| Sumario: | Purpose: This study was initiated to address a lack of research in problem-based learning in physician assistant (PA) education. The preliminary findings of the first 3 years of an ongoing 5-year longitudinal study to compare students' academic performance in parallel lecture-based learning (LBL) and problem-based learning (PBL) curricular tracks of a 2-year master's program are reported. Methods: A comprehensive examination was administered to all students enrolled in the LBL and PBL curricular tracks on five occasions: at the beginning of the program to establish baseline knowledge, and then at 5 months, 9 months, 12 months, and 24 months. These scores, along with student performance on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) were analyzed. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the LBL and PBL group scores at any measurement point including on the PANCE (all p's < 0.05). Conclusions: The pattern of students' acquisition of knowledge as measured by standardized tests was similar in both the LBL and PBL curricula.
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