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Is the CHA/PA Program accredited?
Yes, the CHA/PA Program has had continuous accreditation from the Accreditation Review Commission for Physician Assistant Programs since 1972.
What is the length of the program and what degree is awarded? The CHA/PA Program is a 3 year program awarding a Master’s of Physician Assistant Studies -Pediatrics and a certificate of completion.
How many candidates are accepted to the program and how competitive is acceptance?
The CHA/PA Program accepts 40 applicants per year. During the 2007-2008 application cycle, we received over 400 applications for 40 positions. We interview 80-110 applicants per year dependent upon the competitiveness of the applicant pool.
Do you interview candidates and what is the format? Interviews take place on campus in the fall semester of each year. The interview consists of 3 individual interviews and a short group interview. There is time during the day to speak with students and tour the campus facilities.
What are the characteristics of an ideal candidate for your program?
Competitive applicants show qualities of intellectual growth, character, maturity, motivation, and emotional stability. Completion of prerequisite coursework, overall grade point averages, science grade points averages, graduate record exam scores in addition to interviews, essays, and letters of recommendation are highly considered in the admissions process.
Can I meet with an advisor at the CHA/PA Program?
We are unable to accomodate request for individual meetings. We are happy to answer your questions promptly via email. Information sessions are offered on campus 3-4 times per year.
How important is an individuals’ GPA in getting an interview and how do I make myself more competitive?
Overall GPA, science GPA, and GRE scores are very important in the selection process for interviews and position within the class. Please see the applicant statistics page for detailed information.
Must I take the Graduate Record Exam? Yes, all applicants are required to take the general GRE exam. MCAT scores may not substitute for GRE scores. An applicant who holds a graduate level degree and took the MCAT previously may recieve a waiver from the 5 year requirement if scores can be documented.
Do I need health care experience to enter this program? No, health care experience is not required as a prerequisite for the program.
If I were accepted into the program, when does it begin and what is the schedule? A required orientation begins the Wednesday after Memorial Day each year. For more information on the curriculum, see the curriculum section of the website. The academic calendar is posted on the website every spring.
Can I attend this program part-time? The CHA/PA program is a full-time program. Please be aware that students may be required to attend early morning, evening, and/or Saturday classes, clinical rotations, or exams. First and second year clinical rotations may be as far as one (1) hour from the Health Sciences Center. Some preceptors require that you take night call with other members of the house staff when performing hospital-based requirements. Some ambulatory rotations may require you to take night call, work until the "day's patients" are completed, make hospital rounds with your preceptor and work Saturdays or Sundays.
Can I work during the program?
Students are discouraged from working while in the program. Special accomodations will not be made for students who choose to work while in the program.
Would I be able to skip parts of the curriculum if I’ve already taken a course? If you have academic and clinical expertise in a particular area, once you are accepted into the program, you may request from the promotions committee to test out of that course. The program is designed as a process which leads to a complete education if taken as a whole. We do not recommend or encourage that you skip any part of the curriculum.
I already have a medical degree from another country. Do I have to complete all of the prerequisites?
All of the prerequisites must be completed as prescribed on the website. All of the science prerequisites must be completed at an accredited college or university in the United States. Foreign transcripts must be evaluated by World Education Services.
Are EMT or nursing credits acceptable for prerequisite credits? EMT and nursing courses may not be acceptable for prerequisite coursework. If courses were taken at an accredited college or university, the credits may be used in the aggregate total for credit hours and GPA calculations.
May I transfer credits from another PA program? Students who wish to transfer from another PA school must go through the application process and are required to begin their studies in the CHA/PA Program at the first year level. Students may be permitted to test out of some courses - this decision is made by the instructor and the CHA/PA Promotions committee. The CHA/PA Program is a general PA program that has a focus on pediatrics that begins in the first year and is integrated into many courses. Students are not encouraged to test out of any of our courses because of this important focus.
How many of your graduates have passed the NCCPA examination? The pass rate of the last 8 years of graduates the first time they take the NCCPA examination is >99%. The second time pass rate is 100%.
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