Master of Science in Health Sciences - Physician Assistant Studies
Application Requirements

How to apply to the Physician Assistant Studies program

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) participates in the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). You may obtain additional information about CASPA and apply online at CASPA. CASPA applications became available for 2019-2020 enrollment on April 25, 2019. All applications must be e-submitted, completed and verified by CASPA no later than December 1, 2019 for both PCOM and PCOM Georgia (separate application per campus). When applying to PCOM through CASPA, you will be required to complete PCOM specific questions before submitting.

All required application materials, including the $75 PCOM application fee (one fee per campus) must be received by the Office of Admissions no later than December 16, 2019 for both PCOM and PCOM Georgia in order to be considered for admission. Note that the application fee can only be paid online through the link sent via email at receipt of a verified and completed CASPA application.

The Faculty Committee on Admissions recommends you submit a completed and verified CASPA application, which includes a PCOM specific question series, as soon as possible as we operate using a rolling admissions process.

What does the committee assess when reviewing an application?

Completed and verified CASPA applications and supporting documents will be reviewed and individuals will be selected for an on-campus interview by the Faculty Committee on Admissions. Interviews will be offered to those who qualify compared against the applicant pool and successful completion of the following factors:

• Baccalaureate degree
• Prerequisite coursework
• Grade Point Averages (GPAs)
• Letters of recommendation
• Standardized test score (TOEFL)
• Healthcare experience
• Other considerations

Is there an interview requirement?

Yes, an interview is required for admissions to the program and is typically conducted from September through February although interviews may be conducted before or after this time frame. Applicants can receive an email inviting them to interview at any point between September through February.

Selection for the PA Studies program at PCOM is very competitive. The requirements represent the minimum criteria for consideration for admission. Successful applicants will generally exceed the minimum criteria.

When will I be notified of a decision?

A candidate can be selected for an interview at any time throughout the review process as deemed competitive by the Faculty Committee on Admissions. An email will be sent to all applicants not selected for an interview after the last interview session in February.

All applicants must complete 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 prior to matriculation. The program will accept courses completed online or on campus.

Where do I send my transcripts?

Applicants must send official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended directly to CASPA. Once enrolled at PCOM, candidates must submit official copies of all college transcripts directly to the PCOM Office of Admissions.

Where do I send my letters of recommendation?

Applicants must also submit three letters of recommendation directly to CASPA. Others may be sent as a PDF document to PCOM's Office of Admissions at recommend@pcom.edu. One recommendation MUST be from a Physician, Physician Assistant, or Nurse Practitioner in order to be considered for admission.

Are standardized test scores required for the PA Studies program?

No, standardized test scores are not required for admission with the exception of 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 examination. The minimum required score for the IBT (Internet Based Testing) is 79, with a minimum score of 26 for the speaking component.

Applicants are exempt from the TOEFL requirement if:

• English was the exclusive language of instruction at the undergraduate level,
• They have earned a degree from a regionally accredited US college or university not more than 5 years prior to the anticipated semester of enrollment, or
• They have completed at least two (2) full-time semesters of graded coursework, exclusive of ESL courses, at an institution where English is the exclusive language of instruction not more than five (5) years prior to the anticipated semester of enrollment.

* "General" coursework denotes the first two courses in the subject sequence for science majors.

Prerequisite requirements

• All prerequisite coursework listed above must be completed prior to enrollment with a grade of at least a "C" or 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• All science and math prerequisites must be completed within 10 years prior to June enrollment. (e.g., June 2010 or later)
• Applicants must obtain an undergraduate science and cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or higher on a 4.0 scale (as calculated by CASPA).
• One course cannot be used to satisfy multiple prerequisite courses.
• AP coursework will be accepted provided the course and credits appear on your college transcript.
• All courses must be completed at a regionally accredited institution.
• The Program will accept credits completed at a community college.
• The Program will accept courses completed online or on campus.
• The Program will not accept prerequisite coursework completed as an audit or graded pass/fail.
• The Program will not accept credits completed as CLEP courses.
• At the time of application, candidates must have the prerequisite coursework completed or be able to provide a plan in writing that demonstrates the completion of the prerequisites prior to enrollment in the program (this can be achieved by completing the "Planned or In Progress Coursework" section of CASPA). Two science/math prerequisite courses may be "Planned or In Progress" at the time of application.

How many direct patient contact hours are required to apply?

To be considered for an interview for the PA Studies program, applicants must have a minimum of 200 hours of direct patient contact experience in volunteerism or employment in the healthcare industry, as documented through CASPA at the time of application. Candidates complete the requirement in a variety of ways, some of which include: working as a certified nursing assistant, phlebotomist, LPN, EMT, paramedic, scribe, medical translator, etc.

