PA Traditional Admission Pathway

To apply to the UC Physician Assistant Program and to be considered for an interview, Traditional Admission applicants must submit the following:

• Verified CASPA Application:
  • CASPA needs to verify the application by September 1st.
• Official GRE Scores:
  • Send GRE test scores directly to CASPA by September 15th.
  • Log in to your ETS account to send an official score report.
  • The UC CASPA-Specific GRE Code is 8830.
  • While GRE scores contribute to the overall strength of an application, there is no minimum GRE score requirement.
• Two References:
  • Submit reference recommendations directly to CASPA.
  • The PA Program will not accept recommendations sent to the program.
  • We strongly recommend one letter from a healthcare provider (MD, DO, PA) and another from an instructor.
• Official Transcripts:
  • Contact all institutions of higher education and request official transcripts be sent directly to CASPA.
  • Transcripts from all schools attended prior to time of submission must be sent to CASPA.
  • Transcripts with coursework completed post-CASPA submission should be sent to jeanettebane@ucwv.edu.
• Bachelor’s Degree or Higher:
  • Must be earned prior to matriculation.
  • Must be from a regionally accredited college or university.
  • If the degree is in-progress, a feasible plan to obtain the Bachelor’s degree prior to matriculation must be in place.
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
  • Applicants with a GPA of less than 3.0 will not be considered for an interview.

All international students need to complete the CASPA application as described in the above section. Additionally, international students need to complete the following, if applicable:

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

All applicants for whom English is a second language must submit an official copy of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to CASPA. To be considered for a seat in the program, applicants must earn the following scores:

• Paper Based Test (PBT): 550 or higher
• Internet Based Test (IBT): 80 or higher

The UC PA Program will waive the TOEFL exam for all applicants for whom English is a second language if they have a bachelor’s degree from an U.S. accredited college and are deemed proficient in English as determined throughout the application evaluation process. Alternatively, this requirement can be met for current UC students through evaluation and  recommendation by the University of Charleston’s Director of International & ESL Programs.

Transcript Evaluations

Applicants who have completed coursework or obtained a degree from an educational institution outside the United States are required to have their educational credentials evaluated by any National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) accredited services such as World Education Services (WES) or Education Credential Evaluators (ECE) .

Enrollment in higher education institutions located in US Territories do not need to be evaluated. However, if transcripts are not in English, the applicant must have their official transcripts evaluated by a NACES approved transcript evaluation service.

Evaluation reports from a NACES accreditation service should be sent directly from the credentialing service to CASPA.

International Courses & UC PA Program Prerequisites

Applicants who have completed prerequisite coursework at an educational institution outside of the United States are required to submit course syllabi associated with the desired prerequisite courses in English to the Admissions Coordinator at jeanettebane@ucwv.edu. If course syllabi cannot be obtained in English, the program reserves the right not to accept the  course.

International Medical Students and Graduates

Advanced placement and exemption from application requirements will not be granted to international medical students and graduates.

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.