Finding Mission-Driven Physician Assistant Applicants at Florida State University
The Physician Assistant program at Florida State University prepares students to deliver patient-centred care in community settings across Florida, with a strong focus on elder, rural, minority, and medically underserved populations. That mission shapes every part of the program, including how students are selected. With roughly 22 applicants per available seat, admissions teams needed a reliable way to identify applicants who met academic standards and demonstrated professionalism, ethical judgment, and a commitment to serving communities in need.
Challenge
Finding committed, professional candidates for community-based care amid large, competitive applicant pools.
Solution
Casper | Admissions Assessment
Results
More confident interview decisions, stronger alignment with program mission, and improved admissions efficiency
PROGRAM TYPE
Physician Assistant Education
PROGRAM SIZE
60 matriculants per cohort
REGION
North America – USA
Challenge
Prior to implementing One45 Analytics, Weill Cornell Medicine faced significant data Traditional admissions tools made it difficult to consistently identify applicants who aligned with the program’s mission.
GPA and GRE scores provided insight into academic readiness, but offered little visibility into applicants’ interpersonal skills or professional behaviour. Personal statements and reference letters added limited value and often failed to reflect how candidates would act in real-world clinical situations.
Admissions teams faced several challenges:
- Interviewing applicants who met academic thresholds but lacked key professional traits
- Spending significant time addressing behavioural concerns after admission
- Navigating demographic differences in standardized test scores while striving to build a well-rounded, mission-aligned cohort
The program needed an admissions approach that supported fairness, reduced reliance on subjective tools, and helped ensure time was spent interviewing the right candidates.
Solution
FSU’s Physician Assistant program integrated the Casper situational judgment test into its admissions process to better assess non-academic skills at scale, allowing them to:
Assess Professionalism and Judgment Early
- Uses realistic, profession-relevant scenarios to evaluate ethical reasoning, communication, and professionalism.
- Provides insight into applicant readiness before interviews take place.
Support Mission-Aligned Selection
- Reviews Casper scores alongside GPA and indicators tied to service in medically underserved communities.
- Balances academic performance with commitment to the program’s mission.
Streamline Interview Decisions
- Introduced a Casper cut-off score after identifying strong alignment with MMI performance.
- Focuses interview time and resources on applicants most likely to succeed.
Promote Fairness Across Applicant Groups
- Observed smaller demographic score differences compared to the GRE.
- Supports the program’s goal of recruiting students from underserved backgrounds.
Results
Since adopting Casper, the PA program at FSU has strengthened both efficiency and outcomes in admissions.
The program reports:
- A strong correlation between Casper scores and MMI performance
- Greater confidence in interview and admissions decisions
- Reduced time spent addressing problematic behaviour after admission
- Positive feedback from community healthcare partners on student professionalism
Casper now plays a central role in helping the program identify applicants who are academically capable and prepared for the realities of community-based care.