The ARC-PA has granted accreditation-provisional status to the St. Bonaventure University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by St. Bonaventure University. 

Accreditation-provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding accreditation-provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students. 

Accreditation-provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class.

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-st-bonaventure-university/

Program Goals

1. Prepare individuals to become certified members of the healthcare team.
2. Provide a curriculum which teaches the principles of Evidence-Based Medicine.
3. Highlight the importance of service by incorporating service into the program.
4. Encourage students to practice in areas of medical need including the Southern Tier of New York state.
5. Provide students with the medical knowledge and clinical skills needed to practice as a physician assistant.
6. Provide students the opportunity to become health care scientists by performing research and presenting their findings.

NOTE: For measures, benchmarks and success rates for each of these goals, CLICK HERE.

Mission: School of Health Professions & PA Studies Department

Medical Knowledge

• Demonstrate knowledge about established and evolving biomedical and clinical sciences and the application of this knowledge to patient care. PAs should be able to:
  • 1.1 Demonstrate investigative and critical thinking in clinical situations.
  • 1.2 Discern among acute, chronic, and emergent disease states.
  • 1.3 Apply principles of clinical sciences to diagnose disease and utilize therapeutic decision-making, clinical problem-solving, and other evidence-based practice skills.
  • 1.4 Adhere to standards of care.
  • 1.5 Work effectively and efficiently in various health care delivery settings and systems relevant to the PA’s clinical specialty.
  • 1.6 Identify and address social determinants that affect access to care.

Interpersonal

• Demonstrate interpersonal skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients, their families, and health professionals. PAs should be able to:
  • 2.1 Establish meaningful therapeutic relationships with patients and families to ensure that patients’ values and preferences are addressed and that needs and goals are met to deliver person-centered care.
  • 2.2 Communicate effectively to elicit and provide information.
  • 2.3 Understand emotions, behaviors, and responses of others, which allows for effective interpersonal interactions.
  • 2.4 Demonstrate sensitivity, honesty, and compassion in all conversations.

Clinical and technical skills

• Provide person-centered care that includes patient- and setting-specific assessment, evaluation, and management and health care that is evidence-based, supports patient safety, and advances health equity. PAs should be able to:
  • 3.1 Gather accurate and essential information about patients through history taking, physical examination, and diagnostic testing.
  • 3.2 Interpret data based on patient information and preferences, current scientific evidence, and clinical judgment to make informed decisions about diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
  • 3.3 Accurately and adequately document medical information for clinical, legal, quality, and financial purposes.
  • 3.4 Maintain proficiency to perform safely all medical and diagnostic, procedures considered essential for practice.
  • 3.5 Develop, implement, and monitor effectiveness of patient management plans.
  • 3.6 Access and interpret current and credible sources of medical information.
  • 3.7 Apply principles of epidemiology to identify health problems, risk factors, treatment strategies, resources, and disease prevention/health promotion efforts for individuals and populations.

Professional Behaviors

• Demonstrate the ability to engage with a variety of other health care professionals in a manner that optimizes safe, effective, patient- and population-centered care. PAs should be able to:
  • 4.1 Exhibit self-awareness to identify strengths, address deficiencies, and recognize limits in knowledge and expertise.
  • 4.2 Identify, analyze, and adopt new knowledge, guidelines, standards, technologies that have been demonstrated to improve outcomes.
  • 4.3 Identify improvement goals and perform learning activities that address gaps in knowledge, skills, and attitudes.

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*Attrition rate calculation: Number of students who attend from cohort divided by the entering class size.

**Graduation rate: Number of cohort graduates divided by the entering class size.

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