News Brief: Work Your PANCE Off—Physician Assistants Achieve 100% Pass Rate

For the third-year running, the graduating class of the Physician Assistant Studies (PA) program has achieved a 100 percent first-time pass rate. Students from an accredited PA program take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) in order to become licensed to practice clinically. “This is no small achievement,” said Zehra Ahmed, assistant professor and chair of the program. In addition to undertaking a rigorous curriculum, PA master’s candidates participate in 48 weeks of clinical rotations and have opportunities to treat patients around the world as part of experiences offered by the Center for Global Health. Physician assistants work in a variety of healthcare settings, from private clinics to major hospitals, and can practice and prescribe medication in all 50 states. In addition to primary care, a major focus of the profession, they also specialize in areas such as emergency and internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, dermatology. “The PA faculty and staff are doing a fantastic job,” remarked Jerry Balentine, D.O., dean of NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine and vice president of health sciences and medical affairs, “and are supported by some of the most motivated students you will ever meet.”

Learn more about licensure pass rates in the School of Health Professions.