Physician Assistant Studies Program
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Program Mission
The mission of the University of Southern Mississippi Physician Assistant Studies
program is to educate students to provide evidence-based, collaborative, patient-centered
care. With an emphasis on underserved populations, our graduates will be prepared
to provide compassionate care that is equitable and inclusive.
Program Vision
The Physician Assistant Studies 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 to all.
Program Goals (A3.12b)
- Goal 1: Recruit, admit, and retain highly qualified students with diverse backgrounds.
- Goal 2: Educate and prepare students for clinical practice to provide evidence-based medical care.
- Goal 3: Prepare students to provide compassionate, collaborative healthcare as part of an
interprofessional team. - Goal 4: Foster a learning environment that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Goal 5: Prepare graduates to meet the healthcare needs of the community and medically underserved
areas.
The effectiveness of the Program in meeting its Goals will be published promptly after the graduation of the inaugural class in 2029.
ARC-PA Accreditation Status (A3.12a, D1.02a, b, c)
The University of Southern Mississippi Physician Assistant Studies Program has applied
for Accreditation - Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education
for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). The University of Southern Mississippi Physician
Assistant Program anticipates matriculating its first class in January 2027, pending
achieving Accreditation - Provisional status at the June 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 University of Southern Mississippi Physician Assistant Studies Program does
not achieve
Accreditation - Provisional status as planned, students will not matriculate and will
receive a refund of any paid deposits, and any tuition paid.
Policy: Soliciting clinical sites (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. Solicitation of clinical sites and preceptors is the sole responsibility of the University and the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
The Physician Assistant Studies Program will publish the annual NCCPA PANCE Exam Performance Summary Report Last 5 Years provided by the NCCPA when the first cohort graduates and completes their certification examinations, but no later than April 1, 2030.
The Physician Assistant Studies Program will publish its attrition and graduation information when the first cohort graduates in May of 2029.
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- Attrition Rate: Number of students who attritted from cohort divided by the entering class size.
- Graduation Rate: Number of cohort graduates divided by the entering class size.