PA Program Accreditation and Outcomes

MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant program at the University of Washington is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). Upon completion of an accredited program, graduates are eligible to take the national PA board examination offered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). MEDEX Northwest has had continuous accreditation since 1973. For more information about ARC-PA visit their website at http://www.arc-pa.org/

The ARC-PA has granted Continued Accreditation to the MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant Program sponsored by the University of Washington. Continued accreditation is an accreditation status granted where a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.

Continued Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next comprehensive review of the program by the ARC-PA will be in September 2029. The ARC-PA awarded MEDEX a ten-year continuing accreditation status at its September 2019 commission meeting.

View the MEDEX accreditation history here.

Certification and Licensure

Graduates of the MEDEX Northwest PA Program are eligible to sit for the PA National Certification Examination (PANCE) shortly after graduation. This examination is required for initial licensing or registration in all states. The first time pass rate for the five most recent MEDEX Northwest graduating classes is available through the link below.

MEDEX Northwest PANCE Pass Rate

(Click here to view NCCPA report)

 

MEDEX Attrition

 

Graduated Classes 

Class of  2020

Class of  2021

Class of  2022

Maximum entering class size (as approved by ARC-PA) 

140 

140 

158

Entering class size 

136

135

145 

Graduates 

126

127

141

*Attrition rate 

7% 

6% 

3% 

**Graduation rate 

93% 

94% 

97% 

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

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

Note:The attrition rate includes all students who have left the MEDEX program, even those who have been granted temporary leave for personal reasons and will return back to the program.