Goals and Competencies

Recruit: 

• Outcome Goal: Yearly, Cornwall Hawkes PA Program will recruit students with varied life experiences committed to the PA profession.
• Success Definition: Success will be defined as 6 program-initiated recruitment activities with a focus on communities of varied life experiences.
• Benchmark Rationale: As the goal of the PA program, recruiting students with variable life experiences is a priority. The goal of 6 recruitment activities allows for one activity every other month throughout the year. With a developing program, this shows consistent and ongoing recruitment but also allows for improvement in the future.
• Outcome Success: Pending self study analysis

Admit: 

• Outcome Goal: Yearly, Cornwall Hawkes PA Program will admit students with varied life experiences committed to the PA profession.
• Success Definition: Success will be defined as being above the national average in varied life experiences.
• Benchmark Rationale: Although the number of PAs has grown, the overall demographics of the profession have remained relatively unchanged, with 80% identifying as white and 70% as female, according to the NCCPA annual report. The PA program aims to broaden the range of perspectives within the profession by admitting students from varied life experiences. Setting the benchmark slightly above the national average reflects both a commitment to meaningful progress and an acknowledgment that there is still room for continued improvement.
• Outcome Success: Pending self study analysis

Support: 

• Outcome Goal: Yearly, Cornwall Hawkes PA Program will support students with varied life experiences committed to the PA profession.
• Success Definition: Success would be defined as 90% of the student body feeling supported.
• Benchmark Rationale: The PA program seeks to have our students feel supported. The goal of 90% of students shows sufficiency in supporting students but also allows for improvement in the future.
• Outcome Success: Pending self study analysis

Biomedical Sciences: 

• Outcome Goal: Yearly, Cornwall Hawkes PA Program will provide biomedical and clinical science courses.
• Success Definition: Success will be defined as providing biomedical and clinical science courses each year, having 90% of students pass course exams and 90% of students passing the ​​applying basic sciences task category of the PACKRAT and PANCE exams.
• Benchmark Rationale: According to the ARC-PA standards (B2.02) the biomedical and clinical science courses are required to provide a comprehensive curriculum. PACKRAT and PANCE exams were utilized in the benchmarks as they are standardized exams used to evaluate curriculum and also can be divided into specific task categories for analysis. The 90% benchmark shows sufficiency in the biomedical and clinical science courses and yet also allows the program space for improvement in the future.
• Outcome Success: Pending self study analysis

Clinical Medicine: 

• Outcome Goal: Yearly, Cornwall Hawkes PA Program will instruct students on clinical medicine in all the organ systems.
• Success Definition: Success will be defined as 90% of students passing each organ specific system in the PANCE and PACKRAT exams and 90% of students passing the specific organ system exam in Clinical Medicine I, II, and III.
• Benchmark Rationale: According to the ARC-PA standards (B2.03) and PANCE blueprint instruction on all organ systems is required for a comprehensive curriculum. PACKRAT and PANCE exams were utilized as they are standardized exams used to evaluate curriculum and also can be divided into specific organ systems for analysis. The 90% benchmark shows sufficiency in all the organ systems and yet also allows the program space for improvement in the future.
• Outcome Success: Pending self study analysis

Clinical and Technical Skills: 

• Outcome Goal: Yearly, Cornwall Hawkes PA Program will instruct students on clinical and technical skills of a competent PA.
• Success Definition: Success will be defined as the program providing instruction on all the clinical and technical skills and 85% of the student body passing the summative evaluation.
• Benchmark Rationale: As a program competency, ARC-PA standard (B2.07), and PANCE blueprint task, instructions of clinical and technical skills is essential for providing a comprehensive curriculum. According to the following two articles: “ The relationship between formative and summative examination and PANCE Results: A multi-program study” and “ The relationship between formative and summative examinations and PANCE scores; Can the past predict the future?”  Summative examinations are predictive of PANCE pass rates and therefore a good assessment tool for competency of PAs. The benchmark of 85% was chosen as the ARC-PA requires a submission analysis with less than 85% for the PANCE for PA programs. 85% shows current sufficiency but allows for improvement in the future.
• Outcome Success: Pending self study analysis

Medical Care: 

• Outcome Goal: Yearly, Cornwall Hawkes PA Program will teach medical care across the life span.
• Success Definition: Success will be defined as 90% of the student body passing the life span specific exam (prenatal, geriatrics, and pediatrics) in Clinical Medicine III, Women’s Health PAEA EOR exam and Pediatric PAEA EOR exam.
• Benchmark Rationale: According to the ARC-PA standards (B2.08) instruction across the life span is required for a comprehensive curriculum. The PA program seeks to have all students pass all exams related to medical care across the lifespan. A goal of 90% of students passing each exam, shows sufficiency across the life span, but also allows for improvement in the future.
• Outcome Success: Pending self study analysis

Essential Procedures:  

• Outcome Goal: Yearly, Cornwall Hawkes PA Program will provide essential medical and surgical procedures for entry level PAs.
• Success Definition: Success will be defined as 90% of the student body passing the milestone-based assessments for each of the medical and surgical procedures in the didactic year and 90% of the student body getting a 3.5 or higher on clinical specific milestone assessment tools of any medical or surgical procedure performed during clinical rotations (SPCEs).
• Benchmark Rationale: As a program competency, education on essential medical and surgical procedures is a foundational aspect of creating a comprehensive curriculum. According to the Journal of Clinical Science article “Planning and implementation of milestone-based assessments in competency-based medical education”, milestone based assessments possess immense potential in assessing and guiding learning progression among medical students since the framework allows constructive feedback to enable students to better meet learning outcomes and competency level expectations. The benchmark of 90% shows sufficiency but also allows for improvement in the future. The clinical preceptor evaluation of 3.5 was chosen as it is defined above average.
• Outcome Success: Pending self study analysis. 

