Prerequisites

Academics

• Bachelor’s degree in any major from a regionally accredited institution.
• A minimum overall GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale as calculated on the CASPA application. We will accept any of the following overall GPAs to satisfy this requirement:
• Bachelor’s degree-associated overall GPA
• Master’s or doctoral degree-associated overall GPA
• Post-baccalaureate-associated (at least 10 courses or 30 credit hours) overall GPA
• A minimum science GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale as calculated on the CASPA application. This GPA includes all college science courses taken at regionally accredited institutions. We will accept any of the following science GPAs to satisfy this requirement:
  • Bachelor’s degree-associated science GPA
  • Master’s or doctoral degree-associated science GPA
  • Post-baccalaureate-associated (at least 10 courses or 30 credit hours) science GPA
• Stronger preference will be given to applicants with higher overall and science GPAs
• Stronger preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate strong academic rigor including the type of coursework completed and whether difficult courses were completed one at a time versus a number of difficult courses taken concomitantly.
• The GRE is not required for any of the 3 PA options (MSPA, MSPA/MPH, MSPA/MSHI) and will not be considered in your application review.

Academic Course Requirements

COVID-19 Prerequisite Modifications

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the Northeastern University Physician Assistant Program Admissions Committee has made the decision to accept Pass/Fail grades in any 2 of our required prerequisite courses (see chart below). These 2 courses must have been taken during the spring 2020 or summer 2020 terms only. All other prerequisite courses taken at any other time must still have grades of solid B or better to satisfy our requirements. All other prerequisites remain the same.

The following academic work must be completed prior to applying by the August 1 deadline.
It is essential that applicants review the detailed Physician Assistant Program Prerequisites information below. Please be sure to review the FAQ section for additional guidelines and explanations on course prerequisites. Students must earn a grade of solid B or better from a regionally accredited institution in order for a course to fulfill a prerequisite. Pass/Fail grades do not fulfill any of the prerequisites unless otherwise indicated (see COVID-19 prerequisite modifications above).

¹Any combination (basic or upper level) of 2 semesters of biology lectures plus 1 biology lab. Courses may include general biology, microbiology, genetics, immunology, infectious disease, pathophysiology, cell biology. Courses labeled “for non-science majors” are not appropriate.

²Any combination (basic or upper level) of 2 semesters of chemistry lectures plus 1 chemistry lab. Courses may include general chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry. Courses labeled “for non-science majors” are not appropriate.

³Anatomy and Physiology is commonly offered as A&P 1 plus A&P 2 or 1 semester of anatomy plus 1 semester of physiology. Course content must be in sufficient depth to provide a comprehensive understanding of the body and must cover the entire body from head to toe including all body systems. Either a one semester or a two semester course is appropriate as long as all systems have been included. Human, vertebrate, and animal A&P are all acceptable. A&P lab is not required. All components of the Anatomy and Physiology sequence must have grades of solid B or better.

⁴Statistics may be offered by any department (biostatistics; statistics for psych, math, or business majors among others). The course content needs to include probability theory, multiple regression, hypothesis testing, T tests, chi square, ANOVAS, Z tests, correlations, means, medians, modes, and logistical regression as well as how to select and apply the appropriate statistical test, how to analyze the data, and how to interpret the results. Calculus does not satisfy the statistics prerequisite

⁵Grades of B- or below do not fulfill the minimum grade requirement.

• Advanced placement (AP) or international baccalaureate (IB) credits from high school do not fulfill any of our course prerequisites. Non-credit courses are not accepted to fulfill any prerequisites. Advanced placement will not be awarded to any applicant, regardless of prior education or experience.
• Individuals who hold a doctoral degree from an accredited US institution in a health or science field (MD, PhD, DrPH, DVM, ScD) may have individual prerequisite course requirements waived at the discretion of the Admissions Committee. For example, an individual with a PhD in Chemistry who has been working in a related field may have their chemistry lecture/lab requirement waived if taken more than 10-years prior to applying.
• Successful completion of the ECFMG or USMLE cannot be substituted in lieu of taking all the prerequisite courses. Advanced standing credit will not be given for courses taken elsewhere. All students accepted into the program must successfully complete the entire 2-year curriculum regardless of previous education and degrees.

Patient Care Experience

The Admissions Committee defines patient care experience as working one-on-one with patients. Examples of patient care experience include, but are not limited to, taking vital signs, performing ECGs, drawing blood, changing bandages and dressings, splinting, casting, removing sutures, bathing and toileting, scribing, and mental health counselling. The job title of the position is not as important as the specific duties performed. Administrative work in a healthcare setting or caring for family members will not be considered.

