Factors Associated with Academic Performance in Physician Assistant Graduate Programs and National Certification Examination Scores. A Literature Review

PURPOSE: A physician assistant (PA) is a state-licensed, nationally certified healthcare professional who practices medicine on healthcare teams with physicians and other providers. PAs practice medicine across the US (all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the US territories). In recent years, the demand for clinicians has increased dramatically which has led to an increase in the number of practicing PAs. To meet this growing demand for healthcare providers, identifying applicants capable of overcoming the challenges associated with the PA educational track in addition to the corresponding clinical training is crucial. METHOD: In this paper, we reviewed the literature and discuss preadmission factors and their relationship toward completion of PA graduate programs and successfully passing the national certification examination (PANCE). RESULTS: Previous studies indicated a weak positive association between verbal GRE scores and success on the PANCE. Moreover, undergraduate GPA, and taking a variety of undergraduate science prerequisites correlates with passing the PANCE. DISCUSSION: Investigations of success correlates of other professional programs indicated that psychological factors may have potential for use in predicting whether an applicant would be successful in PA school. These include tests for emotional intelligence and particular personality characteristics.