Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences—Department of Physician Assistant 415 Department of Physician Assistant Overview Physician assistants (PAs) serve as essential components of a medical system that continues to struggle to provide quality, affordable health care for all Americans. Their roles in the system will continue to grow as changes in health care indicate. Today, more than 168,000 individuals are in practice as PAs in the United States. PAs provide care that would otherwise be provided by physicians. PAs take medical histories, perform physical examinations, order and interpret tests, diagnose and treat illnesses, perform medical/surgical procedures, assist in surgery, and can write prescriptions in all states. PAs work in most medical specialties and in all types of communities. Many PAs practice family and internal medicine, and more than one-third are in towns with fewer than 50,000 residents. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of PAs employed in the United States is expected to grow 38.4 percent from 2021 to 2031. It is the obligation of each physician/PA team to ensure that the PA’s scope of practice is identified; that delegation of medical tasks is appropriate to the PA’s level of competence; that the relationship with, and access to, the supervisory physician is defined; and that a process of performance evaluation is established. Adequate responsible supervision of the PA contributes to both high-quality patient care and professional growth. Admissions Requirements Prospective students are selected on a rolling admissions basis. The Committee on Admissions (COA) considers the overall qualities of the applicant. Areas of consideration include interpersonal skills, personal motivation, knowledge and understanding of the PA profession, academic performance and level of achievement, life experiences, quality and length of prior health care experience, and recommendations/evaluations. Personal interviews are offered to the most qualified applicants to assess interpersonal and communication skills, maturity, integrity, altruistic attitude, and commitment to a PA career. 1. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a minimum science GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 grading scale at the time of application. Successful applicants in the past have typically had both cumulative and science GPAs of 3.4 or higher, GRE score (verbal, quantitative, and analytical) in the 40th percentile or higher in each of the three categories, and letters of recommendation from individuals with whom the applicant has had a professional working relationship in the health care field. Greater consideration will be given to applicants with prior patient-contact experience. 2. Prior to matriculation, applicants must have received a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university. A baccalaureate degree in any field of study is acceptable as long as all prerequisites are met. 3. The college requires the students to earn a grade of C (2.0) or better in each of the following required courses: • c ollege math (3 semester hours)—statistics does not satisfy this prerequisite • English (6 semester hours, including 3 of English composition) • humanities/arts (3 semester hours) • social sciences (9 semester hours) • g eneral biology (or zoology), including laboratory (4 semester hours) • microbiology, including laboratory (4 semester hours) • g eneral chemistry I and II, including laboratory (8 semester hours) • human anatomy and physiology (6 semester hours) • biochemistry (3 semester hours) • human genetics (3 semester hours) • Medical Terminology (1 semester hour) Applicants are encouraged to complete their elective coursework in the areas of behavioral, physical, and social sciences or in the humanities. (Science prerequisites must be completed by end of the fall semester, prior to matriculation.) Additionally, science prerequisites must be completed prior to being invited for a personal interview. The following courses are recommended: • biochemistry laboratory (1 semester hour) • anatomy laboratory (1 semester hour) • physiology laboratory (1 semester hour) • Introduction to Statistics (3 semester hours) 4. Graduates of foreign institutions where English is not the primary language of instruction must present transcripts showing at least 18 semester hours (or equivalent quarter hours) of study from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States. Of these 18 semester hours, • 3 semester hours must be in English composition (courses do not include ESOL)
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