Vision / Mission / Goals

Vision

Our vision is to excel as a center of health care education dedicated to providing medical services to the underserved and rural populations of this intermountain region.

Mission

The mission of the Rocky Mountain College Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program (MPAS) is to educate primary care providers who embody a combination of academic talents of evidence-based medicine, clinical skills, and professionalism while providing compassionate health care services, particularly to those in rural and underserved areas of this region. Our graduates distinguish themselves through an emphasis on patient safety and quality improvement.

Goals

The PA Program aims to provide a high quality medical education experience that will challenge you to:

  • Demonstrate core medical knowledge appropriate to PA professionals;
  • Demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills appropriate to PA professionals;
  • Demonstrate the competencies in patient care appropriate to PA professionals; and,
  • Demonstrate professionally appropriate knowledge and behaviors
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The program strives to meet its mission and goals. We acknowledge our responsibility to current and future students to show factually accurate evidence of achieving program goals. Our most recent evidence is shown below. All scores are based on a scale where “1” is excellent and “5” is very poor.

Mission-Related GoalsInstrumentsEvidence
Demonstrate Core Medical Knowledge Appropriate to PA ProfessionalsPANCE PerformanceAn official copy of the NCCPA PANCE report
Five Year First Time Taker Average Pass Rate for Program: 96%
Five Year National First Time Taker Average: 96%
Didactic Survey Data“The program as a whole” has an average rating of 1.6 at the end of the first year.
Preceptor SurveyClinical preceptors rank our students “factual knowledge and concepts” at 2.0.
Employer Survey 2 years outEmployers rank our students' ability to identify signs and symptoms of medical conditions at 1.4.
Demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills appropriate to PA professionalsPreceptor SurveyClinical preceptors rank our students ability to relate to patients at 1.6 and colleagues at 2.0. Students were ranked at 2.5 on their ability to maintain a written health record and at 2.4 on oral case presentation.
Employer Survey 2 years outUse effective listening, non-verbal, explanatory, questioning, and writing skills to elicit and provide information at 1.2.
Demonstrate competencies in patient care appropriate to PA professionals using clinical / technical skills, clinical reasoning, and problem solvingPreceptor SurveyClinical preceptors rank our students ability to perform a medical interview at 2.3, ability to implement a patient management plan at 2.2 and ability to perform clinical procedures at 2.5.
Employer Survey 2 years outEmployers rank our students knowledge of diagnostic studies at 1.6, differential diagnosis at 1.8, and ability to form a management plan at 1.3.
Demonstrate professionally appropriate knowledge and behaviorsAlumni Survey after one year of practiceAfter practicing as a PA-C for one year, Professionalism courses at RMC were rated at 1.9.
Preceptor SurveysClinical preceptors rank our students understanding of the role of a PA at 1.3, and their reliability, dependability at 1.7 and professionalism at 1.5. Students are rated at 2.0 in their self –confidence.

Contact

Fortin Education Center