Physician Assistant Program

Our Mission

The mission of the Tufts University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program is to educate a diverse body of students who will learn to participate in all aspects of the health care continuum, including disease prevention and management, health promotion and maintenance, and end of life care. As patient advocates, they will be integral members of the health care team, improving access to care for all populations and across all communities they serve.

The Program fulfills this mission with a commitment to the following values:

• Competence: Use medical knowledge and technical skills to provide patient-centered care that is safe, equitable, and evidence-based, all while working cohesively on interdisciplinary health care team
• Humanism: Enhance compassion in caring for patients and demonstrate responsibility and accountability through active community engagement and volunteerism
• Cultural humility: Engage in self-reflection and lifelong learning involving self-awareness of personal and cultural biases as well as awareness and sensitivity to significant cultural differences of others
• Professionalism: Act in accordance with the highest standards of integrity through the demonstration of respect, honesty, compassion, personal accountability, collegiality, and teamwork.
• Social responsibility: Serve and advocate for all people in diverse communities and clinical settings, recognizing the impact social determinants of health have on the health of our patients.

Program Goals

1. Recruit and retain a qualified diverse group of students that reflects different race, ethnicity, age, gender, geographic background, socioeconomic status, patient care experience, first generation and veteran status
   • Outcome measure: Diversity of our student body in regard to race, ethnicity, age, gender, geographic background, socioeconomic status, patient care experience, 1st generation and veteran status
   • Rationale: We recognize that building a cohort with a diverse background will help to create a learning environment that promotes diversity, inclusion, and cultural sensitivity not just in the classroom, but beyond, as future healthcare professionals working with all populations and across all communities they serve
   • Actual outcome
      
2. Prepare graduates with the necessary medical knowledge and clinical skills to graduate from the PA program and be competent entry-level PAs in clinical practice
   • Medical Knowledge:
     • Outcome measure: Five-year first-time PANCE pass rate that meets or exceeds the national average
     • Rationale: As a successful program, we continually seek to improve our curriculum to prepare students with the requisite knowledge to pass the PANCE and enter clinical practice
     • Actual outcome: NCCPA PANCE Pass Rate Summary Report 2023
        
   • Clinical Skills:
     • Outcome measure: All graduates meet competency for clinical and technical skills assessed through evaluation in Procedures Class, Clinical year preceptor evaluations, and completion of their doc cards
     • Rationale: The program has documented clinical and technical skills that are required to meet competency prior to graduation. The skills identified are based on common skills and procedures that a general practice PA would be expected to perform as an entry-level PA
     • Actual outcome
        
3. Prepare PA students for team-based care through interprofessional education
   • Outcome measure: All graduates meet competency assessment for Interprofessional Education events
   • Rationale: PAs are members of the health care team and need to demonstrate they can work effectively with other members of the team in providing patient-centered care
   • Actual outcome
      
4. Prepare graduates to be active in community engagement and volunteerism
   • Outcome measure: All graduates will have met or exceeded 40 hours of community service during the PA program
   • Rationale:  Community engagement and volunteerism assists the students in building a commitment to humanism as well as professional development
   • Actual outcome
      
5. Assist new graduates in securing employment in a variety of clinical settings to meet workforce needs
   • Outcome measure: 95% of program graduates will secure employment as a PA within six months of graduation
   • Rationale: We provide supportive processes within the program and University to help facilitate graduate employment recognizing that not all graduates seek employment immediately, and some may face challenges of varied regional job markets that could influence position availability
   • Actual outcome

The ARC-PA requires programs to publish their attrition table for prospective and enrolled students.

View Attrition Table

The Tufts University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program is an accredited program through the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA). The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website.

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Tufts University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Tufts University. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.

Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be 2026 March. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.

For further information, visit the ARC-PA website.

The Master of Science – Physician Assistant Program is designed to meet the educational requirements for the State of Massachusetts. The Program meets the educational requirements for professional licensure as a Physician Assistant in all 50 states.