51¸£ÀûÉç

Prerequisite Courses

Anatomy & Physiology I with lab (4 semester credits or 6 quarter credits)
Anatomy & Physiology II with lab (4 semester credits or 6 quarter credits)

*Anatomy and Physiology may be taken as separate courses, provided the total credits received is a minimum of 8 semester credits or 12 quarter credits. 

Biology with lab (8 semester credits or 12 quarter credits)
General Chemistry I with lab (4 semester credits or 6 quarter credits)
General Chemistry II with lab (4 semester credits or 6 quarter credits)
Microbiology with lab (4 semester credits or 6 quarter credits)

Statistics (3 semester credits or 4.5 quarter credits)
Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry with lab (4 semester credits or 6 quarter credits)

Applicants may apply with no more than TWO outstanding prerequisite courses. All prerequisite courses must be passed with a grade of "C" or better and be completed prior to matriculation.

We strongly recommend that coursework be recent, at least within the last 10 years.

Academic Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• Overall GPA ≥ 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Overall science GPA ≥ 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

Work Requirements

• Patient care experience is not required.

International Student Requirements

All applicants who were born outside of the United States and who did not graduate from a United States high school must submit internet-based TOEFL (iBT) scores with their application.  There are no exceptions to this requirement, including having attained upper-level education in the United States.  A minimum total score of 100 (with at least 25 in each section) is required. The Educational Testing Service (ETS) code for submitting your score to CASPA is C981.

Due to the hybrid structure of the program, international applicants are responsible for confirming visa eligibility and requirements. Applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with an immigration attorney or qualified advisor prior to applying.

• April – CASPA application cycle opens
• June – Faculty review of applications begin on a rolling basis in the order they are received.
• August – Virtual interviews are scheduled biweekly starting in mid-August and continue until the incoming cohort is full

September – Deadline for application submission is September 1

Our program’s mission is to increase access to PA education while advancing our goals of matriculating a diverse student body and addressing the primary care workforce shortage.

As part of a holistic admissions process, applicants are evaluated using a structured, multi-domain review that includes academic readiness, professional readiness, mission alignment, narrative and professional identity, and external validation. Initial application review for interview selection is based on academic and professional readiness. Additional domains are evaluated after interview.

All applicants are evaluated using standardized criteria to ensure consistency and fairness in the admissions process. Applicants demonstrating strength across multiple indicators and domains are generally more competitive for admission. No single attribute or experience guarantees admission or exclusion from consideration.

The program gives preference, consistent with its mission, to applicants who demonstrate alignment with mission-based characteristics. These preference factors below are considered in conjunction with other domains and are not used as the sole criteria for selection:

Academic readiness is evaluated using indicators such as:

• Strong overall GPA
• Strong overall science GPA
• Strong academic performance over the last 60 credit hours
• Degree in science or healthcare fields
• Complete or in-progress graduate degree
• Academic success while balancing significant external commitments (e.g., full-time employment, collegiate athletics)
• Completion of prior online degree programs, including undergraduate and graduate degrees
• Evidence of prior academic rigor (e.g., demanding course loads)

Professional readiness is evaluated using indicators such as:

• Direct patient care experience showing responsibility, initiative, or integration into a care team
• Healthcare experience not involving direct patient care
• Maintenance of professional licensure
• Leadership roles
• PA Shadowing experience
• Demonstrated understanding of the physician assistant role
• Career progression demonstrating increasing responsibility, leadership, or advancement

Mission alignment is evaluated using indicators such as:

• Residence in regions designated by the HRSA as medically underserved areas (MUAs) or Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs)
• Backgrounds from rural communities
• First-generation college student status
• Bilingual or multilingual abilities
• Demonstrated interest in primary care
• Extensive community service or community engagement
• U.S. military veteran status (excluding dishonorable discharge)

Narrative, professional identity, and external validation are evaluated using indicators such as:

• Written communication skills
• Strong motivation to become a physician assistant
• Evidence of resilience or ability to overcome significant adversity
• Quality and substance of letters of recommendation
• Scholarly activity, such as authorship of peer-reviewed publications

All candidates and graduates must possess and demonstrate throughout the program the necessary technical standards that establish the essential qualities required to achieve the level of competency to complete this program.

Observation and Sensation

• Candidates and graduates must possess sufficient visual, auditory, and tactile sensation to participate in the classroom, laboratory, and other educational or clinical settings.
• Must be able to receive verbal and nonverbal communications from patients and others, and to perform a complete patient physical exam. 

Communication

• Candidates and graduates must be able to speak, hear, and observe patients, family members, and other clinicians.
• Communicate clearly and effectively through oral and written communication.
• Candidates and graduates must have the ability to receive and process communication from the healthcare team to respond in a timely manner and make appropriate decisions.
• Candidates and graduates must possess the skills to communicate attentively and sensitively to others while honoring the HIPAA policy. 

Motor Skills

• Candidates and graduates must have sufficient strength, coordination, dexterity, and equilibrium to perform the activities required of a physician assistant, including performing a physical examination utilizing diagnostic instruments and techniques required in auscultation, palpation, percussion, and diagnostic maneuvers.
• Must be able to manipulate medical equipment for basic laboratory tests and procedures such as airway management, suturing, needle placement & IV, stethoscope & ophthalmoscope, tongue blades, gynecologic speculum and scalpel.
• Candidates and graduates must have the physical stamina to sit, stand, and move within classroom, laboratory, examination rooms, treatment rooms, and operating rooms for long periods of time. 

Intellectual Ability

• Candidates and graduates must possess clinical problem solving and reasoning skills to think critically with sound judgment, emotional stability, maturity, and empathy.
• Candidates and graduates must be able to accurately collect, measure, organize, prioritize, calculate, reason, analyze and integrate data to make decisions in a timely manner.
• Must be able to comprehend the medical literature to use this knowledge in problem solving and patient care.
• Must be able to interpret diagnostic testing and treatment regimens.
  
  

Behavior

• Candidates and graduates must be able to establish and maintain appropriate professional relationships.
• Must work cooperatively with other members of the health care team.
• Must be able to prioritize competing demands and exercise good clinical judgment.
• Must be able to respond to emergencies in a calm and reasonable manner and handle physical, mental, and emotional stress while functioning effectively.
• Must be able to develop rapport with patients and their families as well as their colleagues.
• Must be able to demonstrate compassion, empathy, motivation, integrity, and flexibility while interacting with a diverse population.
• Must be able to accept criticism and modify behavior and practice as needed.
• Candidates and graduates must understand and apply ethical standards and responsibility in their daily practice.

Candidates and graduates must demonstrate emotional stability to deliver the appropriate patient care in all settings.