The University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia Physician Assistant Program celebrates the Class of 2024 for achieving a 100% pass rate on the national board certification exam (PANCE). This year marks the third time in the last four years that the program’s graduating class has posted a perfect mark. The exam is administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), which is the only certifying organization for PAs in the United States.

The USC PA program is a 27-month graduate program featuring 15 months of didactic learning followed by 12 months of clinical rotations. Established in 2016, the program has become highly competitive, receiving over 1,000 applications to fill just 30 spots in the Class of 2026 cohort.

“We are incredibly proud of our graduating class,” said Rita Dixon, who has served as program director since 2021. “This achievement is a testament to their dedication, perseverance, and hard work. They remained committed to their studies, clinical work, and helping each other succeed, which clearly paid off.”

Twenty-nine students graduated from the program in May 2024, and most of them will remain in South Carolina. More than half have already accepted job offers in various fields, including family medicine, pediatrics, oncology, orthopedics, and cardiothoracic surgery.