Communication Skills: 

• Outcome Goal: Yearly, Agnes Scott will prepare PA students to communicate effectively by training students in verbal,  nonverbal and written communication skills.
• Success Definition: Success will be defined as 90% of the students passing the communications section of the summative evaluation.
• Benchmark Rationale: Interpersonal and communication skills is one the of the core competencies for the PA profession according to the AAPA. Similarly, the PA program has adapted this as a program competency essential to being a high quality healthcare provider. Research has shown that training in communication skills improves performance and self efficacy of health professionals. The PA program seeks to have all students effectively communicate. However, realistically a goal of 90% of students passing the communication section of the summative evaluation, for a developing program, shows sufficiency in communication but also allows for improvement in the future.
• Outcome Success: Pending self study analysis

Respectful Dialogue: 

• Outcome Goal: Yearly, Cornwall Hawkes PA Program will foster respectful dialogue.
• Success Definition: Success will be defined as 90% of the PA program community feeling the program fosters respectful dialogue.
• Benchmark Rationale: The program believes that fostering respectful dialogue encourages effective communication. As a program competency, it is an essential stepping stone for creating high quality healthcare providers. The PA program seeks that all students feel the Cornwall Hawkes PA Program fosters respectful dialogue. However, realistically a goal of 90% of students shows sufficiency in fostering respectful dialogue but also allows for improvement in the future.
• Outcome Success: Pending self study analysis

Leadership Skills Development for Faculty and Staff: 

• Outcome Goal: Yearly, Cornwall Hawkes PA Program will support leadership skills development in faculty and staff.
• Success Definition: Success will be defined as 90% of faculty and staff having leadership roles.
• Benchmark Rationale: The Cornwall Hawkes PA Program wants their faculty and staff to be leaders in their community. According to the AAPA review, “PAs in Leadership: How did they get there?”, only 40% of PAs indicated they were currently in a formal or informal leadership role. The program goal of 90% fair outweighs the current 40% of practicing PAs who are in leadership roles.
• Outcome Success: Pending self study analysis

Leadership Skills for Students: 

• Outcome Goal: Yearly, Cornwall Hawkes PA Program will support leadership skills in students.
• Success Definition: Success would be defined as 75% of the student body having leadership positions.
• Benchmark Rationale: The Cornwall Hawkes PA Program wants their graduates to be leaders in their community. According to the AAPA review, “PAs in Leadership: How did they get there?”, the first step on the path of leadership involves actively participating as an informal leader. As a program goal, it is believed that supporting student leadership by the program will thus encourage and formulate aspirations for future leadership in the communities after graduation.
  The benchmark of 75% was chosen as it far outweighs the current 40% of practicing PAs who are in leadership roles. This benchmark also allows flexibility that some students might not be able to assume leadership roles while enrolled in a demanding PA program.
  
• Outcome Success: Pending self study analysis

Community Service Experience: 

• Outcome Goal: Agnes Scott is committed to fostering a service-minded environment by providing community service opportunities annually.
• Success Definition: Success will be defined as 20 hrs of community service per student and 8 hrs for faculty/staff yearly.
• Benchmark Rationale: Agnes Scott College considers at least 10 hours of community engagement per semester as outstanding as it qualifies for the President’s Community Engagement Honor Roll. The benchmark of 20 hrs per year will allow all PA students to be outstanding community members while maintaining the President’s Community Engagement Honor Roll (College requirements of 10 hrs for a total of two semesters). The benchmark of 8 hours per year was utilized as it is consistent with what is encouraged by the Agnes Scott employee handbook.
  
• Outcome Success: Pending self study analysis

1.1 Demonstrate understanding of biomedical and clinical sciences to include anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, epidemiology, and the mechanisms of common diseases for all major organ systems to provide culturally sensitive patient care across the life span.

1.2 Order and interpret appropriate diagnostic studies to develop differential diagnosis.

1.3 Develop individualized therapeutic management plans using pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic modalities.

2.1 Demonstrate verbal, nonverbal, and written communication skills to elicit and provide effective exchange of information to patients, their families, and all members of the health care team.

2.2 Use interpersonal and communication skills to foster a collaborative community that promotes respectful dialogue across differences.

3.1 Demonstrate proficiency in performing a history and physical examination across the lifespan.

3.2 Demonstrate proficiency in performing essential medical and surgical procedural skills for entry into PA Practice.

3.3 Use information technology to support patient care decisions and patient education.

4.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the laws and regulations that govern PA professional practice.

4.2 Demonstrate respect for others in health care decision making.

4.3 Exhibit responsible and ethical practice in patient-centered care.

5.1 Critically interpret and analyze collected data to formulate differential diagnoses, therapeutic care plans, and appropriate preventative strategies.

5.2 Applies knowledge of evidence-based medicine to provide patient-centered care.