PCOM's Physician Assistant program is designed to prepare the student for comprehensive practice in a variety of clinical settings following completion of the second year of the program. The goals and objectives of our program are guided by the criteria set forth by the Standards and Guidelines for an Accredited Education Program for the Physician Assistant. The program has received full accreditation from the Commission and our graduates are eligible to sit for the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) examination for national certification and regional, local and national licensure. 

PCOM  participates in the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). You may obtain additional information about CASPA or apply online at www.caspaonline.org. The deadline to submit a completed application through CASPA is December 1st, 2008.

Applications must be complete in order for an applicant to be considered for an interview. It is the responsibility of each applicant to meet the requirements listed below. Selection for the PA program at PCOM is very competitive. The following requirements represent the minimum criteria for consideration for admission. Successful applicants will generally exceed the minimum criteria. At the time of application, candidates must have the pre-requisites completed or be able to provide a plan in writing that demonstrates the completion of the pre-requisites prior to enrollment in the program. All science and math prerequisites must have been completed within the last 10 years. Applicants with graduate degrees and/or over five years of health care experience may be considered on an individual basis. 

REQUIREMENTS
Applications will be reviewed by the Department of Physician Assistant Studies when the CASPA profile and supporting credentials are received in PCOM's Office of Admissions.  It is the responsibility of each applicant to meet the following minimum requirements by the start of classes in June.

SCIENCE and MATH	CREDIT HOURS	NOTES
Biology I	4	With a lab
Biology II	4	With a lab
Other Biology Coursework	3
Anatomy and Physiology	8	Can be taken as separate courses or combined as Anatomy and Physiology I & II
General Chemistry I	4	With a lab
General Chemistry II	4	With a lab
Other Chemistry Coursework	3	examples: Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry
Health related Science Course or Physics	3	examples: Physics, Nutrition, Immunology, Virology, etc.
Social Sciences	9	examples: Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, etc.
Math	6	Statistics is an acceptable Math course

• Have completed all the above prerequisite coursework with a grade of at least a "C" or 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Have obtained a cumulative grade point average of 2.80 or higher on a 4.0 scale (as calculated by CASPA) for all undergraduate coursework completed.
• Have a documented 200 hours of direct  patient contact experience in volunteerism or employment in the health care industry.
• Completed a baccalaureate degree preferably in science or a health-related field, from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom.
• Submit three letters of recommendation, one from a Physician, Physician Assistant,  or Nurse Practitioner.
• Applicants with graduate degrees and/or five years of health care experience and/or other unique circumstances or qualifications may be considered on an individual basis for waiver of selected published requirements.  However, all candidates must have earned a bachelors degree prior to enrollment. Waiving of any criteria can only be assessed during the formal application review.
• Standardized test scores are not required for admission with the following exception for English language testing.  Fluency in written and spoken English is essential for success in the program and to ensure patient safety.  Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate objective competency in English within the past two years by satisfactory performance on the TOEFL and TSE examinations.  The minimum required score for the IBT (Internet Based Testing) is 79 and a minimum score of 26 is required for the speaking component.
• Applications are not accepted from individuals not eligible to be licensed as a Physician Assistant under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

CRITERIA
Selection for the professional phase of the Physician Assistant program is very competitive.  The requirements listed above represent the minimum criteria for consideration for admission.  Successful applicants will generally exceed the minimum requirements.

APPLICATION PROCESS
The PA program at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine participates in the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA).  CASPA is a web-based application service that allows you to apply on-line. 

Click here to access the CASPA website.  You may apply on-line or you may request a paper application from CASPA.  In either case, all applications must be submitted to CASPA no later than December 1st, 2008 along with the required processing fee.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early.  The PA program utilizes a system of rolling admission, therefore early applicants have the greatest chance of successful admission. Interviews are conducted weekly from September to March for those who are selected.
 
Send official transcript from all colleges and universities attended directly to CASPA. Once enrolled, a candidate must submit official copies of all college transcripts directly to PCOM Office of Admissions.

Three letters of recommendation should be sent to CASPA directly from the recommenders.  The letters will be reproduced and forwarded directly to PCOM. Additional letters of recommendation can be forwarded to the Office of Admissions at PCOM, attention Kari Szentesy, Assistant Director of Admissions.

When all credentials are on file with CASPA, they will be verified, processed and sent to PCOM. No additional information is required.  There is no supplemental application or fee to apply to PCOM's PA Studies program.

For questions regarding the CASPA application, assistance is available by emailing caspainfo@caspaonline.org or by calling (617) 612-2080.

Once admitted, candidates who wish to enroll are asked to review and acknowledge PCOM's Technical Standards for Admission and Matriculation along with a $500
non-refundable deposit. 

POLICY ON ADVANCED STANDING, TRANSFER OF CREDIT and EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING.

The Physician Assistant program does not offer advanced placement based upon transfer of credits for academic work completed at other institutions of higher learning or upon credit from experiential learning.  Applications are not accepted from graduates of medical schools.

Should you have any questions, please contact us via email at PAadmissions@pcom.edu or call 215-871-6700.

PCOM Admissions Office
4170 City Avenue, Evans Hall
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19131
Telephone: (215) 871-6700
Fax: (215) 871-6719