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About the Hampton Roads Community

Uniquely located on the prestigious campus of Eastern Virginia Medical School, the Master of Physician Assistant Program utilizes innovative instructional methods in conjunction with the medical school's diverse resources to provide students with a premier education. The curriculum provides graduates with the knowledge and skills needed to participate in the delivery of primary health care as physician assistants and leaders in a changing health care industry.

Our PA program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). Only graduates of an ARC-PA accredited program are eligible to sit for the national certification examination.

The PA profession is a growing and dynamic medical career. The U.S. Department of Labor rates job growth for PA’s as “much faster than average.”

Additionally, in 2007, CNN/Money Magazine ranked the PA profession as number 5 in its "Top Ten Best Jobs in America."

Mission and Goals

The mission of the PA Program is to provide a premiere education defined by academic excellence, clinical and community partnerships, and a commitment to facilitate access to primary care for underserved populations.

The goals of the PA Program are to prepare graduates:

• To provide quality health care to diverse patient populations in various delivery settings, spanning a range of acute and chronic medical and surgical conditions.
• For service as capable leaders in clinical, academic, administrative and research environments.

Accomplishment of our goals will serve the:

• Student, by fostering personal and professional discovery and development.
• Patient, through student preparation of the highest level.
• Institution, by contributing to a seamless learning environment which fosters the development of competent and compassionate healthcare professionals.
• Community, by graduating professionals who have been educated to provide culturally sensitive primary care.

The number of PA jobs is projected to increase by 48% between 1998 and 2008

Educational Program

The PA Program is divided into two phases and spans 27 consecutive months (seven semesters). Phase I, the 15 month pre-clinical year (65 credit hours), incorporates traditional classroom interaction with clinical skills development through the Theresa A. Thomas Professional Skills Teaching and Assessment Center.

In Phase II (27 credit hours), students complete nine clinical field experiences which form the basis of the professional socialization processes for adaptation to the role and functions of a physician assistant.

Clinical sites are located throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Students should plan on the possibility of being placed outside the Hampton Roads area for at least one or two supervised clinical practice experiences during their clinical training.

EVMS PA Program Trends in Pass Rates for the PA National Certifying Examination (PANCE) Compared to National First-Time Pass Rates 2001 to 2007

The above chart shows the first-time pass rate percentage on the PA National Certifying Examination (PANCE), in light blue, for each of the graduating classes (2001-2007). The dark blue shows the percent that succeeded in passing the exam after more than one attempt. The white bars demonstrate the national average percentage for 1st time pass on the exam.

Note: The EVMS PA program was started in 1999 and our first class graduated in 2001.

EVMS PA students enjoy a very high PA Program graduation rate. In addition, the overall pass rate (2001-2006) of EVMS PA students on the PA National Certifying Examination (PANCE) is 96 percent.

Tuition and Fees

The tuition and fee rates of the Master of Physician Assistant Program are announced prior to the start of each academic year and are subject to change without notice. The tuition for students matriculating after January 1, 2008 is $7,338 per semester. Other estimated costs are the required learning resource fee ($1,280), the activity fee ($1,250), health fee ($788), and costs of books, supplies and equipment ($3,700). Historically, tuition has increased each year in July by about three percent.

A student budget for the coming year is available.

Financial Aid

The primary responsibility for the funding of your education lies with you and your family. Financial aid is available to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. For more information, contact the Office of Financial Aid.

Admission Requirements

• ALL APPLICANTS MUST HAVE AN UNDERGRADUATE OR COMPLETED GRADUATE GPA OF 2.75 OR BETTER FOR CONSIDERATION.
  • EXCEPTIONS may be granted for those with a MINIMUM of 30 semester hours of post-baccalaureate coursework (undergrad or graduate) with a 3.0 GPA or better
• United States citizenship or permanent residence (Green Card) is required.
• A Bachelor's degree from an American or Canadian accredited institution
  • those with foreign degrees may be considered on a case-by-case basis and must request consideration in writing and provide the following:
    • an official translation of the foreign transcript
    • all prerequisite courses must be completed in the U.S. or Canada
• Recommendation of Physician Assistant Program’s Admission Screening Committee
• Understanding of and compliance with the Program’s Technical Standards
• Completion of all program health requirements, including documentation of a current physical examination (list of health requirements is provided to all interviewees)
• Some applicants with English as a second language are required to provide TOEFL scores
  • This requirement will apply to anyone who entered the U.S. after the age of 12 from a non-English speaking country of origin
• ALL PREREQUISITE COURSES must be completed with a B- or better for acceptance

ON CASPA APPLICATION, PLEASE INDICATE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF ALL PREREQUISITE COURSES, OR A PLAN TO COMPLETE THEM BY SEPTEMBER 1 OF THE YEAR PRIOR TO ANTICIPATED ENTRY INTO THE PROGRAM.

