Goal 1: Expand Access through a Regionally Responsive PA Workforce
Evaluation Metrics:
- Admissions/Matriculation data stratified by geographic distribution (Benchmark: at least 60% of matriculants from areas within the WWAMI region and Hawaii.)
- Attrition (benchmarks: below 5%) and graduation rates (benchmark: 95%)
Goal 2: Prepare Compassionate, Clinically Competent PA Graduates for entry-level practice.
Evaluation Metrics:
- Summative evaluation (achieve passing score)
- End-of-curriculum exam scores at or above the national mean
- First-time PANCE scores (benchmark: annual pass rate of 90% or above)
Goal 3: Maintain clinical partnerships and experiential learning opportunities that prepare students to serve in primary care settings across underserved and rural locations.
Evaluation Metrics:
- Review of the total confirmed clinical sites from the previous year with a benchmark of 25% classified as underserved and/or rural.
* Secondary to new program goals approved Spring 2025, outcome data will be available upon the Class of 2026’s program completion.
Details demonstrating the program’s success in meeting these goals are found as follows:
Student Enrollment
A total of 1,538 candidates submitted applications for acceptance to MEDEX Northwest in 2025. Of these candidates, 157 were accepted into the program.
Student Diversity
MEDEX Northwest continues the tradition of educating minority students. Of the accepted students, 57.3% are from ethnically diverse backgrounds: 12.1% self-identified as Black or African American, 1.9% American Indian/Alaska Native, 33.1% Asian/Other Asian, and 11.4% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.
Military Students
The percentage of students with military experience selected for the 2024 2025 entering class is 1110.38%.
Regional Connection
MEDEX is a regional program committed to educating students from Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI), and from the state of Hawaii. The percentage of students accepted in 2025 from the WWAMI region and Hawaii is 90%. This breakout includes: 54.1% Washington, 13.4% Alaska, 5.7% Montana, 4.5% Idaho, 1.9% Wyoming, and 14% Hawaii.
Gender Diversity
The gender breakdown of the total accepted class in 2025 is 66.9% female, 30.6% male, 1.9% genderqueer, gender non-conforming, or nonbinary gender.
Average Age
The age of the total accepted class ranges from 21 to 51 with the mean age of 28.
Reapplicant vs. New Applicant
First-time applicants accepted in the 2024-2025 application cycle accounted for 75.5% and the number of reapplicants accepted makes up 24.5% of the 2024 accepted class.
Graduate Practice Information
Over 74% of program graduates serve the WWAMI region in both primary care and specialty practice. MEDEX graduates working in primary care total 43% with others working in emergency medicine (14%), surgery (20%), medical specialties (8%), and other areas (13%).
Utilization and Building of Relationships with Community-Based Clinics
The centerpiece of the clinical phase of training is the four-month primary care preceptorship. This is most often completed in a family practice setting, or students may work with general internal medicine physicians and PAs. There are also six shorter one-month rotations, called clerkships, which are intended to expose future primary care clinicians to specialty practice. The required clerkships are behavioral medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, inpatient and a rotation in a medically underserved setting. An elective rotation rounds out the year. Students are expected to obtain experiences in maternal health and pediatrics during the longer preceptorship. Rotations are arranged throughout the five-state WWAMI service region, the state of Hawaii, and beyond. Ninety-four percent of MEDEX clinical rotations are community-based clinics. All students are expected to travel to participate in the community-based training opportunities. Students must return to the program four times during the year for orientation, additional instruction, evaluation, and graduation.
Campus Locations
To increase access to PA education, MEDEX Northwest operates five campus locations, which includes the Hawaii campus in Kona which opened in 2020. This strategic expansion into Hawaii will serve students throughout a growing service region.
|
Campus |
1st Year Students |
2nd Year Students |
|
Seattle |
48 |
51 |
|
Spokane |
32 |
31 |
|
Anchorage |
24 |
24 |
|
Tacoma |
29 |
32 |
|
Kona |
23 |
24 |
Clinical-phase training takes place throughout the five-state WWAMI region—Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho—and Hawaii. All campus locations offer a Master of Clinical Health Services degree program. Please see Degrees Offered for further explanation.
The Seattle campus, housed in the University of Washington School of Medicine, is the home base of MEDEX Northwest. Please explore the different campus options below.
Didactic and Clinical Curriculum
MEDEX delivers a full, equivalent curriculum across all distant campuses. Please see the curriculum details here.