Physician Assistant (PA) Program

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Program Mission

The mission of the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Physician Assistant (PA) program is to educate and mentor students to provide evidence-based, collaborative, patient-centered medical care. With an emphasis on rural and medically underserved areas, our graduates will be prepared to provide compassionate medical care to all people and populations. 

Program Vision

The USM PA program’s evidence-based curriculum will promote the development of ethical, clinically knowledgeable practitioners prepared to serve the diverse populations in Mississippi and throughout the country. Our graduates will be prepared to function in primary care and specialty care in both rural and urban settings and will promote and participate in transformation of the healthcare system to a model that provides compassionate and culturally responsive care for all.

Program Goals (Standard A3.12b)

Goal #1: Recruit, matriculate, and retain highly qualified students.

Outcome measure 1: Applicant and matriculated student data

Benchmarks:

• • average cohort undergraduate GPA >3.30
  • average cohort >500 Direct Patient Care hours

Outcome measure 2: Program attrition / graduation rates

Benchmark: <6% student attrition; >94% graduation rate

Goal #2: Educate and prepare students for clinical practice to provide evidence-based medical care.

Outcome measure 1: summative testing performance

Benchmarks:

• • PAEA EOC exam – cohort average at or above the national mean
  • NCCPA PANCE exam – cohort average at or above the national mean

Outcome measure 2: student perceptions (Student Graduate Exit survey)

Benchmarks:

• • >3.5 (5-point Likert scale) cohort average indicating students perceive their education prepared them for clinical practice
  • >3.5 (5-point Likert scale) cohort average indicating students perceive their education prepared them to provide evidence-based medical care

Outcome measure 3: preceptor perceptions (Preceptor Evaluation of Student Performance)

Benchmarks:

• • >3.5 (5-point Likert scale) cohort average indicating preceptors perceive the students’ education prepares them for clinical practice
  • >3.5 (5-point Likert scale) cohort average indicating preceptors perceive the students’ education prepares them to provide evidence-based medical care

Outcome measure 4: faculty perceptions (Annual Faculty Evaluation of the Institution, Program, and Curriculum)

Benchmarks:

• • >3.5 (5-point Likert scale) average indicating faculty perceive the students’ education prepares them for clinical practice
  • >3.5 (5-point Likert scale) average indicating faculty perceive the students’ education prepares them to provide evidence-based medical care

Goal #3: Prepare students to provide compassionate, collaborative healthcare as part of an interprofessional team.

Outcome measure 1: student perceptions (Student Graduate Exit survey)

Benchmarks: 

• • >3.5 (5-point Likert) - cohort average indicating students perceive their education prepared them to provide compassionate care
  • >3.5 (5-point Likert) - cohort average indicating students perceive their education prepared them to provide collaborative care
  • >3.5 (5-point Likert) - cohort average indicating students perceive their education prepared them to function as part of an interprofessional team

Outcome measure 2: preceptor perceptions (Preceptor Evaluation of Student Performance)

Benchmarks: 

• • >3.5 (5-point Likert) cohort average indicating preceptors perceive the students’ education prepares them to provide compassionate care
  • >3.5 (5-point Likert) cohort average indicating preceptors perceive the students’ education prepares them to provide collaborative care
  • >3.5 (5-point Likert) cohort average indicating preceptors perceive the students’ education prepares them to function as part of an interprofessional team

Outcome measure 3: faculty perceptions (Annual Faculty Evaluation of the Institution, Program, and Curriculum)

Benchmarks: 

• • >3.5 (5-point Likert) - average indicating faculty perceive the students’ education prepares them to provide compassionate care
  • >3.5 (5-point Likert) - average indicating faculty perceive the students’ education prepares them to provide collaborative care
  • >3.5 (5-point Likert) - average indicating faculty perceive the students’ education prepares them to function as part of an interprofessional team

Goal #4: Foster a learning environment that prepares graduates to provide culturally competent care to serve the needs of various patient populations.

Outcome measure 1: student perceptions (Student Graduate Exit survey)

Benchmarks: 

• • >3.5 (5-point Likert) - cohort average indicating students perceive the learning environment prepared them to provide culturally competent care
  • >3.5 (5-point Likert) - cohort average indicating students perceive the learning environment prepared them to serve the needs of various populations

Outcome measure 2: preceptor perceptions (Preceptor Evaluation of Student Performance) 

Benchmarks: 

• • >3.5 (5-point Likert) - cohort average indicating preceptors perceive the students’ education (learning environment) prepares students to provide culturally competent care
  • >3.5 (5-point Likert) - cohort average indicating preceptors perceive the students’ education (learning environment) prepares students to serve the needs of various populations

Outcome measure 3: faculty perceptions (Annual Faculty Evaluation of the Institution, Program, and Curriculum)

Benchmarks: 

• • >3.5 (5-point Likert) - average indicating faculty perceive the learning environment prepares students to provide culturally competent care
  • >3.5 (5-point Likert) - average indicating faculty perceive the learning environment prepares students to serve the needs of various populations

Outcome measure 4: number of rural and/or medically underserved clinical experiences (SCPEs)

Benchmark: All students have >25% clinical placements in rural or medically underserved communities

The effectiveness of the USM PA program in meeting its goals will be published after graduation of the inaugural class in 2029. (Standard A3.12b)

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ARC-PA Accreditation Status (Standards A3.12a, D1.02a, b, c)

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Physician Assistant (PA) program is not yet accredited. The USM PA program has applied for Accreditation - Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). The USM PA program anticipates matriculating its first class in January 2027, pending achieving Accreditation - Provisional status at the July 2026 ARC-PA meeting.

Accreditation - Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding accreditation-provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students.

If the USM PA program does not achieve Accreditation - Provisional status, the program will not commence, and students will not matriculate. Accepted students will be refunded for any deposits or tuition paid. 

Policy: Soliciting clinical sites (Standard A3.03)

Students will not be responsible to provide or solicit clinical preceptors or clinical sites. Students may suggest sites or preceptors and provide information to program faculty and staff for consideration. Solicitation of clinical sites and preceptors is the sole responsibility of the University and the Physician Assistant program.