Students are required to maintain both academic and professional integrity requirements to remain in good standing in the physician assistant program as described in the Health Sciences Professional Bulletin for Physician Assistant Studies.

Academic Requirements for Progression: To achieve satisfactory academic progress leading to promotion in the Physician Assistant Program, the student must achieve a GPA of 2.80 in each term (summer, fall, spring). In addition, the student may receive no single grade in any course less than a C. The PA program considers a grade below C to represent unsatisfactory academic progress. Unsatisfactory academic progress may result in conditional promotion, withdrawal, or dismissal from the program. Students are required to have a cumulative GPA equal to or greater than 2.8 to graduate.

Students earning a final grade of C-,D+, D or below, or unsatisfactory grades (U, UNC, ADW, UW, WA or WF) in the PA program may be dismissed. This may also lead to withdrawal of financial aid.

In the clinical portion of the program (third year) the term GPA is compiled from an aggregate of clinical rotation grades completed in that term (summer, fall, spring).

Students may not participate in Physician Assistant clinical rotations until they have successfully completed all the required courses in the didactic curriculum.

 

Professional Integrity Requirements: Students may be dismissed from the physician assistant program for failure to meet the following professional conduct standards:

• Failure to comply with the Physician Assistant Studies Program Honor Code and Professional Code of Conduct.
• Failure to comply with learning objectives set forth in a formal learning contract between the program and the student.
• Clinical misconduct, including, but not limited to:
• Conduct that constitutes harassment, threats or abuse of, or discrimination against peers, faculty, patients, or others.
• Provision of physician assistant services, including laboratory experiences in courses, while under the influence of an illegal substance and/or alcohol.
• Breach of patient/client confidentiality.
• Failure, during a clinical experience, to comply with the Policies and Procedures of the clinical facility.
• Failure to comply with the Physical Assistant Studies student and Departmental Policies outlined in the student handbooks. 
• Failure to comply with the Physician Assistants Ethical Guidelines to Professional Conduct (www.nccpa.net, www.aapa.org).

Violations of the professional integrity requirements will result in a hearing with the Progress and Promotion Committee.  Findings of misconduct to self, faculty, the University internship facility and/or patient may result in failure in the assignment, failure in the course or dismissal from the program.  For situations that result in dismissal from the program, a notation of “Required to Withdraw for Program Integrity Reasons” will be placed on the student’s record and transcripts.