Admission Requirements
Applicants to the ݮƵ Physician Assistant Program must meet the following requirements and pre-requisites:
- Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a United States Department of Education (USDOE) recognized and accredited institution.
- Pre-requisite course requirements - minimum of 2.0/grade of “C” for each individual pre-requisite course grade BUT a 3.0 CUMULATIVE GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for ALL pre-requisite coursework.
- Applicants are strongly encouraged to have completed all prerequisite courses by December of the year of application however, the program will permit one (1) pre-requisite course “in process” during the spring semester preceding the June program start date.
- GRE test scores submitted with CASPA application. The school code number is 0937. Analytical writing is not required but highly recommended.
- Complete CASPer™ test and ensure ݮƵ is selected to receive results.
- Applicants must meet the Technical Standards of the Program.
- All applications will be reviewed by the Admissions Coordinator for accuracy and completeness with a preliminary score awarded. Any students meeting the program benchmark will then be forwarded on to the Admissions Committee for further review and potential interview. Those applications not meeting the program benchmark on initial review may not move on in the application process and will be informed by the Admissions Coordinator of this designation.
Additional Admission Evaluation Criteria – not required but beneficial
- Applicant’s commitment to providing care in Ohio and/or the Appalachian region.
- Applicant’s healthcare hours (paid and/or voluntary).
- Demonstrate work ethic, leadership, and extracurricular components by detailing exposure to and/or work within a health care system (paid or unpaid) as well as other outside employment, research, and/or volunteer or community outreach enrichment, Veteran status, or Master’s degree you have obtained.
- Applicants from ݮƵ receive preference in the admission process for our Physician Assistant (PA) program.
Pre-requisite Course Requirements
| Pre-requisite Course | Semester Credit Hour Requirements | MC Course Equivalents |
|---|---|---|
| Upper-Level Human or Mammalian Biology* | 3 hours | BIOL 309, 310, 330, 340, 401, 430 |
| General Chemistry I with Lab* | 4 hours | CHEM 131 & 133 |
| General Chemistry II with Lab* | 4 hours | CHEM 132 & 134 |
| Organic Chemistry with Lab* | 4 hours | CHEM 301/302 303/305 |
| Microbiology with Lab* | 3 hours | BIOL 202 |
| Human Anatomy with Lab* | 3 hours | BIOL 212 |
| Human Physiology* | 3 hours | BIOL 203 |
| General Psychology* | 3 hours | PSYC 101 |
| Upper-Level Psychology w/emphasis on abnormal and/or developmental psychology* | 3 hours | PSYC 206, 207, 350, 375 |
| Statistics* | 3 hours | MATH 223, 257; PSYC 285** |
| *Or comparable course as determined by the Admissions Committee. The following courses are not required pre-requisites but are excellent additional classes to strengthen an application: genetics, immunology, virology, biochemistry, histology, pathophysiology, toxicology | ||
**Upper Bio/Mammalian course needs to be 300/3000 level or above
***Beginning with the 2020 - 2021 admission cycle, MATH 123 will no longer be an accepted course
Note:
- To check for course equivalency, view our course catalogs for descriptions of ݮƵ courses.
- Combined Human Anatomy & Physiology courses, must be a minimum of six (6) semester hours and must be obtained in a one (1) year sequential course.
- Quarter hour system prerequisite courses must equal the listed semester hour requirements. To calculate semester credit hours, multiply the number of quarter hours of credit by 0.67.
- All prerequisite courses must have been completed within the past ten (10) years prior to application.
- Advance placement (AP) courses (limit two (2) courses) will be accepted for pre-requisite requirements, but will not be calculated into the pre-requisite GPA.
- Online or virtual laboratory courses in the natural sciences will not be accepted to fulfill prerequisite requirements. However, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, online labs completed during Spring 2020 through Spring 2021 will be accepted.
- Regarding retaken course(s), both the original and retaken grades will be included in the GPA calculation. A note of the better grade will be indicated.
COVID-19 Concessions
The program strongly encourages course grades for all pre-requisites; however, in response to COVID-19, the program will accept two (2) “pass” grades for pre-requisites taken during the spring 2020 and summer 2020 semesters. On-line labs completed during Spring 2020 through Spring 2021 will be accepted.
Progression Requirements
Grade and GPA Requirements
Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and earn at least a C grade in all didactic and clinical courses. Students may earn no more than four total C grades. A course grade below C results in dismissal.
Time Limits for Program Completion
The curriculum is designed as a full time 26 month program. Students are expected to complete all program requirements within a maximum of 40 months from matriculation, including any approved leave of absence or deceleration.
Remediation
Students who do not meet a minimum passing standard in an assessment or required examination may be assigned remediation by the course director or program. Remediation may include directed study, additional assignments, skills practice, and/or re-examination. Successful remediation is required for progression; inability to remediate successfully may result in referral for adverse action, including delayed graduation or dismissal.
Deceleration
Deceleration is movement from the entering cohort to a subsequent cohort. In the didactic phase, deceleration requires re-enrollment with the subsequent cohort and repeating the didactic curriculum as required by the program. The program does not offer clinical phase deceleration; if a student leaves during the clinical phase, the program will determine an individualized plan for completion of remaining clinical requirements based on site availability.
Withdrawal
Students who withdraw may do so as a complete withdrawal from the program or as an approved withdrawal intended to re-enroll with a subsequent cohort (See Deceleration). Program withdrawal procedures include completion of the College leave of absence or withdrawal form and required program notifications. Withdrawal and return is subject to program approval and applicable deadlines.
Dismissal
Students may be dismissed for failure to meet academic, clinical, or professional standards. A course grade below C results in dismissal. Earning a fifth total C grade results in dismissal.