program’s clinical phase.

“We are very interested in their success,” Dr. Allen said.