All assessments are associated with an individual course and include, in addition to individual course assignments, the following:
Block Examinations: multiple choice exams typically held every other Friday as part of each course within the didactic semesters. These examinations will consist of test items from each course, unless otherwise indicated in the course syllabi.
Integrated Assignments: short-answer essay-style assessments based on a clinical case scenario. These assessments will consist of test items from each course. There are three dispersed throughout each didactic semester.
Points of Entrustment Clinical Assessments 1-3 (POE 1, 2, and 3): there are three points of entrustment to ensure learner progression to competence. These assessments are completed at the RVU Healthcare Simulation Center on campus:
- Entering Clinical Rotations (POE 1): Ensures minimal knowledge, skills, attitudes necessary to enter supervised clinical experiences.
- Associated with PAS 5138 Skills & Assessment II. (refer to course syllabus for specifics)
- Mid-Clinical Phase competency testing (POE 2): Ensures learner has met requirements in required clinical disciplines and is based on common presentations encountered in primary care (preventive care, acute and chronic care, women’s health, behavioral/mental health, emergent situations, and general procedures)
- Associated with PAS 5263 Supervised Clinical Practices Experiences III. (refer to course syllabus for specifics)
- Program Completion (POE 3): Ensures students have met requirements to graduate.
- Associated with PAS 5272 Capstone, (refer to course syllabus for specifics) and is a component of the program’s summative comprehensive examination.
In the event of a failure of the first attempt at any Point of Entrustment Examination, the student will be given a remediation activity designed to correct the identified deficit. Upon completion of the remediation activity, the student will be eligible to be reassessed. If the student fails the reassessment, a thorough review of the student’s performance in the program will occur (e.g., didactic courses, clinical experience evaluations, professionalism evaluations, performance according to competencies). Using all of these data points, the student will be assigned a formal remediation plan specific to their needs; this may include, but is not limited to, deceleration to complete the remediation and reassessment, case discussions with faculty and/or a remediation guide, and an individualized coaching plan. Following this individualized remediation, the student will have one more opportunity to be reassessed. Failure to pass this second reassessment for either POE 1 or POE 2, will result in dismissal from the program.
Failure to pass the POE 3 clinical examination after a second, individualized remediation, will require that the student participate in an intensive, individualized coaching plan designed to enhance their clinical skills before being eligible to graduate and sit for the PA National Certifying Examination (PANCE). The student’s graduation date will be delayed, as will the ability to sit for the PANCE, until such time as Program requirements are successfully met. Program requirements that must be met after a second failure of the POE 3 include, but are not limited to, adherence to the individualized coaching plan, and achieving Milestone Level 3 on assigned clinical case discussions with faculty, virtual reality case work, or any other clinical task reviewed.
An extended program may be necessary in order to accommodate the remediation plan and retake of the examination for any of the POE competency assessments. The student may be responsible for costs associated with the extended program and retake process.
End-of-rotation exams (EORs): multiple-choice exams targeted toward a specific discipline - administered upon completion of each required clinical rotation. These examinations are completed online through the Physician Assistant Education Association’s (PAEA) assessment portal and are associated with PAS 5261-5265 Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences I-V. Refer to course syllabi for criteria related to receipt of a failing grade and remediation practices.
Physician Assistant Clinical Knowledge Rating Assessment Tool (PACKRAT I and II): multiple-choice exams administered online through PAEA’s assessment portal. These examinations are designed to offer guidance to students in preparation for the clinical year, and the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE). PACKRAT I is administered during PAS 5150 and a second PACKRAT exam is administered during the curriculum's clinical phase. There is no pass/fail score; the exam is meant to inform student of their strengths and areas for improvement, to guide self-directed learning over the course of clinical training.
End-of-Program Written Summative Examination: multiple-choice examination administered within the last four (4) months of the Program as a component of the Program’s summative comprehensive examination. It is associated with PAS 5272. The student must pass both the Written Summative Examination and the Point of Entrustment #3 Clinical Summative Examination in order to become eligible to graduate from the RVU PA program. The Program curates the PAEA’s End of Curriculum Examination as its summative written exam.
Students will receive their Summative Written and Clinical Exam scores (pass/fail) within two (2) weeks following completion of the exams.
In the event of a failure of the first attempt at the Summative Written Examination, a thorough review of the student’s performance in the Program will occur (e.g., didactic courses, clinical experience evaluations, professionalism evaluations, performance according to competencies). Using all of these data points, the student will begin a formal remediation plan specific to the student’s needs. Following formal remediation, the student will have the ability to retake the exam one (1) time, no sooner than 60 days after the first attempt (per PAEA policy). Failure to pass the written examination after the second attempt will require that the student participate in an intensive, individualized coaching plan designed to enhance their medical knowledge before being eligible to graduate and sit for the PA National Certifying Examination (PANCE). The student’s graduation date will be delayed, as will the ability to sit for the PANCE, until such time as Program requirements are successfully met. Program requirements that must be met after a second failure of the Summative Written Exam include, but are not limited to, adherence to the individualized coaching plan, and completion of NCCPA practice exams until such time as the student scores within the “green” category overall.
An extended program may be necessary in order to accommodate the remediation plan and retake of the examination. The student may be responsible for costs associated with the extended program and retake process.