Does Remote and/or Virtual Learning Prepare First-Year Physician Assistant Students for Clinical Rotations as Effectively as In-Person Learning?

Abstract

Purpose: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has profoundly affected many lives, and the aftermath is still uncertain. Many aspects of life have been affected, including physician assistant (PA) education. The collective efforts of students and faculty, perseverance, and optimism have allowed the uninterrupted preparation of the next generation of PAs. The objective of this study was to understand PA students' perceptions of the effectiveness of remote and/or virtual learning in preparing PA students for clinical rotations.

Methods: This pilot study was a mixed-methods survey with quantitative and qualitative data involving 3 accredited PA programs in the United States. Statistics were analyzed using SAS 9.4.

Results: Ninety-four individuals responded to the survey with a response rate of 46.8%. Response distributions, standard deviations, and means were calculated. Likert scale response means for each survey item were used to estimate the overall perspective of the participants.

Conclusion: Most participants highlighted the advantages of flexibility and an opportunity to balance school and family life, but the participants did not favor remote and/or virtual learning platforms for effectively preparing students for their clinical phase. More research on a larger scale is warranted. Including students' hands-on skills performance measures in addition to perceptions could provide objective evidence for the efficacy of remote and/or virtual learning in preparing students for clinical rotations.