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UBPAI values educating students with the knowledge and skills necessary to prepare them to work with diverse patient populations, practicing culturally sensitive and patient-centered care. Data has been gathered on graduates’ satisfaction with these specific mission-focused components. These items are scored on a 4-point Likert scale (1 - Highly Dissatisfied, 2 - Dissatisfied, 3 - Satisfied, 4 - Highly Satisfied), with a benchmark score of 3 to demonstrate that students are satisfied with the preparation provided in each of these categories.

Students were asked how satisfied they were with the program’s preparation

1. To practice with cultural sensitivity
2. To practice patient-centered care
3. To demonstrate a commitment to caring for a diverse patient population

FIGURE 5 Student satisfaction with mission-focused preparation (Cohort 2023-2026)

UBPAI analyzes the faculty’s impression of the curriculum’s alignment with the program mission, including culturally sensitive and patient-centered care. This data was first collected in 2021 and is collected annually. These items are scored on a 4-point Likert scale (1 - Strongly Disagree, 2 - Disagree, 3 - Agree, 4 - Strongly Agree), with a benchmark score of 3 to demonstrate that faculty agree that the curriculum is mission-focused on each of these categories.

Faculty members are asked to assess how well the PA curriculum prepares students for the following activities:

1. Practice with cultural sensitivity
2. Practice patient-centered care
3. Demonstrate a commitment to caring for diverse patient populations

FIGURE 6 Faculty evaluation of mission-focused preparation (2022-2025)

MSPA 630 Special Populations Selective supports the program’s commitment to preparing students to work with diverse patient populations. Specific data is collected regarding preceptor evaluations of students’ ability to demonstrate cultural sensitivity and patient-centered care. These items are scored on a 4-point Likert scale (1 - Below Expectations, 2 - Approaches Expectations, 3 - Meets Expectations, 4 - Exceeds Expectations), with a benchmark score of 3 to demonstrate that preceptors agree that students are meeting expectations related to these abilities.

FIGURE 7 Average preceptor evaluation score of students’ cultural sensitivity (Cohort 2023-2026)

UBPAI recognizes first-time PANCE performance as an indicator of students’ medical knowledge. The program has set a benchmark of meeting or exceeding the national average for first-time PANCE pass rates. This benchmark has been met in all recent years.

FIGURE 8 Annual PANCE pass rates for first-time test takers compared to national average (2022-2026)

Annually, preceptors are surveyed on their impression of students’ preparedness to enter the clinical phase. This provides an aggregate assessment of students’ preparation through their didactic education in topics including medical interviewing, physical exam, oral case presentations, written documentation, knowledge of diagnostic studies, performing clinical procedures, and forming/implementing management plans. These items are scored on a 4-point Likert scale (1 - Not Prepared, 2 - Poorly Prepared, 3 - Prepared, 4 - Very Prepared), with a benchmark score of 3 on the average of all preparedness categories, demonstrating that preceptors, on average, rate students as prepared across these areas.

FIGURE 9 Preceptor evaluation of students’ preparedness for clinical rotations (Cohort 2024-2027)

The UBPAI curriculum prepares students to manage acute, chronic, preventative, and emergent encounters in various health care settings across the lifetime. The program continually evaluates the curriculum and monitors student performance on exams throughout the program, including on the PAEA End of Rotation (EOR) exams administered during the clinical year. The program has set a benchmark of a mean EOR exam score that exceeds the national average for each exam.

FIGURE 10 End of rotation mean scores compared to national averages (Cohort 2024)

FIGURE 11 End of rotation mean scores compared to national averages (Cohort 2025)

FIGURE 12 End of rotation mean scores compared to national averages (Cohort 2026)

Alumni are asked to rate their satisfaction with their medical knowledge and their preparation for clinical practice. These items are scored on a 4-point Likert scale (1 - Highly Dissatisfied, 2 - Dissatisfied, 3 - Satisfied, 4 - Highly Satisfied), with a benchmark score of 3 to demonstrate that alumni are satisfied with the training received in both categories.

FIGURE 13 Alumni satisfaction with aspects of curriculum (Cohort 2022-2025)

The program has a variety of clinical rotations that expose students to diverse communities and patients. To increase exposure to diverse communities, the program has set a benchmark of 100% of students completing at least one rotation in a HRSA-designated health profession shortage area or medically underserved area.

FIGURE 14 Health profession shortage area or medically underserved area clinical experiences by cohort (2023-2026)

As part of the one-year alumni survey, data is collected related to alumni employment settings. Following the introduction of the Special Populations Selective, data was collected specifically on alumni working with special populations and in medically underserved areas. As of 2025, the program has increased the benchmark to 15% of alumni working in a HRSA-designated medically underserved area and 15% of alumni working with a special population at one-year post graduation. Nationally, 24.4% of physician assistants are practicing in health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) or MUAs (2024 NCCPA Statistical Profile of Board-Certified Physician Assistants). It should be noted that the NCCPA survey combines MUA and HPSA designations, while the UB survey item assesses MUAs only.

The UB employment data is based upon students who responded to the one-year alumni survey sent out annually, with an average response rate of 49% for Cohorts 2022-2025.

FIGURE 15 Alumni work settings/ populations: medically underserved areas & special populations (Cohort 2022-2025)

Faculty are actively involved in outreach events throughout the community to raise awareness of the PA profession. These events aim to educate the public about the role of PAs and the educational pathway to enter the field. The program has established a benchmark of participating in a minimum of five faculty-led outreach or recruitment events annually.

FIGURE 16 Number of total outreach events by year

* Data as of August 2026, including planned events

To ensure that outreach efforts impact a broad range of age groups, the program engages with students at the elementary/middle school, high school, and college levels. Events are tailored to each educational stage to effectively share information about the PA profession. A benchmark of conducting at least one outreach event per year for each of these educational levels was established in 2025.

TABLE 1 Number of outreach events by setting

Year	Elementary/middle school	High school	College
2023	1	8	4
2024	1	6	2
2025	1	7	3
2026*	2	2	1

Note: Community events are not included in these school totals by year.
* Data as of August 2026, including planned events

The program prioritizes engagement with a wide range of local communities to expand awareness of the PA profession. Outreach events are conducted in different areas across the region, with the goal of reaching diverse populations and broadening the program’s impact. Importantly, many of these events take place in communities designated by HRSA as Health Profession Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and/or Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs), including Bridgeport, Stratford, New Haven, Waterbury, Norwalk, and New York City. To further strengthen this commitment, the program has set a benchmark of participating in a minimum of three outreach events in MUAs annually.

FIGURE 17 Outreach event by community type by year

* Data as of August 2026, including planned events