Admission Requirements for Physician Assistant - Pleasantville Program and Pace University-Lenox Hill Hospital Physician Assistant Program (NYC)
Physician Assistant Program - Pleasantville
All applicants must meet and complete the following requirements by January 15th of the year of planned enrollment, with the exception of the baccalaureate degree requirement. See the Degree Requirements below.
Applications are reviewed and admission decisions for seats in the cohort are filled on a rolling basis during the CASPA cycle, until seats are filled.
Applications
All candidates must apply through the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA)
Degree Requirements
A Baccalaureate degree from an accredited United States or Canadian accredited institution of higher learning, must be completed by June 1st of the year of planned enrollment.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
Cumulative GPA's (UGPA) is calculated utilizing ALL college-level courses completed by the applicant.
3.0 Minimum Cumulative Undergraduate and Cumulative Science GPA (CSGPA) based on a 4.0 scale is required.3
If prerequisite coursework was completed more than 7 years from the January 1st of the year of planned enrollment, the GPA from that coursework will not be considered. All coursework more than seven (7) years old may be repeated and the GPA of the repeated coursework will be considered instead.
Prerequisite Coursework
Prerequisite courses must have been completed less than seven (7) years from the January 1st of the year of planned enrollment.
If required coursework was completed more than 7 years ago, both UGPA and SGPA will not be considered.
- All coursework more than seven (7) years old may be repeated and the GPA of the repeated coursework will be considered.
- All grades of required prerequisite coursework must be at least “B -"or greater.
No more than two prerequisite courses can be retaken, except for coursework more than seven (7) years old. This may be repeated and the GPA of the repeated coursework will be considered instead.
- Mathematics (Pre-calculus or Statistics) (3 credits) General Biology + Laboratory (8 credits)
- General Chemistry + Laboratory (8 credits) Biochemistry + Laboratory (preferred) or Organic Chemistry + Laboratory (4 credits).
- Microbiology (3 credits)
- Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II with Laboratory (7 credit minimum) or:
- Human Anatomy + Laboratory (4 credits) and Human Physiology (3 credits)
Healthcare (patient care) experience A minimum of 300 hours of direct patient care experience, is required. Acceptable experience includes, employment or volunteer work.
Acceptable direct patient care hours would be those from a position, which involves hands-on responsibility, such as but not limited to:
- Patient Care Technician Medical Assistant Licensed Practicing Nurse
- Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) Radiology Technician Paramedic
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Military Medic/Corpsman
- Medical Scribe
- Other licensed or certified health care professional
Shadowing Experience
In addition to the above Healthcare experience, a minimum of 40 hours of shadowing a physician assistant is required.
Personal Statement
One-page personal statement describing why you wish to become a physician assistant
Resume/Curriculum Vitae
Describe in detail Professional experiences Volunteer and service activity
References
Three (3) references from professionals
At least one (1) from a physician assistant or physician (MD or DO)
Graduate Record Examinations (GRE)
The GRE General Test administered by ETS (Educational Testing Service) is not required.
English as a Second Language
Students for whom English is not their first language must submit scores from the TOEFL (Minimum Score 88 on the IBT), IELTS (International English Language Testing System/Minimum Score 7) or Pearson PTE (Minimum Score 60) that are no more than two years old.
TOEFL codes for Pace University are as follows: Westchester Campus: 2644 New York City Campus: 2635
Advanced Placement Credits (AP credit)
AP credit will be accepted for pre-requisite courses only. No AP credit will be awarded for the fulfillment of any PA Program didactic or clinical curricular content.
Advanced Standing - Under no circumstances will a student be given credit toward the courses in the Pace University-Pleasantville Physician Assistant Studies Program.
Preferences
Hours beyond the minimum required Healthcare (patient care) experience, PA Shadowing experience, Volunteer and service activity are preferred.
In keeping with Pace University's mission to impart to its graduate students a deep knowledge of their discipline and connection to its community as well as its embodiment of an ethos of respect for and celebration or our diversity, creating an inclusive and welcoming environment, we encourage individuals from all backgrounds, including residents of the Hudson Valley, veterans and graduates of Pace University or of health professions Pre-Health curriculums, First Generations students and individuals from other populations that are underrepresented in the health professions, to apply.
Successful applicants are conditionally accepted into the program pending verification that all admission requirements have been met and he applicant has successfully passed a criminal background check.
Pace University-Lenox Hill Hospital Physician Assistant Program - (NYC)
The program is highly competitive and enrollment is currently limited to 80 students each year. The admissions process has three components that include academic evaluation, supporting documentation review, and a personal interview.
Applications:
All applicants must meet the following requirements for admission into the Physician Assistant Program:
- Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution;
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 based on a 4.0 scale;
- Minimum cumulative science GPA of 3.0 based on a 4.0 scale;
- Minimum of 200 hours of high quality patient care experience;
- One page personal statement describing why you wish to become a physician assistant (CASPA Narrative);
- Three references from professionals (one of which must be from a health professional);
- Completion of all prerequisite courses at the time of CASPA e-submission and
- No more than one grade that is less than a "B-" in a required prerequisite course
- GPA’s are calculated utilizing ALL college level courses completed by the applicant. Advanced Placement credits will be accepted for pre-requisite courses.
- Completion of 200 hours of health care experience is required at application submission.
- Documentation of 200 hours of health care experience will be required if accepted into the program.
Applicants are required to complete all prerequisite science and math courses with no more than one grade below a "B minus". The prerequisite course list for admission into the physician assistant program is listed below.
- Mathematics (Pre-calculus or Statistics) (3 credits)
- General Biology + Laboratory (8 credits)
- General Chemistry + Laboratory (8 credits)
- Microbiology (3 credits)
- Genetics (3 credits)
- Organic Chemistry + Laboratory OR Biochemistry + Laboratory (4 credits)
- Human Anatomy + Laboratory (4 credits)
- Human Physiology (3 credits)
OR Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II with Laboratory (7 credit minimum)
Please note, a supplemental application and supplemental application fee is required for application to our program.
If you earned a bachelor's degree in a country where English is not the official language and English is not your first language, you must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) OR the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Pearson PTE that are no more than two years old. In general, a TOEFL score of 100 (Internet-based version) or an IELTS score of 7.5 or Pearson PTE score of 68 is sufficient to demonstrate the requisite proficiency in English for admission into the College of Health Professions academic programs.
A personal interview may be granted if the above criteria are met. During the interview applicants will be evaluated on cognitive capability; professional awareness; commitment to the profession; leadership qualities; service and community orientation; communication skills including verbal ability, personal, and behavioral qualities; interpersonal skills; self-confidence; motivation and initiative; professionalism; social support; and coping abilities. Meeting the minimum academic requirements does not guarantee an interview.
The Physician Assistant Program Admissions Committee will admit candidates who meet the admission requirements, are granted an interview, and present the best overall profile evidenced in these areas. The program does not provide preference to or favor any specified individuals or groups.