Physician Assistant Program, M.S.
Minimum Totals for Graduation: 130 hours
http://chp.cmich.edu/pa
Admission Requirements, Retention & Termination Standards
Admission Requirement Snapshot
GPA: 3.0
Entrance Exam: PA-CAT
Application Deadline: September 1, 2020 (for the 2021 entering class, which is a firm deadline)
See Admission Requirement Details Below
Admission Requirements for 2021 Entering Class
The application deadline for the 2021 entering class is September 1, 2020, which is a firm deadline. Official TOEFL (if applicable) scores must be submitted electronically from ETS to CASPA and received by September 1, 2020. The code for electronic mailing from ETS to CASPA is: 0518. Admission to the program is competitive. For further information, contact The Herbert H. and Grace A Dow College of Health Professions Admissions office at 989-774-1730 or by e-mail: chpadmit@cmich.edu.
To be eligible for admission, a prospective student must:
- complete a minimum of 500 paid direct patient care hours by September 1, 2020;
- complete or be in the final stages of completing an undergraduate degree;
- complete all prerequisites within six (6) years at the time of application;
- No more than two prerequisite courses outstanding at the time of application and all prerequisite coursework is to be completed by December 31 of the application year.
- obtain a minimum of 3.0 GPA (a grade of B) in each prerequisite course;
- obtain an overall, undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 3.0;
- Central Michigan University PA program is requiring that their applicants take the PA-CAT (Physician Assistant College Admission Test). The PA-CAT is a specialized test designed to measure applicant knowledge in key prerequisite science subjects typically required for PA school. For information about the PA-CAT and to schedule your exam, visit their website at www.PA-CAT.com
Step 1: Go to www.PA-CAT.com to register, pay and schedule your exam date for the PA-CAT.
• Ensure Central Michigan University is selected as the institution to receive your score report.
• It is highly recommended you take the PA-CAT in May and June of this year.
Step 2: Study for the PA-CAT with resources provided on their website: www.PA-CAT.com
Please reference the PA Admission website to review all of the admission and application requirements:
Prerequisite Courses for Physician Assistant Program
Listed below are the prerequisite courses that must be completed by December 31 of the application year. Only two can be outstanding at the time of application. Students completing the prerequisites at other universities are encouraged to contact The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions Graduate Admissions Office (989-774-1730) to insure the prerequisites taken are course equivalencies. Applicants can also review our course equivalency web pages at: https://www.cmich.edu/colleges/CHP/hp_academics/physician_assistant/admissions/Pages/Course-Equivalencies.aspx. However, the final decision regarding whether a course satisfies a prerequisite will be determined by the program director of the Physician Assistant Program.
At CMU, these prerequisites are met by:
Anatomy:
| BIO 337 | Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | 4(3-3) |
| | OR | |
| HSC 214 | Human Anatomy | 4(3-3) |
Physiology:
Pathophysiology:
Microbiology:
Biochemistry –
| CHM 421 | Introductory Biochemistry for Health Sciences | 3(3-0) |
| | OR | |
| CHM 520 | Introductory Biochemistry | 3(3-0) |
Developmental Psychology –
| PSY 220 | Developmental Psychology | 3(3-0) |
Like all programs that have competitive admissions, students meeting the admission criteria are not guaranteed admission to the program.
Accreditation
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Central Michigan University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Central Michigan University. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.
Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be March 2024. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.
Program Requirements
First Year - Summer (19 hours)
| HSC 630 | Regional Human Anatomy | 5(3-4) |
| PHA 608 | Clinical Medicine I | 4(4-0) |
| PHA 625 | Clinical Pharmacology I | 3(3-0) |
| PHA 633 | Scientific Basis of Medicine I | 2(2-0) |
| PHA 650 | Diagnostic Tests I | 2(1-2) |
| PHA 660 | History and Physical Examination I | 3(2-2) |
First Year - Fall (20 hours)
| PHA 609 | Clinical Medicine II | 4(4-0) |
| PHA 620 | Infectious Diseases | 3(3-0) |
| PHA 626 | Clinical Pharmacology II | 3(3-0) |
| PHA 634 | Scientific Basis of Medicine II | 2(2-0) |
| PHA 640 | Clinical Problem Solving I | 3(1-2) |
| PHA 651 | Diagnostic Tests II | 2(2-0) |
| PHA 661 | History and Physical Examination II | 3(2-2) |
First Year - Spring (21 hours)
| PHA 610 | Clinical Medicine III | 3(3-0) |
| PHA 630 | Clinical Procedures I | 3(2-2) |
| PHA 635 | Scientific Basis of Medicine III | 2(2-0) |
| PHA 641 | Clinical Problem Solving II | 3(0-11) |
| PHA 652 | Diagnostic Tests III | 2(1-2) |
| PHA 662 | History and Physical Examination III | 4(2-4) |
| PHA 671 | Preventive Medicine | 1(1-0) |
| PHA 673 | Psychiatry | 3(3-0) |
Second Year - Summer (22 hours)
| PHA 612 | Obstetrics/Gynecology | 3(3-0) |
| PHA 614 | Pediatrics | 3(3-0) |
| PHA 616 | Surgery | 2(2-0) |
| PHA 618 | Emergency Medicine | 2(2-0) |
| PHA 624 | Issues in Practice | 2(2-0) |
| PHA 631 | Clinical Procedures II | 3(0-6) |
| PHA 642 | Clinical Problem Solving III | 3(0-11) |
| PHA 645 | Critical Appraisal of Medical Literature and Evidence-Based Medicine | 2(2-0) |
| PHA 672 | Applied Ethics for Physician Assistants | 2(2-0) |
Second Year - Fall (16 hours)
| PHA 690 | Clinical Education I | 16(Spec) |
Second Year - Spring (16 hours)
| PHA 691 | Clinical Education II | 16(Spec) |
Third Year - Summer (16 hours)
| PHA 692 | Clinical Education III | 16(Spec) |
Total: 130 semester hours