HPU’s Physician Assistant Studies Class of 2023 Earns 100% Pass Rate
HIGH POINT, N.C., Sept. 25, 2023 – High Point University’s Department of Physician Assistant Studies Class of 2023 received a perfect score on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) for the second consecutive year.
The PANCE is a computer-based, multiple-choice test that assesses medical and surgical knowledge. This examination must be successfully passed for graduates to become eligible for licensure.
The HPU PA program’s first-time taker pass rate for the Class of 2023 was 100%, which is 8% higher than the national average for first-time test takers in 2022. The program’s pass rate has been 100% for three of the last four years and 98% over the last five years. The national five-year first-time taker pass rate was 94% during that same stretch.
“I am so proud of the performance by the Class of 2023 on the Physician Assistant National Certification Exam,” said Dr. James Johnson, chair and program director for the Department of Physician Assistant Studies. “Their performance on this exam is a direct result of their focus and determination throughout the intense 27-month curriculum completed here at HPU. I am blessed to work with a group of faculty and staff who are student focused, and work tirelessly to fulfill the HPU PA program mission of educating ‘compassionate PAs who are self-directed, lifelong learners prepared to provide evidence-based, patient-centered care as members of an interprofessional health care team.’”
HPU’s Department of Physician Assistant Studies is housed within the Congdon School of Health Sciences inside Congdon Hall along with the Fred Wilson School of Pharmacy. Congdon Hall is part of the university’s $500 million Innovation Corridor, a nearly half-mile stretch of campus where facilities, faculty and STEM-focused programs are collectively housed.
The Department of Physician Assistant Studies’ pass rate is a direct reflection of HPU’s commitment to offering various health care programs for students to pursue. Recently, HPU’s School of Nursing welcomed its second cohort of students. HPU’s Workman School of Dental Medicine, the only private dental school in the state, will welcome the first cohort in 2024 and is operating dental practices throughout the Triad to give students hands-on experience. HPU will also soon open North Carolina’s only School of Optometry.