Our Mission  

Goal: Maintain an average of at least 50% of matriculated students from the five most recently matriculated cohorts who self-identify as having one or more of the following characteristics consistent with the program's mission and institutional priorities:

• The first generation in the family to attend college (neither mother nor father attended college)
• Graduated from a high school from which a low percentage of seniors receive a high school diploma
• Graduated from a high school at which many of the enrolled students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches
• From a family that receives public assistance (g. Aid to Families with Dependent Children, food stamps, Medicaid, public housing) or the individual receives public assistance
• From a family that lives in an area that is designated as a Health Professional Shortage Area or a Medically Underserved Area
• Participated in an academic enrichment program funded in whole or in part by the Health Careers Opportunity Program
• High-school drop-out who received AHS diploma or GED
• From a school district where 50% or less of graduates go to college or where college education is not encouraged
• Economically disadvantaged background based on parent's family income
• English is not primary language
• From isolated rural (population <2,500) geographic area
• Have served in the United States Military

The UNM Physician Assistant Program is committed to recruiting and enrolling students whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diverse communities of New Mexico. We recognize that individuals from rural, disadvantaged, first-generation, military, and other underrepresented backgrounds bring valuable perspectives that strengthen the healthcare workforce and enhance patient care.

PA Program faculty and staff participate in a minimum of six outreach activities per year targeted toward sharing information with prospective students from rural and underserved backgrounds. 

By creating educational opportunities for students who have faced barriers to higher education and health careers, the program supports the development of a physician assistant workforce that is well positioned to understand, serve, and advocate for New Mexico's diverse populations. This commitment aligns with both the program's mission and the university's dedication to advancing educational access and health equity.

The UNM PA Program has met this goal based on self-reported data from the five most recently matriculated cohorts, as shown in this table: UNM PA 5-year Matriculated Student Class Profile.

Goal: At least 60% of graduates will be employed in a rural/frontier area and/or in a practice that primarily serves medically underserved populations in New Mexico, averaged from the five most recently graduated cohorts based on first destination practice data collected 6-12 months following graduation. 

A core part of the mission of the UNM Physician Assistant Program is to address healthcare workforce shortages in communities that face the greatest barriers to accessing care. Through targeted recruitment, mission-driven education, and community-based clinical experiences, the program prepares graduates to serve patients in rural, frontier, and medically underserved areas throughout New Mexico.

UNM PA Program students receive training on work with rural and underserved populations throughout the didactic curriculum. Students participate in the Health of New Mexico course at the start of the PA curriculum.  This course focuses on identifying some of the major health problems in New Mexico, the history of the efforts to improve health in the state, and the role of PAs in addressing these issues.  Students also discuss the social determinants in causes and solutions for major health concerns in New Mexico.  Throughout the remainder of the didactic curriculum, instruction on caring for and communicating with the demographic populations and ethnic diversity of New Mexicans is woven into courses such as the Geriatrics and Clinical Skills series courses.   

UNM PA students’ clinical curriculum includes a significant focus on training for rural and underserved populations. Not only do students become acquainted with the socioeconomic difficulties of underserved, rural areas, but the experiences encourage them to become invested in the communities in which they serve and grow. Through these experiences, our program and students are developing future clinician hiring and community investment pipelines within these rural and underserved areas. 

The UNM PA Program has met this goal for the five most recently graduated cohorts. The program’s focus on preparation for careers in rural and underserved communities is clear in the post-graduation survey data collected by the program, as shown in this table: UNM PA 5-year Post Graduation/Alumni Employment Practice Data.

Goal: At least 20% of graduates will be employed in a primary care capacity, averaged from the five most recently graduated cohorts based on first destination practice data collected 6-12 months following graduation.

Primary care serves as the foundation of an effective healthcare system and plays a critical role in promoting health, preventing disease, and managing chronic conditions. The UNM Physician Assistant Program prepares students to deliver comprehensive, patient-centered care across the lifespan through a curriculum that emphasizes broad clinical knowledge, preventive care, and collaborative practice.

The program encourages graduates to pursue careers in primary care by providing meaningful learning experiences and exposure to diverse patient populations. Each UNM PA student completes clinical rotations in both Family Medicine and Primary Care during the clinical portion of the curriculum. By supporting entry into primary care practice, the program contributes to meeting the healthcare needs of individuals and families across New Mexico and beyond.

Evidence of meeting this goal is shown in this table: UNM PA 5-year Post Graduation/Alumni Employment Practice Data.

Goal: At least 90% of students in each cohort will successfully complete two or more supervised clinical practice experiences in a rural and/or medically underserved New Mexico community prior to graduation.

Experiential learning in rural and medically underserved communities is an essential component of the UNM Physician Assistant Program. Students complete clinical rotations across New Mexico in settings that expose them to the unique healthcare needs, challenges, and strengths of diverse populations.

These experiences help students develop clinical competence, cultural humility, adaptability, and a deeper understanding of healthcare delivery in resource-limited settings. Through direct engagement with patients and healthcare teams in communities across the state, students gain valuable preparation for future practice in areas where physician assistants are critically needed.

Data showing that UNM PA students’ clinical placements have met this goal is shown in this table: UNM PA 5-year Post Graduation/Alumni Employment Practice Data.

Goal: Maintain a five-year average first time PANCE pass rate of 87% or higher.

The UNM Physician Assistant Program is dedicated to developing highly competent, practice-ready physician assistants who are equipped to provide safe, effective, and evidence-based care. Through a rigorous curriculum that integrates medical knowledge, clinical skills, professionalism, and critical thinking, students are prepared to meet the expectations of modern healthcare practice.

Graduate success on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) serves as one important measure of program effectiveness and readiness for entry into the profession. The program continuously evaluates student outcomes and educational quality to ensure graduates are prepared to successfully transition into clinical practice and serve their communities with excellence.

This goal was set to be within 5% of the national first-time PANCE pass rate, which has remained at 92% from 2022-2025, as of the time this goal was defined. The UNM PA Program has met this goal based on the first time PANCE pass rate for the past five years, as shown in this table: Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination Exam Performance Summary Report.