Example: all prerequisites complete by September 1, 2008 for entry into program on January 2, 2009.
 

*Ten-Year Rule for Prerequisites:

FIVE prerequisites (as indicated above) must have been completed no more than ten years prior to the anticipated date of matriculation to Eastern Virginia Medical School. Example: For matriculation into the class starting in January 2009, the five courses must have been completed since January 1999.

If prerequisite coursework was completed more than ten years ago:

An exception to the ten-year rule for courses successfully completed may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Petition the PA Program Director for exceptions to the "ten-year rule." The letter or email MUST include when you took the course, the grade received in the course, and your rationale for requesting the exception.

Please note that we believe that success in the program is dependent upon current working knowledge of the five courses with a 10-year time limit. Exceptions to the rule are likely to be rare.

Example: You took 5 semester credit hours of Organic Chemistry more than 10 years ago, received an A, and feel that you shouldn't have to repeat the course because you have taught organic and biochemistry at the college level for the past 5 years.

Application Instructions

All applications must be submitted to the Centralized Application Service for PA Programs CASPA. Applications may be submitted from late April until March 1st each year. Applications must be submitted by March 1st for entry into the class that will start the following January.

Please note that the following deadlines for consideration into specific classes remain in effect:

Indicate on your CASPA application the year for which you are applying. All requirements and prerequisites MUST be applicable to the application cycle to which you are applying. Early application does not guarantee an interview or give the application an advantage. All applications will be considered as if they arrived at the same time.

To apply to the Master of Physician Assistant Program at EVMS:

• Go to the CASPA Web site and follow the instructions for participating in the national application process administered by the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA).
   
• Complete the Clinical Role Model Experience (shadowing experience) as directed here; you will not be charged a separate application fee over and above the amount charged by CASPA. 

Contact CASPA at (240) 497-1895 or the PA Program at EVMS at (757) 446-7158 if you have questions.

Waiver of fees: If the CASPA fee is prohibitive to applying, please review the “Fee Waiver Division” information at the CASPA Web site to determine if you qualify for this service.

Individuals with broad educational backgrounds, prior health care experience, and those who are under-represented in the health care professions are encouraged to apply for admission.

Notice of Interviews

Following the receipt of all required documents, the application is first evaluated for completeness by the Director of Enrollment for Health Professions. A second review for compliance with program requirements and selection for personal interview is performed by the Admissions Screening Committee and designated staff.

All applicants will receive written notification of their application status within 45 days of the deadline for applications. Competitive applicants will be invited to participate in a half-day interview process conducted in August. Interviews will be held on the EVMS Campus and candidates will be given no less than two weeks' notice to facilitate the necessary arrangements to participate in the interview process. Absence or withdrawal from the interview automatically places the applicant at risk for forfeiture of consideration for a seat in the class.

Acceptance into the Program

Notification of acceptance into the EVMS PA program will be provided within thirty days of the interview. Applicants offered a seat in the January class must acknowledge acceptance within two weeks of notification and forward a signed PA Acceptance Form and a non-refundable acceptance deposit (which will be applied toward tuition) to hold a seat in the class.

Wait List Status

Students who are not offered a seat in the program following Interview Day may be placed on a wait list, at the recommendation of the Admissions Screening Committee and/or the Program Director. The wait list is activated as necessary by the Program Director. A wait list is valid from the close of the interview process through the first week of classes for which the student applied. Wait listed applicants not advanced to a seat are not considered for admission to the following class without reapplication. Consultation with the Director of Enrollment for Health Professions or Program Director is recommended in those cases.

To apply for a subsequent year, wait list applicants must complete an application, provide an updated resume, and submit the application fee. Official transcripts, role-modeling, and recommendation forms will be transferred to the applicant's file.

Application of Technical Standards

The abilities and skills candidates and students must possess in order to complete the education and training associated with physician assistant education are referred to as “Technical Standards.” These abilities and skills are essential for clinical practice as a physician assistant.

The Technical Standards listed in this site reflect five categorical areas — observation, communication, critical reasoning (intellectual), motor and sensory, behavioral/social — and represent minimum competency levels.

Students must attest that they meet these Technical Standards prior to or at the time of matriculation from the PA Program at EVMS. Students found to be in violation of Technical Standards are at risk for dismissal from the program. Each standard is defined here and is followed by examples of indicators of minimum competence in that area.

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