Physician Assistant Studies (MS)

Accreditation

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Physician Assistant Studies program sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh. 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remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards.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 date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be September 9-10, 2027. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed here: https://www.arc-pa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Accreditation-History-Univ-of-Pittsburgh-113.pdf

Program Mission

The mission of the Physician Assistant Studies program is to develop highly qualified physician assistants/associates who will serve as collaborative leaders in patient care, professional service and advocacy for all populations.

Program Goals

The goals of the University of Pittsburgh Physician Assistant Studies On-Campus Program reflect an ongoing and iterative process of program evaluation and improvement. Developed collaboratively by the program’s principal faculty, Medical Director, and Program Director, these goals are grounded in our mission to develop highly qualified Physician Assistants who will serve as collaborative leaders in patient care, professional service, and advocacy for all populations.

As a program committed to self-study, we continuously evaluate and refine our approach to outcome assessment to ensure we are capturing the most meaningful measures of student and graduate success. We have proactively expanded our outcome tracking to reflect a more comprehensive picture of our program’s impact and look forward to sharing longitudinal data as it matures.

We recognize our responsibility to prospective students, enrolled students, and the public to be transparent about our outcomes and progress and remain committed to holding ourselves accountable to the communities we serve.

Goal #1: Support and graduate highly qualified students through a holistic learning environment.

• Outcome measure: The program’s rolling three-year graduation rate will equal or exceed 93%.
• Rationale: Developing highly qualified PAs who serve as collaborative leaders begins with ensuring every admitted student has a meaningful and supported opportunity to demonstrate their qualifications and complete the program. Rather than tolerating high rates of attrition, the program is committed to fostering a holistic learning environment where every student can position themselves to successfully graduate and enter the profession.
• Actual Outcome: 98.3% PA student graduation rate over the past three years (2023-2025).

Three-Year Student Attrition Data

Graduated Classes	Class of 2023	Class of 2024	Class of 2025
Maximum entering class size (as approved by ARC-PA)	60	60	60
Entering class size	60	60	60
Graduates	59	59	59
Attrition Rate*	1.7%	1.7%	1.7%
Graduation Rate	98.3%	98.3%	98.3%

*Attrition rate calculation: Number of students who attritted from cohort divided by the entering class.
**Graduation Rate: Number of cohort graduates divided by the entering class size.

NOTE: Entering class size is the number of students newly enrolled for the admission cycle PLUS number of students who are reentering from a different cohort. Attrition includes students who voluntarily withdraw from the program; are dismissed for academic or professionalism reasons; take a personal or medical leave of absence; or who require additional time to complete the program of study. Regarding the students who attritted from the Class of 2022 cohort, four of the five rejoined a future cohort and graduated within the University of Pittsburgh’s statute of limitations for professional programs awarding the Master of Science degree.

Goal #2: Ensure every graduate has an equitable pathway to PA certification regardless of their academic journey.

• Outcome measure: 80% or more of students enrolled in the Student Success Program will achieve PANCE certification within two attempts.
• Rationale: The program’s commitment to developing highly qualified PAs who serve all populations extends to ensuring equity within our own program, beginning with the recognition that every student enrolled in the Student Success Program was admitted as a qualified candidate who must still pass the PANCE — a rigorous national standardized exam that serves as the independent, objective gatekeeper for entry into the profession. A graduate who passes PANCE on a second attempt has demonstrated the same qualifications as one who passed on the first attempt. The Student Success Program does not lower the bar for certification; it ensures students have every opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have worked hard to develop. The 80% benchmark reflects our program’s historical two-attempt pass rates for Student Success participants and acknowledges that this subset of students faces higher barriers to first-time certification while still holding the program to a meaningful standard.
• Actual Outcome: In 2024, 8 of 11 Student Success Program participants (73%) achieved PANCE certification within two attempts, falling below the benchmark. In 2025, preliminary data shows that 8 of 10 participants (80%) have achieved certification within two attempts.

Goal #3: Ensure graduates possess the medical knowledge and clinical skills necessary to successfully enter the PA profession.

