Prepare to become a highly competent, patient-centered physician assistant.
About the Physician Assistant Studies Program
At Delaware Valley University, you will find a physician assistant program that is dedicated to the pillars of scholarship, service, and professionalism. As a student in our program, you will:
- Gain the skills and training you need to become a highly competent, excellent clinician and leader in the complex health care environment.
- Learn how to provide compassionate, team-based, and evidence-based patient care.
- Learn to meet the diverse needs of society and communities as a multi-culturally competent healthcare professional.
- Have unparalleled opportunities for experiential learning. At DelVal, we strive to provide a well-rounded and hands-on clinical experience that fosters collaboration, integration and innovation in the practice of medicine and beyond.
Accreditation
The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the Delaware Valley University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Delaware Valley 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 www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-delaware-valley-university/.
Gain Clinical Experience in the Physician Assistant Program
Students in the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program at DelVal can expect to complete clinical experiences in a variety of clinical settings. The majority of rotations occur with regional health service partners who aim to provide an educational experience that includes a comprehensive, compassionate and patient-centered approach to care. Students and regional partners benefit from the potential for a core clinical network model. The program’s dedication to the Greater Delaware Valley region provides a strong pipeline for future employment opportunities.
Learn more about the PA Program
The Delaware Valley University Physician Assistant Program is dedicated to the pillars of scholarship, service and professionalism. The program strives to train clinicians who are versed in leadership in the complex healthcare environment. The program is committed to educating graduates to provide compassionate team-based and evidence-based patient care, meeting the needs of society and their diverse communities.
Goal #1: Attract, select, and retain highly qualified students.
- Outcome #1: An incoming class profile, including GPA, GRE, and experience hours, will be published by December of each year. This profile will demonstrate that the incoming cohort has met or exceeded programmatic benchmarks.
- Results: Class of 2027 Profile
- Outcome #2: Maintain an attrition rate of less than 10%
- Results: The program achieved a 90% graduation rate for the Class of 2025. Refer to the Program Outcomes section of our webpage for further attrition details.
Goal #2: Maintain first-time PANCE pass rate 85% or higher
- Outcome #1: PANCE results will be published annually.
- Results: The program achieved a 94% first-time pass rate for the Class of 2025. Refer to the Program Outcomes section of our web page for a direct link to the NCCPA report.
Goal #3: Prepare students to fulfill community health needs
- Outcome #1: Students will identify and present a patient case scenario with public health implications and identify the related epidemiology; social determinants of health; resources for patient advocacy; and impact of local, state, and national public policy and the built environment with an average cohort performance level of 85% or better.
- Results: This assignment has been successfully completed by all learners in the program to date and has exceeded the defined performance level (Class of 2025 average 98%)
- Outcome #2: Students will complete at least one service-learning activity.
- Results: All students have completed a minimum of two service-learning opportunities, with organizations including the Doylestown YMCA, Family Services Association of Bucks County, A Woman’s Place, BCHIP, MANNA, Bucks County Opportunity Council, and the Lenape Valley Foundation.
Goal #4: Provide students with experiential learning opportunities beginning in the first year of the program.
- Outcome #1: Students will participate in a first-year clinical experience, student evaluations of which will exceed the program’s benchmark of 80% related to clinical experience appropriateness and effectiveness.
- Results: All students have been placed in local clinics, practices, and hospital settings and spend one day per week in the clinical environment during the first year of the Program. Student evaluation of the course and sites have exceeded program benchmark.
Goal #5: Prepare students to provide evidence-based care to a wide range of patients in a multidisciplinary health care team.
- Outcome #1: Students will participate in Journal Club each term and demonstrate the ability to develop clinical questions, search for, and appraise medical literature with an average cohort performance level of 85% or better.
- Results: Journal Club has been successfully attended by all learners in the program to date and has exceeded the stated benchmark for cohort performance, with a current running average cohort performance of 96%.
- Outcome #2: Students will complete an interprofessional education experience.
- Results: students have participated in an interprofessional education activity with peers in the Graduate Counseling Psychology and Speech Language Pathology programs.
- Outcome #3: Students will have an interprofessional encounter in the clinical setting.
- Results: To date, all clinical phase students have logged interprofessional encounters, with the most common professions being nursing, physicians in training (residents/fellows), rehabilitation professionals (PT, OT, SLP), pharmacists, radiology technicians, and social work.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion is essential to the PA profession and PA education as it enhances the quality of instruction and patient care. The Program aims to foster a welcoming, fair, and respectful environment, inclusive of all differences and individual identities. We strive to create a didactic and clinical education that is well-rounded and cultivates meaningful interactions and experiences with faculty, staff and preceptors with distinct backgrounds and perspectives. All students will graduate with the cross-cultural competencies necessary to effectively and respectfully treat diverse patients and function effectively on multicultural teams. The Program has established goals specific to diversity and inclusion, as follows:
- Provide resources toward training culturally sensitive and responsive physician assistants
- Outcome #1: 100% of students will complete a dedicated course in Cultural Competence and Multicultural Healthcare
This course has been successfully completed by all learners in the program to date and has met all programmatic benchmarks for effectiveness.
Faculty & Staff
- Shannon Diallo
- Christopher Fechter
- Mila Klichinsky
- Jami Smith
- Liz Snodgrass
- Melissa Van Hoof
- Karen Yuengel
Contact
Shannon Diallo, PA-C, Program Director Physician Assistant Studies
Any questions may be sent to: paprogram@delval.edu, or you may call Liz Snodgrass, Program Manager, at 215-489-2294.