The Early Assurance Program (EAP) exists to offer outstanding and qualified undergraduate students with firm interests in a career as a pathologists' assistant the opportunity to gain early assurance of acceptance into the PathA program at the EVMS School of Health Professions before beginning their final year of college.
By granting early assurance of acceptance into the program, students will be able to broaden their academic focus and engage in extracurricular leadership activities. Students who are accepted through the Early Assurance Program will have to fulfill the stipulated prerequisite requirements of the PathA program.
Partner Institution
Application and admission
Each January, early assurance program advisers at each partner institution will forward to us, names of eligible students who are interested in applying to the PathA program through the Early Assurance Program. Students interested in the program are required to maintain regular contact with the EAP adviser during their college career. Eligible students will receive an email containing the necessary links and instructions to apply.
To be eligible to apply for the Early Assurance Program with Virginia Wesleyan University, a student must meet the following criteria:
- Meet with the EAP adviser at your institution as soon as possible.
- Establish a plan to complete prerequisite courses before application deadline.
- Complete the undergraduate degree requirements and maintain EAP eligibility.
The guarantee of admission through the EAP is contingent upon the student's continued eligibility in the EAP.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for the Early Assurance Program with Virginia Wesleyan University, a student must meet the following criteria:
- Be at least in their Junior year at a University with only one year left to complete in their undergraduate education. Interested students should meet with the University EAP Advisor during their freshman year to express interest in the EAP.
- Be in their junior year at a partner institution
- Applicants should have no more than 1 additional academic year to complete at the time of their interview session.
- Meet all institutional and degree requirements to continue as a student in good standing
- Have no academic or conduct code violations
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- Maintaining an overall (cumulative) GPA of 3.0 or better (on a 4.0 scale) with consistent academic performance in the required prerequisite courses.
- Have satisfactorily completed 7 of 8 pre-requisite courses by the time of application without withdrawing from or repeating any courses used to satisfy the prerequisites;
- Obtain grades of B or above in all science courses taken in sophomore, junior, or senior year;
- Have no academic or conduct code violations
Maintaining eligibility
Continuation in the EAP will require evidence of general academic progress consistent with past performance. It will also require significant progress toward achieving individually specified goals outlined in the application.
In addition, the following criteria must be maintained by the student to continue eligibility:
- Meet with EAP adviser each semester and maintain contact with the PathA program after graduation (Advisor Meeting & Progress Form)
- Carry sufficient credit load during the remaining regular academic semesters to fulfill undergraduate degree requirements
- Maintaining an overall (cumulative) GPA of 3.0 or better (on a 4.0 scale) with consistent academic performance.
- Make progress toward obtaining a shadowing experience with a pathologists' assistant or a pathologist no later than the summer prior to matriculation or prior to an interview with the PathA Admissions Committee.
- Fulfill all institution and degree requirements to maintain status as a student in good standing (no academic or conduct code violations) and earn a bachelor’s degree prior to matriculating in the PathA program
- Complete the additional specific conditions set by the PathA program at the time of acceptance notification (e.g., official transcripts confirming date of degree completion, a criminal background check, and submission of all health requirements)
- Remain free of any actions or conduct that would cause the admissions committee to question a student's suitability to pursue a career in The Health Sciences.
- These include, but are not limited to, misdemeanor or felony convictions, academic dishonesty, other code of conduct violations and/or unprofessional conduct in a healthcare or educational setting.
Failure to meet or maintain these eligibility standards will constitute grounds for withdrawal of the EAP status. However, dismissal from the EAP does not affect the student's ability to apply to the PathA program through the conventional application process.