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PA Program Policies and Procedures

Academic Standards to Maintain Enrollment

Students are expected to complete the designated professional curriculum in the sequence specified. Each semester's course work is to be considered prerequisite to the next semester. Students are required to successfully complete, in sequence, all course work. There is no opportunity to progress into an advanced semester. There is no opportunity to interchange pre-clinical course work. Elective courses are limited to the clinical year.

If a student receives: one course grade of “F”, or three course grades of less than “B” in any program courses, or two grades of “C” or one grade of “F” on a clinical preceptor evaluation, or a semester GPA below 3.00, the Program Director will convene a Program Disciplinary Review Committee and a Process Advisor will be assigned. Failure on first attempt of an EOR examination, EOC examination, or a course final examination will result in the convening of a Program Disciplinary Review Committee. The student will be assigned a Process Advisor who will provide information about the review process and accompany them when they address the committee. The Process Advisor will be the Director of Student Success or their designee. No other persons/parties may accompany the student when they address the committee. The Program Disciplinary Review Committee will evaluate the student’s performance and make a recommendation up to and including dismissal from the program to the Program Director. The Program Director makes the final decision and notifies the student in writing. The student has the right to appeal the Program Director’s decision to the Dean of Graduate Learning as described in the Graduate Catalog. If at the completion of the Program a student has a cumulative GPA below 3.00, the Program Director will follow the same process.
 

Academic Standards to Progress in the Curriculum

A student must satisfactorily complete all of the prescribed program sequence of courses and assessments to qualify for promotion to the next semester or phase of the curriculum.  Students are expected to complete the designated professional curriculum in the sequence specified. Each semester's course work is to be considered pre-requisite to the next semester. Students are required to successfully complete, in sequence, all course work. There is no opportunity to progress into an advanced semester. There is no opportunity to interchange preclinical course work. Elective courses are limited to the clinical year.

The evaluation for progression to the clinical year takes place at the end of the didactic phase. Assessment of a student’s eligibility to progress to the clinical year is based on the direct, observed, or reported interactions of the students with the principal faculty during the didactic portion of the program and the successful completion of the Pre-Clinical Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE). The Pre-Clinical OSCE is conducted as part of the course PAS 524 Integrative Patient Care Management. Students who fail the Pre-Clinical OSCE will be given one opportunity to remediate and re-take the assessment. If the student passes the remediation, their grade will be remediated to a passing grade. If the student fails the remediation, then the student will fail the PAS 524 course.

In addition to the academic requirements, students must successfully complete a new physical examination, update their immunizations (following the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC Guidelines), show proof of health insurance, undergo a repeat background check(s), and complete a drug screen. The program recommends these items be completed in the month of July to ensure that the documentation is valid for the entire clinical year.
 

Completion of the Program

The Summative Evaluation process represents the faculty’s assessment of another specific aspect of a student’s progress through the program: eligibility to graduate at the end of the second year. The summative evaluation is conducted in the final semester of the program through the course PAS 671 Summative Evaluation. Competency in the following areas is assessed in the Summative Evaluation process:

  • Academic performance to include assessment of medical knowledge, clinical reasoning, and problem solving
  • Clinical and technical skills
  • Skills integration
  • Professionalism to include communication and interpersonal skills

The evaluation for the eligibility to graduate takes place at the end of the clinical year and is based on the direct observation of the student during an Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE). The student will also have to pass a comprehensive written examination, the End of Curriculum (EOC) exam, as part of the Summative Evaluation and pass a technical skills practical examination. Each portion of the Summative Evaluation must be passed in order to graduate from the program. In the clinical year summation, students are considered eligible for graduation if the faculty recommends them for graduation without reservation. Students who fail any component of the Summative Evaluation, will be given one opportunity to remediate and re-take that component of the summative assessment.
 

Remediation

If a student fails an exam in a didactic PA program course (with the exception of the final exam), the student will be required to do the following:

  • Meet with the Instructor for assessment of the academic issue.
  • Perform remediation exercises, as prescribed by the Instructor.
  • Pass the remediation exercises with 70% or higher to achieve the lowest “C” grade (70%) for replacement of the failing grade.
  • Failure to pass the remediation exam with 70% or higher will result in the student keeping the score of the original failed exam.

