BW Physician Assistant Program notches perfect pass rate for fifth straight year

BW's Physician Assistant (PA) Program has posted a perfect, first-time pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) for the fifth year in a row - making BW the only PA program in the state of Ohio (and one of only a select few in the nation) to realize that achievement.

Fully 100% of BW Master of Medical Science graduates, in each of the first five years of the PA program's existence, have now passed the rigorous PANCE exam on the first try.

Immersive curriculum, clinical thinking

Dr. Jared Pennington, professor and PA program chair, credits the quality and fit of the accepted students, along with an immersive BW curriculum for the success.

"We don't prepare students for the boards, but rather prepare them for the practice of medicine," says Pennington. "Our 24-month curriculum has really allowed us to begin teaching medicine in the very first semester of the program."

Dr. Mark H. Gersten, professor and PA program medical director, says that early introduction to "clinical thinking" fosters student success.

"It begins to teach them how to apply the knowledge that they learn in the classroom in a clinical way and to continue to build on that skill," he explains. "By the time they begin clinical year, they are already very skilled in clinical assessments."

Pennington adds that students also value the benefits of learning from practicing professionals. "Our faculty all remain clinically active which allows us to bring real-life situations to the classroom."

Accreditation through 2026

In addition to the stellar PANCE pass rates, the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the BW PA program through June 2026.