Our Competitive Application Process
Our competitive admissions process welcomes all applicants from diverse backgrounds with different life and career experiences. We seek the best candidates and give preference to those who come from communities such as:
- Underrepresented in the PA profession including African Americans, American Indians, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders
- First in the family to attend college
- Educationally disadvantaged
In addition, Virginia residents and those who have served in the United States military are also valued.
Because our curriculum is rigorous, we place value on an applicant's prior academic history. We value a strong cumulative GPA and also evaluate each candidate's GPAs in the following categories:
- Overall undergraduate GPA (3.4 average)
- Prerequisite GPA (3.85 average)
- Replacement GPA (3.81 average)
- Graduate GPA (3.69 average)
Healthcare experience, direct and indirect, and volunteer experience are other attributes of a successful candidate.*** While the program does not require a specific number of healthcare or volunteer hours, those who have been competitive and gained admission have earned:
- 1500-2700 total healthcare experience hours based on the last 3 cycles (combined Patient Care and Healthcare Experience)
- 840 hours of volunteer experience
- 90% of applicants have reported community service activity
***Meeting these qualifications does not guarantee an interview or admission to the program. Also, the PA program does not give advanced standing to any candidate for previous educational or clinical experience. Advanced standing means allowing credit based on previous studies (for example, nursing school or paramedic certification credits) or work experience (RN, EMT, etc).
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