Virtual Info Session. July 17, 2025, 6:30 to 8:30 pm ET.
Mission Statement
The AdventHealth University Physician Assistant Program’s mission is to educate knowledgeable and compassionate individuals as spiritually cognizant healthcare providers who embrace a mission of service to others.
Mission Supported Goals
- Mentor and retain outstanding educators
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Measure of Success Outcomes Years of teaching Our faculty average 17 years of teaching. Number of faculty publications and invited presentations1 Our faculty average 11 publications and 31 invited presentations. Student Exit Survey 100% of students reported that the PA program provided faculty and instructional personnel who were outstanding educators. (Class of 2024) 1The expectation for the metric used regarding this information is that the program data will be comparable to or exceed the National data as reported and published by the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA). Physician Assistant Education Association, By the Numbers: Faculty Report 4: Data from the 2019 Faculty and Directors Survey. Washington, DC: PAEA; 2020. doi: 10.17538/FR4.2020. (46.9% of faculty, 72.3% of program directors, and 30.6% of medical directors report having ever had a research or scholarly publication over the span of their academic career. Amongst those who have published, the average number of peer-reviewed publications was 7.2 for faculty, 5.2 for program directors, and 10.2 for medical directors.)
- Support a nurturing and spiritually enriching learning environment.
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Measure of Success Outcomes AHU campus size and enrollment AHU is set in a small enclave adjacent to AdventHealth Orlando (formerly Florida Hospital), one of the largest hospital facilities in Florida. PA class size and student to faculty ratio The PA program admits only 30 students annually. We maintain a student to faculty ratio of 9:1. This allows the faculty to get to know students and support them through the rigors of PA education. Academic courses that address the role of spirituality in healthcare PA students are required to take two courses (Identity and Mission and Role Fidelity and the Exercise of Power) that address the role of spirituality in healthcare. Active campus ministry AHU employs three chaplains to tend to the spiritual needs of its students. Students are invited to participate in daily prayer services and weekly fellowship gatherings. Student Exit Survey 93% of students reported program was a nurturing and supportive environment. 94% of students reported educators provided a broad intellectual coverage over the fundamentals of medicine. (Class of 2024) Designate a student mission ambassador Each cohort will have one student designated for this informal role who will lead mission efforts within the cohort. - Graduate students who will all be successful on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE)
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Measure of Success: All-Time PANCE performance2
Outcomes:
Graduating Class First-time pass Rate All-time Pass Rate 2020 96% 100% 2021 93% 100% 2022 97% 100% 2023 85% 96%* 2024 96% 100% *A student in the class of 2023 has not retaken the test.
2The program seeks a 100% all-time pass rate on PANCE. We recognize that some students may require more than one attempt to be successful on the exam.
- Promote students’ commitment to service learning experiences
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Measure of Success Outcomes Student volunteer hours3 Each year our students complete more than 1,200 hours of community service. PA students are required to complete a minimum of 40 hours of community service. Institutional partnerships, domestic and international AHU and the PA program provide multiple and varied missions experiences both globally and locally to its students. 3The program defined a benchmark of 40 hours for of community service during the program.
- Prepare highly qualified individuals from diverse backgrounds(4) to provide exceptional whole-person care(4)
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Measure of Success: Student Demographic Data
Outcomes:Matriculated Students (Classes of 2025 - 2027) Age 23 (average age). Students ranged from 20 to 40 at the time of admission. GPA 3.57 (average cumulative science GPA); range is 3.07 - 4.0
3.63 (average cumulative overall GPA) range is 3.12 - 4.0
9% of students possess a graduate degree at the time of admissionGender 80% female and 20% male Race 76% White, 9% Asian, 13% Black or African American, and 2% American Indian or Alaskan Native Ethnicity 29% Hispanic Clinical Experience 4901 average hours of clinical experience; range is 12 - 15,960 Measure of Success: Whole-person Care
Outcomes: Throughout the educational program, our students learn how to care for the whole-person – body, mind, and spirit. Students demonstrate competency in whole-person care during Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs).4The program seeks to enroll highly qualified individuals who have demonstrated academic prowess and a commitment to providing patient care. The program recognizes that diversity in all dimensions ensures that our students bring a range of backgrounds and perspectives to the classroom and profession. We believe that diversity can be exemplified through the variety of differences within and between groups of people that contribute to variations in habits, practices, beliefs and/or values, personal experiences, and world views that arise from differences of culture and circumstance. Such differences include race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, language, abilities/disabilities, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geographic region, and more. The program has published some of the data (see chart above) that we feel highlight the preparedness and diversity of our matriculated students. The expectation for the metric used regarding this information is that the program data will be comparable to or exceed the national data as reported and published annually by the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA). Physician Assistant Education Association, By the Numbers: Program Report 36: Data from the 2021 Program Survey, Washington, DC: PAEA; 2023. doi: 10.17538/PR36.2021. (National Averages: Overall Undergraduate GPA – 3.60, Science GPA – 3.50, Patient Contact Experience – 3,235 hours, Age – 24.9, Female – 76%, Male – 23.9%, Hispanic – 9.5%, Asian – 10.5%, Black or African American – 4.9%, White – 69.8%, American Indian or Alaskan Native – 0.5%.)