Mission

The mission of the RRCC PA Program is to prepare physician assistants to serve all communities by practicing professional, empathetic, inclusive, team-based medicine with a focus on primary care and an emphasis on excellence.

Goals

The goals of the RRCC PA program are to:

1. Produce competent PAs

The success of the program in meeting this goal is demonstrated through:

a.    A first-time PANCE pass rate comparable to the national average based upon cohort size equivalency

b.    A graduation rate of greater than 90%

• In 2021, the RRCC graduation rate was 97%

2.    Promote the development of professionalism and professional identity

The success of the program in meeting this goal is demonstrated through:

a.    Content and advising designed to teach, monitor, and promote professionalism

• Content and assessment in program courses  
• Advising forms evaluating professionalism
• Preceptor evaluations assessing professionalism
• In 2021, no student attrition occurred due to professionalism alone.

b.    Produce graduates with professionalism appropriate for the workplace

• In 2021, all graduates passed required professionalism expectations.

3.    Deliver a primary care-focused, team-based curriculum

The success of the program in meeting this goal is demonstrated through:

a.    Curriculum content taught by organ system with a primary-care focus

b.    Providing clinical experiences in primary care to include family medicine, pediatrics, women’s health, and internal medicine

4.    Emphasize the underserved/rural practice of medicine

The success of the program in meeting this goal is demonstrated through:

a.    Delivering content and assessment that examines the challenges and opportunities in underserved/rural medical practice

• Content in program courses- Professional Seminar courses and Advanced Practice Seminar

b.    Providing at least two underserved and/or rural clinical experiences per student

• Met each year with generally up to 4 underserved/rural experiences per student

5.    Serve the community

The success of the program in meeting this goal is demonstrated through:

a.    Providing community service opportunities

• Sites such as 9Health Fair, Patterson Elementary, and Edgewater Plaza wellness clinic

b.    Service to the community as a student portfolio requirement

• Service-learning synopsis to be included in final portfolio for graduation

6.    Create a climate of inclusion

The success of the program meeting this goal is demonstrated through:

         a.   Delivering content that will support a deeper understanding of students’ own cultures as well as others and develop skills in communicating with diverse patient                   populations

         b.   Preparing students to provide empathic care to patients from variety of lived experiences and backgrounds

7.     Provide employable PAs for the healthcare workforce

            The success of the program in meeting this goal is demonstrated through:

                      a.  The expectation that all students meet all clinical and professional standards to become a successful practicing PA