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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 337Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy

4(3-3)

OR

HSC 214Human Anatomy

4(3-3)

Physiology:

BIO 392Mammalian Physiology

4(3-3)

OR

HSC 215Human Physiology

4(3-2)

Pathophysiology:

HSC 411Pathophysiology

3(3-0)

Microbiology:

BIO 208Microbiology

4(3-3)

OR

BIO 320Biology of Microorganisms

4(3-3)

Biochemistry –

CHM 421Introductory Biochemistry for Health Sciences

3(3-0)

OR

CHM 520Introductory Biochemistry

3(3-0)

Developmental Psychology –

PSY 220Developmental 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 630Regional Human Anatomy

5(3-4)

PHA 608Clinical Medicine I

4(4-0)

PHA 625Clinical Pharmacology I

3(3-0)

PHA 633Scientific Basis of Medicine I

2(2-0)

PHA 650Diagnostic Tests I

2(1-2)

PHA 660History and Physical Examination I

3(2-2)

First Year - Fall (20 hours)

PHA 609Clinical Medicine II

4(4-0)

PHA 620Infectious Diseases

3(3-0)

PHA 626Clinical Pharmacology II

3(3-0)

PHA 634Scientific Basis of Medicine II

2(2-0)

PHA 640Clinical Problem Solving I

3(1-2)

PHA 651Diagnostic Tests II

2(2-0)

PHA 661History and Physical Examination II

3(2-2)

First Year - Spring (21 hours)

PHA 610Clinical Medicine III

3(3-0)

PHA 630Clinical Procedures I

3(2-2)

PHA 635Scientific Basis of Medicine III

2(2-0)

PHA 641Clinical Problem Solving II

3(0-11)

PHA 652Diagnostic Tests III

2(1-2)

PHA 662History and Physical Examination III

4(2-4)

PHA 671Preventive Medicine

1(1-0)

PHA 673Psychiatry

3(3-0)

Second Year - Summer (22 hours)

PHA 612Obstetrics/Gynecology

3(3-0)

PHA 614Pediatrics

3(3-0)

PHA 616Surgery

2(2-0)

PHA 618Emergency Medicine

2(2-0)

PHA 624Issues in Practice

2(2-0)

PHA 631Clinical Procedures II

3(0-6)

PHA 642Clinical Problem Solving III

3(0-11)

PHA 645Critical Appraisal of Medical Literature and Evidence-Based Medicine

2(2-0)

PHA 672Applied Ethics for Physician Assistants

2(2-0)

Second Year - Fall (16 hours)

PHA 690Clinical Education I

16(Spec)

Second Year - Spring (16 hours)

PHA 691Clinical Education II

16(Spec)

Third Year - Summer (16 hours)

PHA 692Clinical Education III

16(Spec)

Total: 130 semester hours