Summative Assessments
As part of the assessment process of the Program, PA students will complete “summative” examinations twice: once at the end of the Didactic year in order to be promoted to the Clinical education phase, and again at the end of the Program to be eligible for graduation.
End of the Didactic Year: During the latter part of the Clinical Phase Preparation course, Didactic year students will take the written Physician Assistant Clinical Knowledge Rating and Assessment Tool (PACKRAT) examination and complete two practical objective structured clinical exams (OSCEs).
The PACKRAT is a nationally available multiple-choice assessment that is used only as a student self-assessment tool and there is no course grade attached to it. Didactic year students should utilize the PACKRAT as a way to identify strengths and areas of concern as they prepare to enter the Clinical phase of their training. They will receive feedback on their individual performance as well as information about how their class performance compares to PA students nationally. Students are encouraged to meet with their advisors to discuss their performance and any areas of concern. Any students wishing to repeat a PACKRAT must do so at their own expense.
The OSCE examinations will be graded pass/fail. Students must receive a satisfactory score on the rubric of each OSCEs to receive a pass. More details will be provided at the time of the assessment. Failure to achieve a pass on either of the OSCE examinations will require that the student meet with the Director of Curriculum and Instruction to identify area(s) of weakness, determine a plan for remediation, and successfully retake any failed assessments by the end of the end of the final Didactic year module. A second failure on an OSCE will result in a referral to the APPC committee where the student will be subject to academic warning, academic probation, or dismissal.
End of Curriculum: Following their last rotation of the Clinical year, students will complete an end-of-curriculum summative written examination (PAEA End of Curriculum Exam) and multiple OSCEs as part of their Clinical Year Seminar II course. This is known as “The Summative Exam” that assesses the ability of every student to meet Elon PA Program outcomes at the time of graduation. Both the end-of-curriculum summative written examination and the OSCE examinations will be graded pass/fail. Clinical education phase students must pass the PAEA End of Curriculum written examination and all OSCEs. Failure to achieve a pass on any of the examinations will require the student to meet with the Director of Curriculum and Instruction to identify area(s) of weakness, to determine a plan for remediation, to retake any failed activities and to successfully retake any failed assessments by the identified Program completion date (no later than the end of Program Module 8). A second failure on the EOR End-of-Curriculum exam or on an OSCE will result in a referral to the APPC committee where the student will be subject to academic warning, academic probation, or dismissal. This remediation process may delay graduation.