Physician Assistant
Prerequisites
Prerequisites And Qualifications
A minimum 3.2 grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale is required on the overall prerequisite GPA and on the science prerequisite GPA. All science prerequisites are recommended to be completed within seven (7) years of the application date. A finished degree, professional studies, health care certification, licensure or work experience, health care shadowing, and community service are not required, but highly recommended. AP and CLEP credit will not be accepted for any science or social science prerequisite courses. Additionally, online science courses will not be accepted. There is no advanced placement, transfer of credit or experiential learning credit within the TTUHSC PA Program. The GRE or other entrance examinations are not required.
Applicants must have 66 semester hours of prerequisites to be considered for admission into the TTUHSC PA Program. Applicants may have up to 9 hours of course work in progress during the spring semester prior to entering the program, but must be completed before enrollment. Course load for each applicant will be reviewed on an individual basis.
Applicants are required to own or have access to a laptop computer. Laptops are suggested to have a minimum of 1 GB Shared DDR2 SDRAM, 60 GB hard drive and have wireless capabilities.
The program will accept 48 students for 2008.
Prerequisites
| English | 6 hours |
| College Algebra | 3 hours |
| Biology | 8 hours |
| Microbiology | 4 hours |
| Human Anatomy and Physiology | 8 hours |
| General Chemistry | 8 hours |
| Social/Behavioral Sciences | 9 hours |
| Human Nutrition | 3 hours |
| Statistics | 3 hours |
| Electives- Computer Literacy, Medical Terminology and Communication Skills Recommended | 14 hours |
| Genetics Highly Recommended | |
| Total Prerequisites | 66 hours |
The selection of new PA students begins with the submission of a completed application packet through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). After review of all applicants, the top candidates are invited for interviews.
CASPA
Please send all application material, including updated fall transcripts, through CASPA. Applicants should apply as early as possible to be sure that TTUHSC receives the application in time for review. Applicants must complete the secondary TTUHSC PA Supplemental Application as well as the CASPA application. The deadline to submit the Supplemental application is December 1st, 2008. The CASPA application is accessed from CASPA's website. www.caspaonline.org
TTUHSC PA Supplemental Application
The TTUHSC Supplemental Application must be filled out along with the CASPA Application. The deadline to submit the Supplemental application is December 1st, 2008.
Technical Standards
A student admitted into the TTUHSC Physician Assistant Program must meet basic and essential requirements that are necessary for obtaining employment and performing as a Physician Assistant. The technical standards each student must master include cognitive, physical and behavioral characteristics that are identified in the following:
- Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in the written and verbal forms of English with supervising or consulting physicians, program professors, colleagues, instructors, patients and other members of the health care team.
- Must possess physical and motor skills for use in areas such as auscultation, palpation, percussion, medical procedures (i.e., suturing, venipuncture, intravenous therapy, thoracentesis, endotracheal intubation, etc.) and other diagnostic maneuvers.
- Must possess and appropriately utilize sensory skills in areas such as viewing demonstrations, obtaining a medical history directly from a patient, observing a patient's medical condition and non-verbal behavior.
- Must have intellectual, conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities necessary for problem solving and diagnosis.
- Must be able to conduct activities that have an appropriate behavioral and social context to include expressing professional responsibility and compassion to patients, managing typical daily workloads and working in an environment that is subject to rapid change.
- Must have ethical and professional attitudes that are reflected in appropriate professional conduct.