PA applicant U.S. citizenship status and likelihood of program matriculation

Abstract

Background: Barriers to matriculation into Physician Assistant (PA) programs and entry into the PA profession have disproportionate impact on historically marginalized groups. This study evaluates if U.S. citizenship status is associated with likelihood of matriculation in PA Programs. Methods: Data from five Centralized Applicant Services for Physician Assistants (CASPA) admissions cycles (2012-2021) was evaluated cross-sectionally for the primary outcome of binary matriculation status (yes/no). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was utilized to investigate associations between self-identified U.S. citizenship status and likelihood of PA program matriculation. Models controlled for important potential confounders, including age, gender, race/ethnicity, non-native English speaker, patient care experience hours, total undergraduate grade point average (GPA), and number of applications submitted to various programs. Results: Non-U.S. citizen status was statistically associated with persistent lower likelihood of PA program matriculation compared to U.S. citizenship. Odds of matriculation were 41% [OR 0.59 (95% CI: 0.51, 0.68; p