SELECTION CRITERIA FOR PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDIES

Students in the Physician Assistant Program will be selected from candidates submitting complete applications with all required supporting material to the Office of Admissions (for BS/MS Program) or through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA for MS Program). A variety of criteria are used by the Physician Assistant Admissions Committee in making admission decisions. These can include:

• Academic experience

a) previous college: cumulative grades and science course grades. The average applicant accepted for admission into the PA Program has had a combined undergraduate cumulative grade point average (GPA) above 3.3. Applicants with combined undergraduate GPAs of lower than 3.0 may not be screened for an interview.

b) (Freshmen admission applicants only) high school: cumulative grades and science course grades& college entrance exam scores - SAT or  ACT.

c) MS Graduate Program applicant - GRE

e) academic patterns such as most recent academic performance, credit load, withdrawals, and incomplete courses.

• Health care or human service experience with consideration to type and duration. This can include both paid and volunteer experience.
• A personal essay which examines written communication skills, knowledge of the PA profession, and motivation for the profession.
• Three (3) letters of reference that examine the applicant’s abilities, communication skills, motivation, interpersonal skills, and emotional maturity.
• The amount of prerequisite coursework the applicant has left to complete along with the applicant’s plan for completion of these courses.
• A personal interview. The most qualified applicants from the general applicant pool are invited to the University to meet with faculty members and PA students. This interview attempts to ascertain an applicant’s knowledge of the profession, motivation for pursuing a PA career, interpersonal and oral communication skills, compassion, problem-solving abilities, preparation for the educational experience, and dedication to serving the underserved. Freshman admission applicants are generally interviewed by telephone.
• The backgrounds and experiences of our applicants. The members of the Admissions Committee believe that enrollment of students with diverse cultural, geographic, academic, and occupational backgrounds enriches the learning experience and helps in sensitizing PA students to unique characteristics of diverse patient populations they will work with as health care providers.
• International Students must submit TOEFL test scores. A minimum score of 213 (on the computer-based test) is required.
  

Philadelphia University is an Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Institution.

EMAIL MICHAEL RACKOVER PROGRAM DIRECTOR >>

QUICK LINKS:

	ARC-PA
	CASPA Online Application
	American Academy of Physician Assistants
	Pennsylvania Society Of Physician Assistants
	PA History Web Site
	Gutman Library FAQ for PA Students
	Graduate Financial Aid

Tel: 215.951.2908 
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