USF Physician Assistant students at top in the country
University of St. Francis Class of 2006 graduates in the master of science in Physician Assistant Studies, located in Albuquerque, N.M., are among the best in the country according to a national education association.
The Physician Assistant (PA) Studies program students recently scored in the top 10 percent of all programs in the country this year, ranking 14th in academic performance out of 136 PA programs in the nation. "This is a remarkable student achievement from a relatively new PA Program. Our students work hard and we enjoy cheering their academic successes," said William Riesterer, PA-C, MPAS, interim program director. The program began in 2001.
Physician assistant is one of the fastest growing professions nationwide. Physician assistants are licensed health professionals who practice medicine as members of a team with supervising physicians. Physician assistants deliver a broad range of medical and surgical services to diverse populations in rural and urban settings.
The 20 USF students, who graduated April 22, took the national Physician Assistant Clinical Knowledge Rating and Assessment Tool (PACKRAT) exam, administered by the Physician Assistant Education Association. The PACKRAT is a precursor to the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) for national certification, a prerequisite for state licensure.
The M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies program has graduated its fourth class of students, with outstanding results, noted Maria Connolly, DNSc, APN/CNS, FCCM, dean, College of Nursing and Allied Health. USF PA graduates boast a 97 percent pass rate on the PANCE exam, a great indicator of a quality program, she added.
"Our graduates are also 100% employed, with many getting offers long before they graduate," added Riesterer. "Students often so impress doctors or health care administrators at their clinical sites, that they are asked to join the staff following their graduation," he said. Consistent with the university’s mission, many of USF’s PA graduates choose to work in areas where the health care needs of residents are underserved, according to Riesterer
The M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA).
Graduates of USF’s PA program complete an intensive 27-month didactic and clinical learning program in Albuquerque, N.M. Admission to the program requires a bachelor’s degree. The University of St. Francis PA program prepares highly qualified physician assistants as competent, compassionate and comprehensive health care providers for clinical practice, particularly in rural and urban medically underserved areas.
Following are members of the University of St. Francis Class of 2006 who took the PACKRAT exam: Elizabeth Belitz, Kyle Christensen, Kay Christian, Nathan Crowder, Timothy Erickson, Michael Kulikowski, Melissa Livingston, Guillermo Perez, Alan Philips and Thomas Weber of Albuquerque, N.M.; Susan Blair-Buckley of Edgewood, N.M.; Joel Gelinas of Los Lunas, N.M.; Erica Lopez and Susan Lovro of Santa Fe, N.M.; and Melissa Salinas of Rio Rancho, N.M. Also, Erin Gage of Costa Mesa, Calif.; Jennifer McGill of Driggs, Idaho; Joshua DuBose of Nevada, Tex.; Jesse Gonzalez of Colorado City, Tex.; and Jeffrey Rickert of Fate, Tex.
The University of St. Francis, based in Joliet, Ill., serves 4,100 students nationwide. The university offers more than 60 areas of undergraduate study in the areas of arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and allied health and social work. Graduate programs are also offered in business, education, health care and social work. The university offers the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies and the Master of Science in Nursing – Family Nurse Practitioner programs at its Albuquerque center.