| If you require additional information about admissions or an
application, please contact the
General
Admissions Office at 706- 721-2725 or the Physician Assistant
Department, 706- 721-3246. |
I have been working
diligently to meet the prerequisites to apply for the Bachelors of
Physician Assistant degree. Are there new prerequisites for the Master of
Physician Assistant (MPA) degree? How can I find out what the
prerequisites are?
There are new
prerequisites for the MPA degree.
Contact the General Admissions
Office for further details about the
changes.
(previous
page)
What is the length of the Masters of Physician Assistant Program?
Our program begins in May and ends 27 months later in August.
What is the application
date?
The application deadline is closed effective December 20, 2007. Applications in progress must ensure all required materials (which include your personal statement, 3 letters of reference, official school transcripts and GRE scores) to complete the application must be received by January 15, 2008. We will not accept any applications submitted after December 20, 2007.
Interviews are scheduled as complete applications are received, so early application is encouraged. (previous
page)
What "counts" in admission?
We use an
evaluation system that is based on the overall undergraduate grade point
average, transfer grade point average, math/science grade point
average, and work experience in the medical field in order to determine
who is qualified for further consideration and a personal interview. After
the initial screening of the application you may or may not be qualified
for a personal interview. Once the interview is completed, we then also
include an evaluation of the quality of references, writing ability,
personal interview and an overall assessment of the application by several
members of the admissions committee.
(previous
page)
How many are usually interviewed?
We try
to interview between 100 and 150 applicants for the 40 program
spaces.
(previous
page)
Do you accept out of state residents?
We
accept out of state residents. However we do give preference first to
Georgia residents, then to residents of states that do not have a
Physician Assistant Program.
(previous
page)
What about my references?
MCG requires
that you have at least three references for
admissions. We recommend strongly that at least one of your references be
provided by a physician assistant who has seen you in action with patients
or in a volunteer capacity. More weight is given to references that are
provided by individuals who have observed your interactions with people in
a clinical setting.
(previous
page)
Is the G.R.E. required?
Yes, a minimum combined GRE score of 900 is needed for full admission. The results of all three components (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing sections) of the general GRE exam must be provided. GRE scores dated within the last 5 years will be acceptable.
(previous
page)
What kind of GPA do I need to have?
We
require a minimum GPA of 3.0 overall and a 2.8 in your math/science
courses for the PA program. However, due to competition, the previous
classes have averaged a GPA of 3.4 both overall and in math/science
coursework.
(previous
page)
I had to retake some of my science courses
because I got D's the first time. Will this hurt my chances?
It
will be a disadvantage for you since it will affect your GPA, although it
will not eliminate you from consideration provided you have successfully
completed all of the prerequisite courses at a grade of "C" or higher. We
include all college courses in calculating your overall undergraduate and
math/science GPA.
(previous
page)
I didn't know what I wanted to do when I went to
school ten years ago and got poor grades. After working for five years, I
now know that I want to work as a physician assistant. I've gotten good
grades since returning to school. Can you "forgive" my old
grades?
We do look at the overall trend and definitely take that
into consideration when we evaluate your application, especially if you
have returned to school and have done well with a significant course load.
However, your overall GPA will still reflect your entire academic career
so you will need to be more competitive in other areas such as experience
and references.
(previous
page)
Would it be to my advantage to take more
science courses than the minimum required?
While it is not
necessary, and usually will not increase your chances to be admitted
(unless your previous grades were poor) it still may be beneficial to
have taken several other science courses. We always recommend that you
apply to more than one PA program. Successful completion of a course in
human anatomy and physiology contributes to successful completion of the
courses you will be taking here at MCG.
(previous
page)
It's been more than ten years since I took some
of my science courses. Will I have to retake them?
No, but it would
be helpful for you to review areas that would be appropriate for our
program such as anatomy/physiology and your chemistries.
(previous
page)
Do I have to complete all my prerequisites
before I can be accepted?
No, but applicants who have completed the
majority of their core courses are more competitive. We like to see
applicants within 1 or 2 courses of completing pre-requisites.
Are there any other courses or competencies
that I need?
CPR certification by the American Heart Association
(not the American Red Cross) preferably in Heartsaver First Aid, is
required prior to enrolling in the School of Allied Health Sciences.
(previous
page)
Why do you want volunteer/work
experience?
We want to be assured that you have adequately explored
the entire field of physician assistant and are certain of your career
choice. We also have found it to be extremely helpful for students in our
program to have some experience in the medical field. This helps us to
determine your abilities to work in a patient care area and gives us
information about your potential for success in a clinical
setting.
(previous
page)
How much volunteer/work experience do you
expect? We prefer that you have direct patient contact in a variety of
clinical or patient care settings. If most of your experience has been in
another type of health care setting such as nursing, you still need to
spend enough time in a patient care area in order to demonstrate that you
have adequately explored the field of physician assistant. We prefer that
you spend time in a variety of clinical settings such as rehabilitation,
acute care, emergency medicine or pediatrics rather than observing just
one type of practice setting.
(previous
page)
If English is not my first language, do I need to
present official TOEFL scores?
Applicants whose first language is
not English must submit official TOEFL and TSE-P scores. A minimum score
of 600 on the TOEFL and a minimum score of 50 on the TSE-P is required.
the TSE-A exam scores will not be accepted. Applicants must take both the
TOEFL and TSE-P no later than October 15th in order to be considered for
admission for the class admitted the following year.
(previous
page)
Can I go part-time to your program?
No. At
this time we only offer a full-time program.
(previous
page)
Will I be able to work while attending your
program?
We strongly discourage our students from working while in
school. Our program is
very demanding. Classes generally meet all day Monday through Friday with
homework assignments that fill evening and weekend hours. We cannot
prohibit you from working while in school, but most students find it
extremely difficult. At times working has been the major factor in
academic failure which resulted in dismissal. The Office of Financial Aid
is very helpful in finding alternative resources. There are also many
companies that will provide financial assistance in return for a specified
amount of time spent working at that facility. You will need to identify
these resources and treat them as you would any employment contract by
determining your willingness to work at their facility, assessing the
terms involved and comparing it to other opportunities.
It is also our policy
that students may not be used as regular staff.
(previous
page)
When will you let me know if I'm
accepted?
Offers of acceptance are extended by letter throughout
the interview season to selected candidates.
(previous
page)
What is an alternate list?
We often have
more qualified applicants than places in the class. Some qualified
applicants may be placed on an alternate list. If an accepted applicant
withdraws, an alternate may be contacted to fill that
position.
(previous
page)
I already have a medical professions degree.
Can I count any of my professional courses and exempt some of the PA
courses?
There is no advanced
placement, transfer of credit (except for the 90 semester hours of
prerequisites at an accredited college or university) or credit for
experiential learning allowed. Previous medical professions course
work will not be accepted toward completion of the MPA degree. It is
important that our students are exposed to specific course content.
To ensure this, only courses taught within our curriculum are
accepted for credit toward graduation.
(previous
page)
Where can I find more information about
Physician Assistants?
GAPA - Georgia Association of Physician Assistants
American Academy of
Physician Assistants
Physician Assistant Education
Association |
