Assessment of Compassion in Physician Assistant Students.

PURPOSE: It has been shown that empathy erodes in the later phases of education of both medical students and physician assistant (PA) students. This brief study assessed compassion in PA students at different levels of training to explore if a similar phenomenon occurs. METHODS: Students at entry, midway, and at the end of PA training were surveyed using Pommier's Compassion Scale. RESULTS: Although overall compassion scores were lower when comparing students further along in training, differences were not significant. Females scored significantly higher on the kindness subscale overall. Scores for the common humanity subscale declined for both males and females. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike scales measuring empathy have shown, scores using a compassion rating scale did not decline with progression through PA school. Further research is needed to elucidate differences in subscales of compassion.

Assessment of the Diversity and Inclusion Culture in a Physician Assistant Program.

PURPOSE: Physician assistant (PA) programs aim to foster a collaborative culture that enables stakeholders to feel included, empowered, and valued. The purpose of this study was to explore the cultural climate of diversity and inclusion in one PA program to identify areas of strength and to serve as a baseline needs assessment for future program initiatives. METHODS: The study used a cross-sectional, descriptive approach for PA survey data (N = 85) to assess perceptions of diversity and inclusion of PA program students, faculty, and staff. RESULTS: The respondents largely agreed that the program created an inclusive learning environment (92%), the curriculum positively affected their understanding of diversity and cultural responsiveness (84.6%), and the program had an adequate amount of inclusivity for all program stakeholders (87%). Some faculty members (25%) and students (6.2%) disagreed that faculty were open to diverse political beliefs, and 35% of the respondents believed that more emphasis could be put on religious diversity. A few students (7.7%) perceived faculty as not supportive of non-native English language speakers; students of color (11.5%) were more likely than White students (5.1%) to have this perception. CONCLUSIONS: This study largely met the goal to create a professional environment of mutual respect and, ultimately, a climate of inclusiveness. It also identified opportunities for new initiatives to meet the needs of all program stakeholders. Follow-up research that distinguishes faculty from students and a multicenter study to explore perspectives based on demographic differences would be timely and useful.

Effect of a Flipped Classroom Compared With a Traditional Lecture on Physician Assistant Students' Exam Performance.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively compare the exam performance of physician assistant (PA) students given asthma instruction in a flipped classroom with PA students in a traditional lecture setting while controlling for students' previous academic performance and clinical asthma experience. METHODS: Three cohorts of PA students (n = 146) from the years 2017 (traditional-lecture setting) and 2018 and 2019 (flipped-classroom setting) were included in the study. Academic performance across cohorts was compared using answers to 11 exam questions reflective of the asthma content. RESULTS: Findings demonstrated significantly greater performance in the flipped classroom compared with traditional lecture. The 2018 and 2019 cohorts scored 9.4% and 13.2% higher, respectively, compared with the 2017 cohort. Exam performance of students with a low likelihood of clinical exposure to asthmatic patients before PA school was similar to those with a high likelihood. CONCLUSION: This study found improved exam performance with a flipped classroom. The flipped classroom represents a potential opportunity to maximize similar performances by both less experienced students and more experienced students.