Decentralized didactic training for physician assistants: academic performances across training sites

Decentralized training for the didactic portion of allied health programs has been assessed for its ability to increase the likelihood that graduates will practice in underserved areas. The question still remains whether these distant sites provide an education that is comparable to that offered at the main campuses. Exams and final grades for all classes over the course of five years at MEDEX Northwest in Seattle were compared to determine whether there was any major discrepancy between the main training location and the decentralized sites. With the exception of three individual cases, overall academic performances in all training sites were comparable. This suggests that programs employing some of the curricular and administrative controls in place at MEDEX Northwest can achieve a parity in education across their various training sites.