Mission & Goals

Mission Statement

The Marshall University Physician Assistant Program is dedicated to providing high-quality medical education to develop a competent physician assistant workforce to meet needs in primary and specialty care. Graduates of our program will contribute to the quality of life in their communities and regions through excellent health care. Building upon this foundation, we strive to fulfill the need for care in rural underserved areas and to engage our physician assistants in lifelong learning in an academic community that promotes diversity.

Program Goals

  1. To utilize an application process that selects quality students
  2. To train physician assistants to work in interprofessional teams and to practice medicine with professionalism
  3. For students to achieve a pass rate on the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants exam at or above the national average
  4. 100% of Marshall University physician assistant graduates will be employed in primary care or specialty care within six months of graduation
  5. 20% of Marshall University physician assistant graduates will be employed in a rural underserved area

Goal Measurement of Success Outcome
To utilize an application process that selects quality students Applicant and matriculant data and graduate outcomes

For the Class of 2023

  • Overall GPA 3.53
  • Science GPA 3.49
  • Prerequisite GPA 3.58

For the Class of 2024

  • Overall GPA 3.69
  • Science GPA 3.63
  • Prerequisite GPA 3.69
Graduate outcomes will be posted six months after the graduation of the first class.
To train physician assistants to work in interprofessional teams and to practice medicine with professionalism Course content, preceptor evaluations, clock hours of interprofessional events, student ratings of IPE educational experiences, and standardized patient evaluations from clinical skills lab experience

For the Class of 2023 and 2024, through summer semester 2023, during standardized patient encounters, 95.9% of standardized patients felt that students practiced with professionalism. 

For Classes of 2023 and 2024, through summer semester 2023, 99% of course directors answered positively about students professionalism in courses.

For summer, fall, and spring semesters, PA students are placed with at least one other discipline for an interprofessional event (IPE) for at least four clock hours. For the latest interprofessional event, in Fall 2022, 100% of students surveyed ranked either agree or strongly agree with the statement, “Collaborative learning with students from other professional programs increases my ability to positively impact my future patients”. 100% of students surveyed ranked the statement “I am able to collaborate professionally” as either agree or strongly agree. 

Preceptor data will be posted within six months of graduation.
For students to achieve a pass rate on the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants exam at or above the national average NCCPA pass rate data provided to the MUPA Program Will be posted yearly when NCCPA scores released to MUPA program
100% of Marshall University physician assistant graduates will be employed in primary care or specialty care within six months of graduation Exit survey at graduation Will be posted six months after graduation of the first class
20% of Marshall University physician assistant graduates will be employed in a rural underserved area Exit survey at graduation and graduate survey at one and three years post-graduation Will be posted six months after graduation of the first class and updated annually