6%.

This single-institution study indicates that predictive modeling, employing machine learning, may be a more effective means than traditional statistical methods of identifying and providing assistance to learners who may experience academic challenges.

This single-institution study indicates that predictive modeling, employing machine learning, may be a more effective means than traditional statistical methods of identifying and providing assistance to learners who may experience academic challenges.

The clinical phase of physician assistant (PA) education has been reported to be the best time period to deliver opioid prescribing education (OPE) and opioid addiction education (OAE); however, there are no current published studies that evaluate the timing of OPE and OAE instruction in PA curricula.

This pilot study compared didactic and clinical phase cohorts’ perceived confidence in their ability to evaluate patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) after receiving identical training at different time points within the curriculum.

As expected, clinical phase students displayed high confidence levels in their abilities both before and after implementation of OUD-focused patient simulations. Interestingly, didactic phase students’ confidence levels were comparable to clinical phase students’ confidence levels after participating in the patient simulations.

Our findings suggest that students can benefit from this training in both phases of the curriculum, which may encourage and help PA programs to insert this important and timely information into their curriculum.

Our findings suggest that students can benefit from this training in both phases of the curriculum, which may encourage and help PA programs to insert this important and timely information into their curriculum.

Standardized entrance exams are used in many health professions as one way to objectively measure knowledge and facilitate comparisons across student groups. The physician assistant (PA) profession has historically not employed a profession-specific entrance exam, and the idea was never seriously explored until the Physician Assistant College Admissions Test was developed recently by a commercial assessment publisher, with field testing in some volunteer programs in 2018 and the exam’s first administration in May of 2020. The 2020 Physician Assistant Education Association Presidents Commission chose to investigate the issues raised by a consensus-derived, PA-specific entrance exam to stimulate more informed discussion on the efficacy of such an exam. While it may have the potential to enhance efficiency in PA admissions and reduce variability in admissions requirements, a PA entrance exam would also likely introduce new challenges, including increased costs, impact on the diversity of the applicant pool, anance exam would be a complex, expensive, and time-consuming endeavor, requiring considerable attention to technical issues of psychometric quality, process transparency, and legal defensibility. Changes being made to health professions admissions practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the dropping of test scores as a requirement by some institutions, may make some of the issues raised in this paper more timely than ever.

The purpose of this study was to assess holistic review use in physician assistant (PA) programs and determine whether a relationship between holistic review and underrepresented minority (URM) matriculation exists.

Using data from the 2016-2017 Physician Assistant Education Association annual survey of PA programs, we examined the frequency of holistic review use across PA programs. Bivariate correlation analyses and binary logistic regression were used to examine relationships between holistic review practices and program percentages of first-year underrepresented racial and ethnic minority students.

Most PA programs (169/219 [77.2%]) reported using holistic review, and its use modestly correlated with percentage of students who were underrepresented racial minorities (rho = 0.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.02-0.30) or Hispanic (rho = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.06-0.33). Using several holistic review elements related to program commitment to diversity modestly correlated with percentage of students who were underrepresented racial minorities (rho = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.10-0.39) or African American (rho = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.04-0.34). Additionally, the odds of a first-year student being an underrepresented racial or ethnic minority were slightly higher in PA programs using holistic review (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.23-1.99 and OR 1.33, 95% CI = 1.09-1.62, respectively).

PA program use of holistic review practices was modestly associated with percentage of URM students. Further research is needed to identify elements that are most effective.

PA program use of holistic review practices was modestly associated with percentage of URM students. Further research is needed to identify elements that are most effective.

The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence and characteristics of academic entitlement (AE) among physician assistant (PA) students in the United States.

A cross-sectional survey design was used to assess AE using 2 previously validated AE surveys. Current PA students were recruited via email, and survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and cumulative logistic regression.

Overall, the 337 PA students who participated in the study reported low levels of AE. Students displayed the highest level of AE on statements related to the role of professors and the lowest level of entitlement on statements pertaining to student responsibility and grade entitlement. Students who struggled academically were more likely to report AE in relation to professors’ roles. Older students were more likely to display AE related to provision of necessary resources by the university and less likely to display AE regarding the method of delivery for learning materials. Higher levels of grade-related AE were found in students in the didactic phase, female students, and students who did not identify as White. find more In addition, students who did not identify as White were more likely to display AE in relation to tests.

Literature shows that AE has increased and is a major concern in higher education. Although the overall study results indicated relatively low AE, we found increased AE in certain student groups. Earlier identification of students at increased risk for AE would allow educators to intervene more effectively in a timely manner.

Literature shows that AE has increased and is a major concern in higher education. Although the overall study results indicated relatively low AE, we found increased AE in certain student groups. Earlier identification of students at increased risk for AE would allow educators to intervene more effectively in a timely manner.