25 Mar ODU Physician Assistant Grads Achieve 98% First-Time Pass Rate
For the seventh consecutive year, Ohio Dominican University’s fall 2020 graduating class of 47 ODU Physician Assistant Studies students has achieved a 98% first-time pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE). This exceeds the national average first-time pass rate of 95% for 2020.
The PANCE is a computer-based, multiple-choice test that is comprised of questions that assess general medical and surgical knowledge. Passing the PANCE is required to become a Certified Physician Assistant. Students who pass the PANCE are issued certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
“We are extremely proud of the consistent performance of our graduates on the PANCE,” said Shonna Riedlinger, PA-C, director of ODU’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program. “We have either met or exceeded the national average of first-time takers in each of our graduating classes, which demonstrates the strength of our curriculum and the dedication of our faculty. We are ‘all in’ with our students from the time of matriculation to graduation, and we encourage our students to ‘trust the process’ that we have developed here at Ohio Dominican. We continue to meet our program mission and goals of graduating competent and professional PAs to provide quality care to their patients.”
Students who do not pass the exam on their first attempt may take it a second time 90 days later. Excluding ODU’s most recent class of graduates, 100% of ODU graduates who have taken the PANCE have passed it either on their first or repeat attempts.
ODU physician assistant master’s program was launched as the first central Ohio program in 2012. It currently has more than 340 alumni, and it has a current enrollment of 96. An additional 50 students will matriculate in August. For more information on the program, visit ohiodominican.edu/PA.