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Board Review Course as Intervention: Impact on PANCE Performance
Alan K Mirly1, Melanie M Domenech Rodríguez, Jennifer M Coombs
1Alan K. Mirly, MBA, PA-C, is interim associate program director and an assistant professor for the Department of Physician Assistant Studies at Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho. Melanie M. Domenech Rodríguez, PhD, is a professor of psychology at Utah State University, Logan, Utah. Jennifer M. Coombs, PhD, MPAS, PA-C, is an associate professor for the Physician Assistant Program in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah.
A commercial board review course did not significantly improve Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) pass rates. Further research is needed to optimize board review course utility for PANCE success.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Physician Assistant Studies
Background:
- Physician Assistant (PA) programs increasingly utilize board review courses.
- The effectiveness of commercial board review courses on PANCE performance requires analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of a commercial 3-day board review course on first-time PANCE pass rates.
- To determine if course participation influences PANCE scores.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of academic data from two universities over two years (2014-2015).
- Comparison of PANCE performance between students required to take a commercial board review course and those who were not.
- Multiple regression analysis controlling for demographics, PACKRAT II scores, and university.
Main Results:
- Participation in the commercial board review course did not significantly affect PANCE performance (p = .728).
- The number of practice tests taken showed a significant main effect on PANCE scores (p = .022).
- On-site versus off-site attendance differences may hold practical significance, though not statistically significant.
Conclusions:
- No significant difference in PANCE performance was observed between PA students who participated in a board review course and those who did not.
- Suggestions for future research are provided to enhance the effectiveness of board review courses.
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