Applicant Requirements
1. Academics
Physician Assistant program applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution at the time of matriculation into the graduate program. While any undergraduate major is acceptable, biology or chemistry majors will be the best prepared for the rigorous demands of the program.
Applicants must successfully complete all of the following program prerequisites, regardless of the undergraduate degree or major. No online or hybrid science prerequisites will be accepted. Science courses labeled as "Survey" will not be accepted. You may use online course options to complete psychology requirements and/or medical terminology.
- Human Anatomy and Physiology with lab – 8 semester hours
- General Chemistry I and II with lab – 8 semester hours
- General Psychology – 3 semester hours
- Microbiology with lab – 4 semester hours
- Developmental Psychology (Growth and Development or Lifespan) – 3 semester hours
- Medical Terminology – minimum 1 semester hour/certificate
Applicants are required to have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 or greater and a science GPA of 3.25 or greater on all undergraduate coursework. Applicants are required to complete the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and achieve a minimum score of 300 ("Superscore"). An official score must be submitted directly to CASPA (use code #0532) prior to October 1. Without an officially posted score, the application will not be reviewed. These scores are believed to indicate sufficient academic ability for successful completion of the program. Due to large numbers of applicants, not all students meeting the minimum requirements will receive an interview. Candidates should endeavor to obtain the highest GPA and GRE scores possible. With grades lower than a B, the applicant should retake courses that would reflect a grasp of the material and a capability of rigorous course work. Entering students of the last three years have significantly exceeded the minimum requirements. The statistics for the cohort of 2018 are:
- General GPA 3.67
- Science GPA 3.59
- GRE combined score of 307
- 5 additional upper level science courses were successfully completed
Due to the competitiveness of the selection process, all applicants are encouraged to take as many additional upper-level science courses as possible. Not only do the courses provide information on academic performance, but they also assist in preparation for the rigorous program. The successful completion of these additional courses will assist in your competitiveness.
- Immunology
- Pathophysiology
- Genetics
- Molecular or Cellular Biology
- Biochemistry
We strongly recommend taking Organic Chemistry to display your ability to perform in a highly demanding course.
Course Expiration: All science courses must be taken within 7 years of matriculation (May of your start year). If a course was completed greater than 7 years prior to the time of matriculation, a refresher course must be successfully completed. A refresher course is qualified by repeating the course, or in the case of a 2-semester course, repeating one half of the course. An applicant may be exempt from taking a refresher course if they have practiced consistently in a clinical setting in which the material covered in the course was utilized. When in question, repeating the course is recommended. Please contact the program for clarification on specific courses if needed.
Pending Courses: For an applicant to present themselves most competitively, it is mandatory that 2 or less required courses be pending for the spring semester prior to matriculation. This allows the Admissions committee the ability to accurately assess the applicant’s academic performance at the time of an interview.
2. Patient Care
All applicants must log at least 250 hours of Direct Patient Care. Beginning in the 2017-2018 admission cycle, all Direct Patient Care hours must be logged at the time of submitting your application. This allows the admissions committee to process your application at first review and schedule earlier interviews. In the opinion of the PA program faculty, past medical experience provides a framework upon which students can build and facilitate the expansion of the fund of medical knowledge. We do not accept updates sent directly to the program.
Positions that qualify for Direct Patient Care hours include: Medical Assistant, Patient Care Technician, Surgical Technician, First Assistant, Scribe, CNA, LPN, RN, EMT/Paramedic, OT/PT or OT asst./PT asst., AT-C, Phlebotomist, RT, ER Technician, Lab Technician, Clinical Pharmacy Technician -with high percentage of patient exposure, and Clinical Dietician. Positions that do NOT qualify are Personal Care Assistant, Pharmacy Technician-without clinical exposure, Unit Clerk, Camp Counselor, Counselor, and Social Worker. Clinical hours obtained while working towards a prior degree are not to be submitted in the application as Direct Patient Care. Direct Patient Care hours should be obtained while an employee in one of the above accepted clinical positions. In addition, we will accept hours accrued under “volunteer” status in any of the above, accepted position titles.
3. Shadowing
Shadowing of physician assistants is required for admission. Applicants should log a minimum of 10 hours at the time of application. This provides a sufficient insight as to the role and duties of practicing physician assistants, and is believed to be an accurate indicator of an individual’s desire and commitment to the profession. Shadowing may be logged from multiple physician assistants. All hours logged should be obtained via direct clinical observation and not on the basis of a personal relationship. Mission field shadowing can be utilized as long as you were working alongside a PA in a medical setting. Please do not duplicate shadowing hours as Direct Patient Care hours. The program does not accept updates via email.
4. References
A total of 3 recommendations are required. One recommendation must be by a physician assistant. This PA should be one whom the applicant has worked alongside in a clinical setting through observation, shadowing or prior work experience.
5. Background Statement
Through the CASPA portal, an applicant must self-report any misdemeanor, felony, and/or dismissals. If at a later time an incident is discovered that was not reported, the applicant is subject to possible revoking of an offer or acceptance into Trevecca’s PA Program. A certified background check will also be performed prior to matriculation and any positive report is also subject for revoke of an offer or acceptance.