Many have experienced medicine overseas as volunteers in clinics. Any volunteer work or paid work in a clinical setting wherein candidates are either providing hands-on care or witnessing care first hand can be acceptable, depending on the nature of the role. Health care shadowing experiences are counted and highly recommended.

Applicants with graduate degrees and/or five years of healthcare experience and/or other unique circumstances or qualifications may be considered, on an individual basis, for waiver of selected published requirements.  However, all Physician Assistant Studies candidates must have earned a baccalaureate degree prior to enrollment, excluding dual-degree candidates. Waiving of any criteria can only be assessed during the formal application review by the Faculty Committee on Admissions. Staff members of the Office of Admissions may not waive application requirements.

Background check requirement

To ensure that students accepted to PCOM will be permitted to perform preceptorships during their second year of study, and thus ensure them the opportunity to successfully complete their MS degree requirements, PCOM requires all first year PA students to complete a criminal background check prior to matriculation. All students must have their criminal background checks processed through a PCOM chosen vendor.   The Admissions Office will send notification of the process after confirmation of enrollment and must have this information on file prior to orientation. Students will not be permitted to start classes without a criminal background check received and approved by the Office of Admissions.

Candidates interviewed are evaluated based on multiple factors including:

• Academic ability
• Scholarly accomplishments
• Problem solving ability
• Decision making skills
• Maturity
• Potential for professional comportment
• Level of commitment to the profession
• Personal preparedness
• Congruence with program philosophy and mission

The Admissions Committee reserves the right to accept or reject applications to the chosen program based on merit.

Following completion of the admissions process, applicants will be notified of the Admissions Committee's decision in writing, including any conditions that must be satisfied prior to or following enrollment. Once admitted, candidates who wish to enroll are asked to review and acknowledge PCOM's Technical Standards for Admission and Matriculation (PDF) and submit a $500 non-refundable tuition prepayment online. The acceptance packet will contain all materials required for enrollment.  Applicants may be placed on the wait list after completion of the interview process.  Typically, candidates are selected as seats become available from February until classes begin in June. After all expected candidates arrive for orientation in June, those not selected will be sent a final decision letter by mail.

The Physician Assistant Studies 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. 

It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to determine that he/she will meet the eligibility requirements for national certification and state licensing. It is also the applicant’s sole responsibility to determine whether any particular country will allow the practice of the profession for which a PCOM degree is received and licensing in the United States is obtained.

Please note the data below represents the ranges of the Class of 2021 for the Philadelphia and Georgia campuses and by no means predicts one's success as a Physician Assistant candidate or student. Each application is reviewed and evaluated in a holistic manner by the Faculty Committee on Admissions.

PCOM

• 44 Female, 11 Male
• 35 percent of the class reports their ethnicity to be Asian, Black (Non-Hispanic), Chinese, Cuban, Filipino, Other Hispanic, Pakistani, Puerto Rican and South American.
• Average age of the incoming class: 24 (22-36)
• States represented:  CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, MA, MD, MI, NC, NJ, MY, PA, RI, VA
• Total CASPA verified applications: 2037
• Total matriculants: 60
• Average undergraduate cumulative GPA for PCOM's Physician Assistant Studies program as calculated by CASPA: 3.68 (Middle 50% Range 3.55 – 3.88)
• Average undergraduate science GPA as calculated by CASPA: 3.65 (Middle 50% Range 3.49 – 3.88)

PCOM Georgia

• 28 Female, 4 Male
• 25 percent of the class reports their ethnicity to be Asian, Black (Non-Hispanic), Japanese, Pakistani, and Vietnamese.
• Average age of the incoming class: 25 (23-33)
• States represented: AL, AZ, DE, FL, GA, LA, MD, ME, MS, NC, PA, SC, TX, UT, VA
• Total CASPA verified applications: 1055
• Total matriculants: 32
• Average undergraduate cumulative GPA for PCOM Georgia’s Physician Assistant Studies program as calculated by CASPA: 3.68 (Middle 50% Range 3.58 – 3.76)
• Average undergraduate science GPA as calculated by CASPA: 3.61 (Middle 50% Range 3.47 – 3.82)

View more Physician Assistant Studies (MS) program data.

For questions regarding submission of the CASPA application and GPA calculation, contact CASPA directly at caspainfo@caspaonline.org or 617-612-2080.

Should you have any questions related to the Physician Assistant Studies program or admissions process, please contact the respective Office of Admissions via email at:

• Philadelphia: admissions@pcom.edu
• Georgia: gaadmissions@pcom.edu

View frequently asked questions about PCOM and PCOM Georgia's PA Studies program.

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