Physician Assistant Studies, MS

Physician Assistant Studies Program: Admission Requirements

Admission to the PA program is competitive, and student selection is based on a number of factors. These factors include overall strength of academic performance, type and quality of prior health care experience, prior experience working with or shadowing PAs and interpersonal communication skills . The pro­gram is rigorous, and academic preparedness will be assessed based on indicators such as general and science course grade point average (GPA), prerequisite course work GPA, course work completed prior to application, and performance on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

Requirements for admission into the PA program include the following:

•  A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university prior to matriculation into the program.

•  A minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required for both the total GPA and science GPA . A GPA greater than 3 .3 for total and science is considered competitive.

•  GRE scores taken within five years prior to application submission. A minimal combined verbal and quantitative score of 1,000, or 302 in the new scoring system, is required for interview and admission consideration . A combined score of 1,200 and above, or 309 in the new scoring system, is considered very competitive.

•  Original copies of GRE scores must be sent directly to Rush University. The PA program GRE code is 0962.

•  Documented hands-on, direct patient contact experience in a health care setting. Experience working with or shadow­ing PAs is required . A minimum of 1,000 hours direct patient contact experience is required at the time of application submission. Having 2,500 hours and above is considered competitive.

•  A completed application submitted to the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA).

•  A supplemental application and $40 fee is required only if applicants are invited to interview at the program.  Information regarding this will be provided with an interview invitation.

•  An on-campus interview with members of the PA program faculty and admissions committee.

•  All applicants must meet the minimum requirements to perform the essential functions of a PA . See the Technical Standards section below for more information.

•  Admission is contingent upon successful completion of a health assessment, criminal background check and drug screening prior to matriculation. Information regarding this requirement is discussed during interviews.

•  Applicants with course work or a bachelor’s degree conferred outside of the United States must submit a course equiva­lence evaluation by either World Education Services (WES) or Education Credentials Evaluators (ECE).

•  TOEFL scores, if English is not the applicant’s native language.

•  The PA program admits students into the class on a rolling admission basis. This means that at each interview session, offers are made to fill seats in the class. Under a rolling admissions process, it is possible to fill all the seats in the class before interviews are done. It is to the applicant’s advantage to submit all application materials as early as possible.

•  Due to the competitive nature of the application process, meeting posted admission criteria to the program does not guarantee an interview offer for the program.

•  Attendance in the program is on a full-time basis only. Students entering the PA program must complete the cur­riculum in its entirety. No advanced standing or transfer credits will be awarded, regardless of previous professional or academic experience.

• Applications must be submitted online via CASPA . The CASPA application has the following requirements:

-  Submission of official transcripts for all college course work completed

-  Three letters of recommendation (it is preferred that at least one of the letters be from a PA, physician or other health care provider familiar with the PA profession)

-  Personal statement

-  Payment of an application fee as outlined by CASPA

For inquiries related to the admissions process, contact CASPA directly.

For questions about the Rush University Physician Assistant Studies Program, call (312) 563-3234 or email pa_admissions@rush.edu. 

Physician Assistant Studies Program: Required Prerequisites

The following courses must be completed prior to matriculation into the program . Advanced placement or CLEP courses are not accepted towards meeting prerequisite course requirements.

Candidates must have at least four of the required courses completed at the time of application submission.

Course grades of C or better are mandatory for all prerequisite courses. Courses with grades of B or better are considered competitive for admission consideration.

It is strongly recommended that all courses be taken within seven years prior to application to the program. 

The following prerequisite courses MUST BE taken within the past seven years prior to application to the program:

•  Human anatomy

•  Human physiology

•  Biochemistry

•  Microbiology

Physician Assistant Studies Program: Technical Standards

The following essential functions are required of all students enrolled in the Physician Assistant Studies Program. 

Physician assistants (PAs) are responsible for the care of patients, some of who may be critically ill . PAs must be able to perform highly technical procedures and manage patients using complex medical equipment and devices. PAs must also be able to effectively and efficiently communicate with physicians and other health care professionals, as well as patients and their family members. 

Therefore, in order to perform these tasks and be successful in the PA Studies Program, all students should have the capacity to perform, or learn to perform, all of the following functions:

1 . Effectively maneuver between examination rooms, office areas, clinic areas, hospital patient rooms, operating rooms, special procedure suites and various other clinical areas in the hospital, clinic and physician’s office setting as required for proper patient care.

2 . Move and position patients, and perform potentially physi­cally demanding tasks, including cardiopulmonary resuscita­tion, as required in the clinical setting.

3. Communicate effectively with patients, family, physicians and other health care workers in oral and written formats, and through the use of electronic medical records and email.

4. Assess and interpret information conveyed through diagnos­tic equipment and normal levels of speech from patients and staff, and respond to alarms.

5 . Accurately measure medications, read patient records, evalu­ate information displayed on patient monitors, and make observations of a patient’s condition.

6. Manipulate equipment as needed to perform fine motor tasks, examination techniques and technical procedures as appropriate for the patient population and clinical setting.

7. Apply sufficient intellectual and emotional skills to plan and exercise independent judgment, perform patient assessment, problem solve, and respond quickly and appropriately to medical emergencies.

The program reserves the right to require applicants or students to demonstrate any of these essential functions as part of the technical standards for the program.

                                         Minimum Semester               Minimum Quarter            
Professional Prerequisites       Credit Hours                          Credit Hours

Human anatomy                             3                                        4

Human physiology                           3                                        4

OR a two-course sequence combined           

                                                     5 Combined                          7 Combined

                                                      human anatomy and physiology course

Biochemistry                                    3                                         4

Microbiology (with lab preferred but not required)   

                                                       3                                          4            

Psychology or equivalent behavioral sciences course work      

                                                        3                                          4

Statistics                                           3                                          4

Total Minimum Credit Hours               18 and above                        28 and above       

Physician Assistant Studies Program: Curriculum