Marywood University reports perfect pass rates across multiple health sciences programs Four of Marywood University’s clinical health sciences programs, including Physician Assistant, Nursing, Respiratory Therapy, and Counseling, were recently notified that their graduates achieved perfect pass rates on their respective national qualifying examinations. Marywood University’s Physician Assistant (PA) program earned an overall perfect pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE), the national certifying examination required for licensure in all fifty states. The program’s overall pass rate of 100 percent, which it has maintained for six consecutive years, includes a first‑time pass rate of 100 percent for its most recent graduating class. The national mean overall pass rate for 2025 was 88.4 percent overall and 91.5 percent for first-time test takers; national pass rates for 2026 are still being processed. The overall PANCE pass rate reflects all exam attempts, while the first‑time pass rate includes only candidates who sat for the exam once. Marywood’s nursing program was notified that its 2026 graduating class also achieved a perfect 100 percent pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN). This result significantly exceeds the year‑to‑date national average of 88 percent for first‑time U.S. educated nursing candidates. The NCLEX-RN uses computerized adaptive testing to ensure valid and reliable measurement of nursing competence. This marks the fourth consecutive year in which Marywood nursing graduates have achieved a perfect pass rate for first-time test takers. Graduates of Marywood’s Respiratory Therapy (RT) program from the Class of 2026 attained a 100 percent first‑time High Cut Score pass rate on the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) Therapist Multiple‑Choice Examination, far exceeding the national first-time passing percentage of 68 percent in 2025, highlighting the exceptional performance of Marywood’s graduates. Achieving the High Cut Score earns the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) credential and grants eligibility for the Clinical Simulation Examination to pursue the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential. Reaching this threshold on the first attempt reflects sustained effort in both classroom and clinical settings and demonstrates readiness to provide exceptional patient care as future respiratory therapists. Marywood’s most recent Counseling program graduates also achieved a 100 percent pass rate on the National Counselor Exam (NCE), fulfilling the examination requirement for professional counselor licensure and eligibility for the National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential. “The perfect pass rate on the PANCE for our physician assistants, as well as the 100 percent pass rate on NCLEX for our nurses, the High Cut Score on the NBRC for RT graduates, and NCE for counselors, demonstrates that Marywood University consistently produces top graduates in health sciences who score well above the national average in their respective fields of practice,” said Shelby Yeager, Ph.D., Academic Vice President and Dean of the College of Health Sciences. “We are tremendously proud of our graduates and continuously strive to maintain that standard of excellence through the academic and clinical rigor of our health sciences programs.” For additional information about these programs and Marywood’s College of Health Sciences, please visit marywood.edu/academics/affairs/colleges/health-sciences.
Marywood Sets On-site and Virtual Physician Assistant Open House Marywood University is hosting several physician assistant open house events, including one on-site event and two virtual events. The on-site event is set for Thursday, August 8, from 5-7 p.m. Prospective students will meet with Physician Assistant faculty and current students and learn more about the admissions process. The open house also includes a Q & A session and tour of the program facilities, which are located in the newly added Pascucci Family Health Sciences Pavilion. Interested students can register at https://admissions.marywood.edu/register/PA_OH. Virtual information sessions are also set for Tuesday, August 6, from 12-2 p.m., and again on Wednesday, August 28, from 5-7 p.m. During these online sessions, prospective physician assistant students can interact virtually with Physician Assistant faculty and current students and learn more about the admissions process. The virtual sessions also include a Q & A session. To register for the August 6 session, visit https://admissions.marywood.edu/register/Aug6PA. To register for the August 28 session, go to https://admissions.marywood.edu/register/Aug28PA.
The Wright Center News Wright Center Launches National Physician Assistant Program The Wright Center for Community Health recently welcomed eight master’s degree-level students who will be gaining knowledge and experience in its primary care practices as they complete a program to become physician assistants. The students are part of the first class to enroll in the Central Coast Physician Assistant program, a new initiative of A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (ATSU) in partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers and select health centers across the country. Participants in the 24-month program attend ATSU’s Santa Maria campus in California for one year during their pre-clinical phase. Then they enter a clinical phase, which includes 35 weeks of supervised clinical practice experiences at The Wright Center or other partnered community health center. “The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education are deeply immersed in and passionately committed to developing and inspiring our current and future interprofessional health care workforce,” said Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, president and CEO of The Wright Centers for Community Health and Graduate Medical Education. “We are excited to embrace an expanded role in preparing physician assistants to work in community-based teaching health center settings, where they will serve and care for historically underserved populations. “Our partnership with ATSU’s College for Healthy Communities will force-multiply the delivery of our shared mission to improve the health and welfare of America,” she added. “Future graduates of the program will be essential for the continued workforce renewal of safety-net community providers such as The Wright Center for Community Health, which depend on dedicated teams of caring, patient- and community-centered healers.” Physician assistants Bryan Boyle and Angelo Brutico, each of whom is a Marywood University alumnus and Wright Center employee, will provide on-site program supervision and leadership as ATSU’s regional directors of physician assistant education. The Central Coast Physician Assistant program prepares its graduates to be “highly competent professionals in the science of medicine” who are “steeped in the osteopathic tradition of body, mind, and spirit care for the whole person.” The Wright Center and ATSU have a long track record of successfully collaborating to conceptualize and launch programs that develop compassionate, skilled physicians and other health care professionals to help address workforce shortages in the nation’s rural and other underserved communities. Representatives from the A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA), based in Mesa, were involved in the planning stages of The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s National Family Medicine Residency – a first-of-its-kind program that places resident physicians in one of four partner training sites in the U.S. In 2020, as part of a separate program, The Wright Center for Community Health became a rotational host site for aspiring doctors enrolled at ATSU-SOMA – which prides itself on being “the medical school of the future.” The school’s unique medical education model allows students to spend their first year on campus in Mesa, Arizona, followed by three years at a community health center, where an emphasis is placed on fostering community-minded physicians who will be advocates for equitable health care access. About 30 ATSU-SOMA medical school students are currently based at The Wright Center’s primary care practices in Northeast Pennsylvania. These programs, in combination with The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education’s existing residency and fellowship programs, have positioned The Wright Center nonprofit enterprise to be a true regional provider of interprofessional health care education. The inaugural cohort of physician assistant students is scheduled to complete its clinical rotation at The Wright Center in June 2023. To learn more about opportunities in the Central Coast Physician Assistant program, visit ATSU’s website at atsu.edu. Or contact Carla Blakeslee, The Wright Center’s coordinator of clerkships, by calling 570-591-5116 or sending an email to blakesleec@thewrightcenter.org.
Marywood University to Hold Physician Assistant Virtual Information Session Marywood University’s Physician Assistant (PA) program will host a Virtual Information Session on Monday, April 11, 2022, from 5–7 p.m. This event is free and open to anyone interested in pursuing an advanced degree in PA Studies. Attendees will interact with Physician Assistant faculty and current students, learn about the admissions process, and participate in a Q&A session. To register, visit admissions.marywood.edu/register/Spr22PA. The PA program at Marywood University is committed to excellence in the training of students to provide both primary care and specialized health care in a variety of health care settings. The program provides students with the foundation for professional growth through personalized attention, diverse clinical experiences, and a commitment to excellence. Earning a master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies prepares students for medical careers that are in demand and growing to meet expanding health care needs. For additional information about Marywood University’s Physician Assistant Virtual Information Session, please contact Lauren Tokash, Graduate Admissions Counselor, at tokash@marwood.edu, call the Office of Admissions, at (570) 348-6234, or register for the information session, at admissions.marywood.edu/register/Spr22PA.