Patient care experience should be completed prior to applying by the August 1 deadline. Strong preference will be given to applicants who have approximately 1000 hours of patient care experience prior to applying to the program. Stronger preference will be given to those with over 1800 hours of patient care experience prior to applying. Applicants with fewer than 1000 hours may also be given consideration depending upon the strength of their entire application.

PA shadowing is not a prerequisite and does not count toward patient care hours. However, we highly recommend shadowing to acquire a solid understanding of the PA role.

Please be sure to review the FAQ section for additional guidelines and explanations.

International Applicants

For applicants who have earned degrees outside of the United States, the following prerequisites must be completed prior to applying:

• Completion of all the required science courses (see list of specific courses under “Academics” above).
• TOEFL score within the previous 2 years of at least 100 (internet-based) to demonstrate proficiency in English.
• A certified degree and course-by-course evaluation of foreign transcripts to ascertain equivalencies to United States educational standards. The GPA obtained at a foreign university must be equivalent to a 3.0 GPA in the United States. We will only accept evaluations done by World Education Services (WES). Evaluations performed by other companies will NOT be accepted. The report should be submitted to CASPA.

World Education Services
Bowling Green Station
PO Box 5087
New York, NY 10274
Phone: 212.966.6311
Website: www.wes.org

Current and ongoing hands-on patient care experience is needed in order to be a competitive applicant. While the Admissions Committee will consider experience gained in your home country, hands-on patient care experience in the United States is also recommended.

Required Technical Standards

A candidate for the Physician Assistant Program must have abilities and skills in:

Observation Candidates and students must be able to observe demonstrations and participate in experiments in the basic sciences, and must observe a patient accurately at a distance and close at hand, noting both nonverbal and verbal signals. Observation necessitates the functional use of the sense of vision and other sensory modalities.

Communication Candidates and students must be able to: speak intelligibly, hear sufficiently, and observe patients closely in order to elicit and transmit information; describe changes in mood, activity, and posture; and perceive nonverbal communications; and communicate effectively and sensitively with patients. Communication includes not only speech, but also reading and writing skills. Candidates and students must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in oral and written English with all members of the health care team.  Students must demonstrate reading skills at a level sufficient to accomplish curricular requirements, provide clinical care for patients, and complete appropriate medical records, documents, and plans according to protocol in a thorough and timely manner.

Sensory and Motor Coordination and Function Candidates and students are required to possess motor skills sufficient to: directly perform palpation, percussion, auscultation, and other basic diagnostic procedures; and execute motor movements reasonably required to provide basic medical care, such as airway management, placement of catheters, application of sufficient pressure to control bleeding, simple obstetrical maneuvers, etc. These actions require coordination of gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision.

Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Problem solving, the critical skill demanded of physician assistants, requires all of these intellectual abilities. Candidates and students must be able to: independently access and interpret medical histories or files; identify significant findings from history, physical examination, and laboratory data; provide a reasoned explanation for likely diagnoses and prescribed medications and therapy; recall and retain information in an efficient and timely manner. The ability to incorporate new information from peers, teachers, and the medical literature in formulating diagnoses and plans is essential. Good judgment in patient assessment and diagnostic and therapeutic planning is essential. Students must be able to communicate their knowledge to others when appropriate.

Behavioral and Social Attributes Candidates and students must possess the ability to: use their intellectual capacity, exercise good judgment, and promptly complete all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients under potentially stressful and/or emergency circumstances; develop empathic, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients; adapt to changing environments and learn in the face of uncertainties that are inherent in the practice of medicine; use supervision appropriately and act independently when indicated. Compassion, integrity, ethical standards, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation are all personal qualities that will be assessed during the admissions and educational process.

Immunization Policy

The University requires that every student submit proof of a health and immunization evaluation prior to matriculation. In addition, most institutions and clinical sites require that students provide documentation of immunization status.  University Health and Counseling Services provide Immunization Clearance Forms.  Students are responsible for having the Student Health Form completed and returned to Health Services prior to matriculation so that the Clinical Clearance Form can be processed and available for clinical sites. Students are required to sign a release form that allows the Program to share immunization records with clinical sites. The Bouvé College of Health Sciences immunization requirements are consistent with current Centers for Disease Control recommendations for the immunization of Health Care Providers and can be found on the Northeastern website. In addition, students are required to obtain a current influenza vaccination annually in accordance with CDC recommendations for health care providers.