• Outcome measure: First-time PANCE pass rate equal to or exceeding the national average.
• Rationale: Developing highly qualified PAs prepared for clinical practice is central to our mission. The PANCE serves as the national benchmark for entry-level knowledge and skills, and meeting or exceeding the national pass rate demonstrates our dedication to producing practice-ready graduates.
• Actual Outcome: The Pitt PAS On Campus Program 5-year (2021-2025) first-time PANCE pass rate is 87%, which is below the national average of 92%. However, first time PANCE pass rates have been up trending in the last three years.

5-YEAR PANCE EXAM PERFORMANCE SUMMARY REPORT – VIEW PDF

Goal #4: Train graduates to deliver equitable, high-quality patient care to all populations through direct clinical experience.

• Outcome measure: 70% of students will have provided medical care for systematically disadvantaged populations through supervised clinical experiences and/or medical volunteer opportunities
• Rationale: Serving all populations is a cornerstone of our mission. Direct clinical experience with systematically disadvantaged communities ensures graduates are prepared to provide equitable, compassionate care across diverse practice settings.
• Actual Outcome: For the Class of 2025, 52 out of 59 students (88%) provided medical care to systematically disadvantaged populations through supervised clinical practice experiences (Health Resource and Service Administration designations of Rural Areas, Health Care Provider Shortage Areas (HPSA), and Medically Underserved Areas (MUA),) Health and/or through medical service trips through Remote Access Medical and Floating Doctors.

Goal #5: Foster graduates who are collaborative leaders in professional service and community advocacy.

• Outcome measure: 70% of students will have participated in community service, education, advocacy and/or research efforts beyond program requirements.
• Rationale: Our mission explicitly identifies professional service and advocacy as defining characteristics of our graduates. Participation in community service, education, advocacy and/or research efforts beyond program requirements beyond program requirements prepares students to carry a professional identity rooted in leadership and service into their careers.
• Community Service: For the Class of 2025, 64% of students exceeded the required service hours. hours. For the Class of 2026, 72% of students exceeded the required service hours. The average number of service hours per student was 10.7 for Class of 2025 and 12.3 for Class of 2026.
  • Organizations we partner with:
    • Homewood Health Visits
    • Homewood Community Engagement Center
    • Pitt Vaccination Hub
    • Food Recovery Heroes
    • Remote Access Medical
    • Floating Doctors Panama
    • UPMC + Pitt APP Inclusion Council
  • Education:
    • PAEA Future Educator Fellow
      • Dana Bernhard (’25)
      • Valentina Virion (’25)
      • Olivia M. Miller (’24)
    • Clinical Year Tutors and Undergraduate Teaching Assistants:
      • Class of 2026: Alex Balkishun, Danielle Infantolino, Hannah Marvel, Kashvi Shaw, [Karthik’s TA]
      • Class of 2025: Dana Bernhard, John Cooper, Collen Gieringer, Meredith Kelly, Diana Peraza Acevedo, Zoey Rouder
  • Advocacy
    • Student Project Manager for the UPMC + Pitt APP Inclusion Council
      • Nia Brown (‘27)
    • PAEA Health Policy Fellows
      • Nimisha Tana (‘26) – PAEA Health Policy Fellow
      • Graham Weston (‘25) – PAEA Health Policy Fellow
    • Pennsylvania Rural Health Association Student Board Member
      • Riley King (‘26)
      • Colleen Gieringer (‘25)
      • Kayla Scoggin (‘24)
  • Research:
    • PSPA Poster Presenters
      • Class of 2026: Alice Adarkwa, Sarah Ibrahim, Ella Benec, Tianna Cobb, Renae McLean, Jordan Smith
      • Class of 2025: Olivia Brill, Cassidy Glunt, Sarah Singer, Devon Freeland, Gabby Norton, Graham Weston, Erica Huynh

Alumni

At Pitt, graduates are prepared to push the edge of what is possible in health care and drive innovation in patient care. PAS alumni have both the experience to act as qualified providers, and the confidence to lead positive change in health care. Some graduates have gone on to work in the following organizations:

• Akron General Hospital
• Allegheny Health Network
• Cleveland Clinic
• Johns Hopkins University Hospital
• Mayo Clinic
• MedExpress
• NY Presbyterian
• University of Texas Health Science Center
• UPMC
• VA Medical Center
• Vanderbilt Medical Center