PA Traditional Admission Pathway

To apply to the UC PA Program and to be considered for an interview, traditional applicants must have the following in the CASPA application:

• A verified CASPA application status by September 1st.
• An overall CASPA-defined cumulative GPA of 3.0. Applicants with a GPA between 2.95 – 2.99 may be considered if enrolled in additional courses and the overall GPA can reach a minimum of a 3.0.
• Two references:
  • References must be submitted to CASPA by September 1st.
  • We strongly encourage one letter of recommendation from a healthcare provider (MD, DO, or PA) and the other from an instructor.
• An official GRE score:
  • Send the GRE to our CASPA-specific code 8830 by September 15th.
  • While GRE scores contribute to the overall strength of an application, there is no minimum GRE score requirement.
• Official transcripts: contact all previously attended colleges and universities and request official transcripts be sent to CASPA.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher:
  • The bachelor’s degree must be earned before matriculating into the program and be from a regionally accredited college or university.
  • If the bachelor’s degree is in progress, a feasible plan to obtain the degree by matriculation must be in place.
• Prerequisites:
  • Refer to the traditional admission prerequisites and select courses on the CASPA application, accordingly.
  • The program will confirm if selected prerequisites met requirements.
  • The Admissions Coordinator will contact the applicant to request additional information, if needed.
  • If prerequisite courses are not completed when applying, a feasible plan to finish them by matriculation must be provided in the application.
  • Prerequisites must be taken from a regionally accredited college or university; the program does not accept prerequisites from non-regionally accredited institutions such as Portage Learning, StraighterLine, or Sophia Online Learning.
• An official TOEFL score (if applicable):
  • Applicants for whom English is a second language are required to submit an official score report of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to CASPA by September 15th, unless the requirement is waived by the PA program.
  • The UC PA Program can waive the TOEFL exam if an applicant has earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university. Should the Admissions Committee deem that an applicant has not demonstrated English proficiency, the applicant will be asked to take and submit an official TOEFL score to be further considered for a seat in the program.
  • Minimum accepted TOEFL scores:
    • Paper-Based Test (PBT): 550 or higher
    • Internet-Based Test (IBT): 80 or higher
  • If an applicant who has met minimum TOEFL scores demonstrates a deficiency in written or verbal communication, the Admissions Committee reserves the right to no longer consider the applicant for a seat in the program.
• International transcript evaluation (if applicable):
  • Applicants who have taken coursework or obtained a degree from an institution outside of the United States are required to have their educational credentials evaluated by any National Association of Credentials Evaluation Services (NACES) agency.
    • The official report must be sent to CASPA by September 1st.
    • Higher education institutions located in a U.S. territory do not need to be evaluated as long as the transcripts are in English.
    • Higher education institutions located in Canada must be evaluated by any National Association of Credentials Services (NACES) agency.
• International prerequisite courses (if applicable):
  • Applicants who have completed a prerequisite course at an institution outside of the United States are required to submit the syllabus associated with the course in English to the program at paprogram@ucwv.edu. The program will review the syllabus and let the applicant know if the course may be used towards the prerequisite.
  • If course syllabi cannot be obtained in English, the program reserves the right not to accept the course.

International students are welcome to apply. The CASPA application must be submitted and completed as described above. Advanced placement and exemption from application requirements will not be granted to international medical students and graduates.

Admitted international students will work with the Director of International Students to complete any documents required for entry.

Admission to the Physician Assistant Program is highly competitive. Traditional Admission applications will be evaluated in the following areas:

Academic Strength

Evaluation of academic strength is based upon the cumulative GPA, overall science GPA, prerequisite GPA, last 60 credit hours GPA, and GRE scores.

Health Care Experience

Applicants must demonstrate an understanding of the Physician Assistant role. Applicants who possess intermediate to high levels of direct patient care experience will be the most competitive.

Examples of high-level direct patient care include, but are not limited to:

• Nurse (LPN, RN)
• Paramedic
• Military Medic/Corpsman
• Chiropractor
• CNA
• Physical Therapist
• Occupational Therapist
• Dental Hygienist
• EMT

Examples of intermediate-level direct patient care include, but are not limited to:

• Phlebotomist
• Medical Assistant
• Massage Therapist
• PT/OT Assistant
• Behavioral Health Therapist/Clinical Social Worker
• Technician (surgery, pharmacy, dental, optometry, laboratory, radiology, veterinarian, & rehab)

Examples of low-level direct patient care include, but are not limited to:

• Orderly
• Scribe
• Patient Transporter
• Patient Care Associate
• Home Care

Examples of patient care exposure with minimal to no direct patient care responsibility include, but are not limited to:

• Shadowing
• Hospital volunteer
• Administrative jobs

Social Engagement

We value candidates who demonstrate active involvement in their school and community.
Participation in social engagement from high school, college, and post college will be
considered. Both the quantity and quality of this involvement will be evaluated during the
application review process.

Examples of social engagement include, but are not limited to:

• Community service activities
• Service for one’s church or religious establishment
• Extracurricular activities
• Leadership roles
• Work
• Research
• Memberships
• Certificates and licenses
• Student athlete

Personal Narrative

The personal narrative will be assessed by evaluating the ability of an applicant to articulate their passion for becoming a PA, strengths that will lead them to becoming an excellent practitioner, career goals, and personal goals.

References

References provide the opportunity for the UC PA Program to examine an external perspective of an applicant’s ability to succeed. Two (2) references are required. We strongly recommend one letter is from a healthcare provider (MD, DO, PA) and the other from an instructor.

Academic Rigor

Semester credit hour loads, performance in courses, and course repeats will be reviewed.

Following an analysis of applications, the highest qualified candidates will be invited to participate in a Zoom interview.

A Traditional Admission seat offer can be revoked if:

• An applicant does not respond to an email within 2 weeks.
• An applicant provides inaccurate information.
• The program observes unprofessional behaviors prior to the start of the program.
• An applicant misses the seat deposit deadline.
• An applicant misses the deadline to submit post-acceptance requirements.
• An applicant cannot meet financial obligations to the university.

You can find answers to frequently asked questions in the FAQs section.