PA Studies Class of 2021 posts 100% first-time pass rate on national exam

By Kate Hunger

Every student in the Master of Physician Assistant Studies Class of 2021 passed the profession’s national certifying exam on the first try.

The 100% first-time time pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) is well above the national average of 93%, said Associate Professor Paul Allen, Sr., DSc, MPAS, PA-C, FAAPA, program director and chair of the Department of Physician Assistant Studies at UT Health San Antonio. “Our personal benchmark is that we want to score at or better than the national average,” Dr. Allen said.

Over the past five years, 100% of students who have taken the PANCE have passed the exam, he said.

About 90% of students applying to the MPAS program ask about the PANCE pass rate, Dr. Allen said.

“The average student is concerned about cost-benefit. Since we offer an affordable education, naturally the outcome of whether or not they will pass the certification exam is of high importance relative to the cost invested,” he said.

The Master of Physician Assistant Studies program at UT Health San Antonio is ranked No. 33 out of 170 by U.S. News and World Report.