Mission (A3.12b)
The University of Kentucky Physician Assistant (PA) Program's mission is to educate highly skilled, compassionate physician assistants trained to provide exceptional patient care and advance healthcare equity in underserved, and rural communities across the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Our program's success in fulfilling this mission is founded on:
- Rigorous academic training
- Active community engagement
- A collaborative environment fostering care for others, innovation, leadership, and excellence.
Values
Leadership
Life-long Learning
Inclusion and Diversity
Ethical and Professional Behavior
Advancement of medical knowledge
Quality, Safe and Accessible Healthcare
effective January 2025
Effective January 2025, the UK Department of Physician Assistant Studies adopted revised program goals to align more closely with contemporary college and institutional strategic plans and related goals. Former goals are available along with respective evidence in support of each. Ongoing assessment and analysis is underway in respect to the current goals. Additional evidence in support of contemporary goals will be added below as it becomes available.
UKPA PROGRAM GOALS – SPRING 2025 (A3.12b)
GOAL #1
Recruit and retain highly qualified students who complete medical education training as a UK Physician Assistant.
UKPAS Attrition and Graduation Rates - The UKPAS program collaborates closely with the College and University to provide comprehensive support systems, ensuring students have the resources and guidance needed to succeed. The program continues to see very high student graduation rates and attrition rates well below national benchmarks.
GOAL #2
The UKPAS program will administer comprehensive academic programming that provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary for entry-level practice as a physician assistant.
The UKPAS program’s comprehensive academic curriculum equips students with the essential knowledge and skills for entry-level practice as physician assistants. Interprofessional education opportunities further enrich students' educational development. These efforts are evident in strong student performance on the rigorous UKPAS Comprehensive Summative Examination.
INTERPROFESSIONAL EDUCATION EXPERIENCE
- 100% of UKPAS students participate in a nationally recognized Interprofessional Collaboration and Team Skills (iCATS) curriculum alongside students from the UK Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, Dentistry and Social Work.
- 100% of UKPAS students work with UK Physical Therapy Doctoral students in the ANA 611 Human Gross Anatomy Course Cadaver lab during the first spring semester.
UKPAS COMPREHENSIVE SUMMATIVE EXAMINATION – UKPAS CSE (2019-2023)
- Over the previous five years, class mean scores on all components of the UKPAS CSE met or exceeded 70% success rate.
GOAL #3
The UKPAS program will encourage and prepare graduates to provide care for those who are medically underserved or reside in rural areas in Kentucky and beyond.
The UKPAS program is dedicated to encouraging and equipping graduates to care for medically underserved populations and those in rural areas. Through targeted training and experiential learning, students gain the skills and compassion needed to address the unique healthcare challenges faced in these communities.
Area of Practice
A recent (Fall 2023) secondary analysis of publicly available license data yielded 372 UKPA alumni with existing license data regarding their practice area. (78 listed their supervising physician’s area of practice):
- 33% (26/78) identified primary care.
- 26% (20/78) emergency medicine.
- 21% (16/78) internal medicine subspecialty.
- 14% (11/78) surgery.
- 6% (5/78) selected “another specialty.”
From Kentucky
- 86.3% (321/372) of UKPA Alumni listed “Kentucky” as their state of residence.
PA Licensed in Kentucky
- 267 Alumni from 2016 to 2022 were found to be licensed PAs in Kentucky.
- Alumni are licensed as physician assistants working in 49 counties across Kentucky.
- 46.4% (124/267) of licensed UKPA graduates work in Fayette and Jefferson counties
Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA)
- 36.8% (98/266) of UKPA alumni identify as working in a HPSA.
Medically Underserved Area/Population (MUA/P)
- 24.4% (65/266) of UKPA alumni are in a MUA/P.
Rural
- 31.5% (95/302) of UKPA alumni are in a rural area.
GOAL #4
The UKPAS Program’s staff and faculty will provide excellence in teaching, service, and scholarship.
The UKPAS Program is committed to excellence in teaching, service, and scholarship, demonstrated by sustained achievements in the following areas:
- Teaching: Faculty consistently meet or exceed college means on Teacher Course Evaluations (TCE) and have earned national and college-level awards for instructional excellence.
- Service: Faculty contribute at international, national, state, university, and college levels, including clinical responsibilities, National Association leadership (ie: PAEA), and representation on regional hospital boards.
- Scholarship: Over the last five years, faculty and staff have produced 29 publications, 123 conference presentations, and 17 grant submissions, underscoring a robust ‘whole team’ commitment to advancing the program and profession.
This goal reflects the program’s dedication to high-quality education, impactful service, and scholarly innovation.