Admission Requirements, Fall 2009

The University requires that applicants have a minimum undergraduate grade point
average of 3.0 (on a scale in which A = 4.0). Students are chosen once a year for fall entry. Applicants who (i) submit complete applications by December 1, 2008; and (ii) complete all PA Program prerequisite course work and Bachelor degree requirements by June 30, 2009 will be considered for Fall 2009 entry. It is important to note that no more than two science and two non-science prerequisites (total of four (4) courses) can be in progress in the spring semester or quarter following the December 1, 2008 application deadline. If you are reapplying to the PA Program you must submit all new materials. It is strongly recommended that applicants complete and submit both the CASPA Application and the Supplemental Application (including all supporting documents) by October 1, 2008 and no later than December 1, 2008. In addition, it is recommended that applicants keep copies of all materials submitted to the University or the Program.

A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and completion of all PA prerequisite course work are required for admission to the PA Program. All prerequisite and final baccalaureate course work must be completed by June 30, 2009. Applications that do not meet this requirement will not be processed. All science prerequisites should be completed within ten (10) years of the course work deadline of June 30, 2009, although it is highly recommended that science prerequisites be taken as recently as possible. Upper-division science courses taken within the past ten years, may on appeal be substituted for lower-division course work.  Further, it is required that all science prerequisites be completed with a minimum grade point average of 2.75, with no individual science prerequisite grade less than a 2.0 (C).

Coursework

1. Sciences:

One-year sequential coursework for science majors in:

• General Biology with lab (usually 1 semester each of cellular biology and organismal biology or 3 quarters of cellular, organismal, and evolutionary biology)
  
• General chemistry with lab (inorganic chemistry with quantitative analysis)
  Note: General chemistry with organic and biochemistry combinations are not acceptable.

Three (3) semester or four (4) quarter units of each of the following:

• Human anatomy with lab
• Physiology with lab
• Microbiology with lab

2. Non-Sciences:

• Statistics, preferably statistics for psychology, sociology or biology. Introduction to Statistics offered by a math department is acceptable.
• Introduction to Psychology, 3 semester or 4 quarter unit course;
• Spanish Language, 6 semester or 8 quarter units (1 academic year [9 months] sequence);
• English Composition, 6 semester or 8 quarter units (1 academic year [9 months] sequence).

Note: Students are encouraged to have a strong competency in medical terminology. It is strongly recommended that applicants take a class and/or complete a self-study course in medical terminology (available in texts as well as computer-based formats).

GRE or MCAT Examination

Applicants are required to take either the GRE or MCAT examination. The examination must be taken within five (5) years of the coursework deadline of June 30, 2009. Official scores of the General and Analytical sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) must be submitted to USC by using the Institutional Code 4852 (departmental code is not necessary). Applicants with MCAT scores must provide their AAMC verification code to the USC PA Program. GRE or MCAT scores must be submitted by December 1, 2008.

The USC Graduate School requires that applicants earn a combined Quantitative and Verbal GRE score of no less than 1,000.

Clinical Experience

Hands-on, patient care clinical experience is preferred. Successful applicants often have worked as one of the following: emergency medical technician, licensed vocational nurse, medical technologist, military medical corpsman, paramedic, psychiatric technician, radiologic technician, respiratory therapist, registered nurse, or medical assistant (back office). Other health care experience is equally acceptable as long as the clinical experience is hands-on in nature. It is important that PA applicants are familiar with medical care environments, have experience working with patients, and have shadowed a PA.

Community Service Activities

Community service activities/projects are required of all applicants. Service which benefits medically underserved or disadvantaged groups is highly desirable as the USC Primary Care PA Program has a commitment to training its students as primary care providers with these populations.

Letters of Reference

Three (3) letters of reference are required. Reference letters should not be from personal friends or family members. Letters of reference must be submitted directly to CASPA and postmarked on or before December 1, 2008.

Personal Interview

After an initial screening and assessment of applications, a portion of the applicants are invited for an interview. Interviewees are required to bring a passport-size photo I.D. Interviews typically are conducted in Alhambra between early fall and early spring.

Health Requirements and Technical Standards

All accepted candidates are required to meet the PA Program’s Technical Standards (physical and psychological competencies of performance) prior to entering the Program and throughout training. Upon acceptance, students will be required to submit and maintain evidence of current health status and immunizations. Students are also required to maintain University-approved health care insurance coverage while enrolled in the Program. The University offers a health plan.