Program Requirements
Qualified applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. They should have an Overall GPA of 3.0 (based on 4.0) in all college level coursework and a minimum GPA of 3.0 (based on 4.0) in the prerequisite science courses designated below with an asterisk (*). See the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) site for definitions of these GPAs. Exceptions may be made (but are not guaranteed) for candidates who present compelling evidence of success in graduate coursework. This means that if an applicant has an overall GPA of < 3.0, their application may still be reviewed/considered by our team if they have completed an entire masters or doctorate level program. Completion of graduate level courses without a diploma from said programs will not be considered, nor will graduate-level certificate programs. All admissions requirements must be completed by October 1, 2024 to start classes in the Spring 2025 term of the PA Studies Residential program.
Our admissions process operates on a rolling basis. Initially, all 60 seats are available when CASPA opens in April. Applications are reviewed in the order they’re received, undergoing a ‘verification’ step by WebAdmit/CASPA, which can take several weeks. Please note, our faculty cannot begin reviewing applications until verification is complete.Following verification and faculty scoring, applicants may receive interview offers as early as July (specific dates below). Program seats may be offered to interviewees two weeks after interviews. Applying later in the cycle means fewer program seats might be available.
For transparency, we’ll regularly update this page with our current status to include:
1. Actively reviewing applications and conducting interviews to fill program seats.
2. Interview seats are full, but interviews are ongoing (applying at this stage means joining a pre-interview waitlist).
3. Program seats are full (applying now means joining a pre-interview waitlist).
While applications are welcome until the cycle closes on October 1, 2024, keep in mind that later applications might have reduced chances due to verification and seat availability.
Individuals from Health Professions Shortage Areas, Underrepresented Minorities in Medicine, and other minoritized communities are encouraged to apply. We welcome applicants of all abilities/disabilities, religions, marital statuses, familial statuses, sexes, ages, sexual orientations, veteran statuses, national origins, all ethnic and racial backgrounds, genetic information, and gender identities and expressions.
Advanced placement, defined as a waiver of required coursework included in the PA curriculum for applicants to the program and/or a waiver of required coursework included in the PA curriculum for currently enrolled students in the program which results in the student advancing in the curriculum without completing required curricular components at the University of Pittsburgh, is not an option in this program.
PA Studies Residential program applicants need to have completed the following prerequisites:
- Biology with lab designed for science majors, two semesters*
- Chemistry with lab designed for science majors, two semesters*
- Microbiology with lab, one semester*
- Anatomy with lab and Physiology* (This requirement may be met by taking either one semester of Anatomy with lab and one semester of Physiology or two semesters of Anatomy with lab & Physiology combined.)
- Statistics, one semester
- Medical Terminology, one semester for at least 1 college credit
- English Composition/writing, two semesters
- Psychology, one semester
There is no expiration date for prerequisite courses. For questions about whether your specific courses satisfy our prerequisite requirements, please review this detailed prerequisite rubric. If you still have questions after reviewing the prerequisite rubric, please contact pittpa@shrs.pitt.edu for additional information. Please note that the GRE General Test is not required for admission to the program.
Requirements
To apply to the Physician Assistant Studies Residential program, you must complete and submit the following:
- Online Application: Upload all application materials through CASPA. View application timelines below.
- Patient Care Experience: A minimum of 500 hours of direct, “hands-on,” patient care experience is required by the admissions requirement deadline. Eligible experiences include work as an RN, EMT, paramedic, medical assistant, physical therapy or occupational therapy assistant.
- Technical Standards Verification: Students admitted to the program must review the Technical Standards for admission and graduation, and submit a signed form at the time of matriculation verifying satisfactory performance of the essential skills.
- Personal Statements: Students must provide two personal statements in the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). Your first essay should be a personal statement focusing on why you want to become a PA. The second essay should reflect the mission of the PA Studies Residential program and commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
- Letters of Recommendation: Submit three letters of recommendation including one (1) from a former college/university instructor, one (1) from a supervisor of the required patient care experience and one (1) character reference describing your commitment to leadership and service.
- Additional information for International Applicants.
Admissions Decision Process
The application and admissions processes for the PA Studies Residential program does not favor specific groups or individuals based on their personal or social identities.
Student admissions decisions are made in accordance with these practices:
- Screening of Applications: Upon receipt of a verified application from the CASPA service, the Admissions Committee (which includes the Program Director and all full-time faculty), along with program staff, award points for certain applicant criteria and characteristics, and the total points are used to decide who is invited to interview for a seat in the program. These criteria and characteristics include:
- Health care experience and level of experience - Higher scores are awarded for longer service and at higher levels of patient care
- Diploma and degree - While a bachelor’s degree is required, a graduate degree is scored higher
- Grade Point Averages (GPAs) - Higher undergraduate and specific prerequisite science GPAs receive higher scores
- Scoring of personal statements - Higher scores are awarded based on the strength of evidence of desire to be a PA, understanding of the role of a PA, demonstration of understanding of the program mission, evidence of how one’s background, qualifications, and/or identities match and/or support the mission, language and writing skills, and editorial care
- Letters of Reference - Scores are compiled from the quality of the letter and score provided by the recommender in CASPA
- Interview: Interviews for seats in our program are performed and scored by the program director, faculty, current students, and practicing PAs. They include the following parts and scoring:
- Individual interview - Higher scores are awarded based on the strength of demonstration of the following qualities: adaptability/stress management, conflict resolution, and technical and professional knowledge/ability to learn
- Group interview - Higher scores are awarded based on the strength of demonstration of the following qualities: active listening, conflict management, probing the group to maximize performance, leadership skills, clarification of group responses, encouraging and harmonizing with fellow group members, articulation, drawing others into the conversation, offering ideas, and summarizing
- Total Scoring and Final Review by Admissions Committee: After completion of the above, the committee reviews candidate scores, reviewer comments, and application information to decide who is accepted, waitlisted, and denied admission.
Additional Information
- Admitted students must complete a background check.
- Acceptance into and successful completion of the University of Pittsburgh Physician Assistant Studies program does not imply or guarantee National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) Certification or that the student will be able to obtain state licensure upon graduation.
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Questions?
If you have questions, reach out to pittpa@shrs.pitt.edu at any time.
Plan of Study
The Physician Assistant curriculum is comprised of a rigorous 24 month Master of Science Program. The goals and objectives of our program are guided by the criteria set forth in the Standards and Guidelines for an Accredited Educational Program for the Physician Assistant as established by ARC-PA. The first three semesters (12 months) are made up of primarily classroom instruction. Course content is presented through traditional lecture, integrated instruction, case based and hands on skills labs. The clinical year is comprised of rotations in inpatient medicine, primary care, emergency medicine, general surgery, OB/GYN, pediatrics, and behavioral health. The curriculum is presented by practicing physician assistants, medical and surgical physicians, and other health care providers who have expertise in their respective specialties.
Each course in the program is offered only once during the academic year, therefore, any departure from completing a course in its planned sequence (e.g. failure to receive a passing grade of ‘C’ or better; leave of absence from program) will result in the delay of completion of program requirements and graduation from the program.
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