Clarkson University’s Physician Assistant Class of 2021 achieved a 100 percent pass rate on its Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE). The class of 30 students all passed the exam on the first attempt.
The class of 2021 was the second class in the past several years to post a 100 percent success rate, with the class of 2018 also having accomplished the feat.
Not only did the students achieve a 100 percent pass rate on their exam, but they were also able to do so while navigating myriad challenges presented by a global pandemic. Their success, despite the new hurdles presented to them, should not be overlooked, according to Physician Assistant Studies Chair Joan Caruso.
“This class had only one clinical rotation under their belt before they were all pulled from rotations and had to go virtual for 10 weeks,” she said. “They had a lapse in education with respect to in-person experiences and had to go virtual for two-and-a-half months pretty early on in their clinical phase.”
Caruso also explained that the students would normally return to campus at the end of each rotation for call back day, and this was also transitioned to virtual. Their class was the first class at Clarkson to transition to virtual learning.
“We had to flip them all to their research rotation with only a few days’ notice, which changed most of their research projects drastically,” Caruso said. “They went through a lot to get to the finish line, let alone have a 100 percent pass rate.”
“It means the world to the faculty and I to see our students succeed, especially in the current COVID climate,” she added. “We are excited to have these students as colleagues working out there in the community.”