If a student receives a failing grade on a Clinical Preceptor evaluation during a clinical rotation, the student will be required to do the following:

  • Meet with the Clinical Coordinator for assessment of the issue.
  • The Clinical Coordinator will investigate the circumstances with both the Preceptor and the student. If the evaluation is confirmed, then the student will receive a grade of “F” for the clinical rotation.

If the student receives a failing grade on the End of Rotation examination and/or the assignments during a clinical rotation:

  • The Program Director will convene a Program Disciplinary Review Committee and a Process Advisor will be assigned. (See Academic Standing and Academic Dismissal section.)
  • The Clinical Coordinator will give the student one opportunity to remediate the assignments and/or examination.
  • The student must pass the assignments and/or the examination with a grade of 70% or better in order to successfully remediate.
  • The student will achieve the lowest “C” grade (70%) for replacement of the failing grade.

Remediation of quizzes is at the discretion of the Instructor.
 

Deceleration

Deceleration is when a student is unable to continue the program sequence with their entering cohort but remains matriculated in the PA Program. The decision of deceleration is made on a case-by-case basis. The Program Director will convene a Program Disciplinary Review Committee and a Process Advisor will be assigned. The Process Advisor will be the Director of Student Success or their designee. No other persons/parties may accompany the student when they address the committee. The Program Disciplinary Review Committee will examine the evidence and then make a recommendation to the Program Director. The Program Director will determine the final outcome and notify the student in writing.
 

Withdrawal

A student who wants to withdraw after classes have started for the semester initiates the process with the Program Director to indicate that the student is withdrawing. The official date of withdrawal is the date the student contacted the Program Director OR the midpoint of the semester if the student leaves without notifying the institution OR the student’s last day of attendance at a documented academically related activity. This policy applies to students who withdraw from all their classes for the semester or are suspended.

The charges for tuition and fees assessed to the student are based on the number of weeks in the semester that the student is enrolled. The student who withdraws in or after week 5 of the enrollment period will be charged for the whole semester.

Any student who voluntarily withdraws or is dismissed from the Program must follow the current stated application procedures to be considered for readmission.

A student who has decelerated in the PA program may be required to audit courses from the last semester of attendance, and repeat a failed course for a grade.
 

Dismissal

Dismissal is one of the potential outcomes available to the Program Disciplinary Review Committee in its recommendations to the Program Director. The Program Director can decide to dismiss a student for violation of professional conduct, poor academic performance, or medical circumstances where the treating clinician indicates that the student is unable to return to the program at the expected level of performance as defined by the program technical performance standards. The student need not be on program probation to be dismissed from the program.
 

Student Grievances

Students should be thoroughly familiar with grievance and appeals policies and procedures described in the PA Student Handbook and in the University's Student Handbook (available on the University’s web page at https://www.mountunion.edu/current-students under the Student Handbook link) and Graduate Catalog. For the formal/informal student complaint policy and forms, please refer to the University Student Handbook sections on “Formal and Informal Student Complaint Procedures Policy.”
 

Student Appeals

The student has the right to appeal decisions to the Dean of Graduate Learning as described in the Graduate Catalog.
 

Student Employment and Collegiate Athletic Participation

Due to the challenging nature of the Mount Union Physician Assistant Studies Program, the program strongly discourages employment and collegiate athletic participation of students while enrolled in the program. Class and clinical rotation schedules will not be adjusted to accommodate a student’s work or sport schedule, and neither will be given priority over academic responsibilities. Absences from coursework or program-required activities that relate to employment or athletic participation are considered unexcused absences.

No student of the PA Program is permitted to be employed as a student assistant for the Physician Assistant Studies Program, nor permitted to perform clerical or administrative work for the program or while on any clinical rotation. PA students are not permitted to work within or for the program at any time, and they may not substitute or serve as instructional faculty, clinical or administrative staff at any time.
 

Student Travel to Required Rotation Sites

Assignment of a student to a clinical site will be determined by the PA Program’s Clinical Coordinator. Students are not required to provide, solicit or set up any clinical rotation sites or clinical preceptors. The Clinical Coordinator reviews, evaluates, approves, and prepares clinical rotation sites and preceptors. The vast majority of clinical sites are located within a 70-mile radius of campus. Rotation assignments outside this radius are the exception and not the rule. If core rotation sites are limited, students may be required to travel greater than a 70-mile radius from campus. Rotation sites are selected and modified over time to maximize learning for all program students.