Admissions
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Admissions Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institution prior to matriculation into the program
- Minimum 3.20 cumulative GPA with a minimum 3.0 science GPA (See Other Requirements section below for more information).
- GRE Scores: Aggregate Verbal and Quantitative (V+Q) Reasoning ≥ 290, Analytical Writing ≥ 3.5 (See Other Requirements section below for more information).
- ≥ 250 patient contact hourswhere an applicant has direct patient contact
Completion of all listed prerequisites is required prior to starting the program.
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED:
- Shadowing a physician assistant, practicing physician, or nurse practitioner
- Successful applicants generally have MORE THAN 300 hours of community service (not including religious or military service).
Application Materials
- Completed CASPA application
You will submit all application materials within your CASPA application. These materials will include:*- Official transcripts** from bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
- Resume or CV detailing education, employment, volunteer service, and scholarly activity
- Personal Statement
- Three letters of recommendation: At least one from a PA, MD, DO or NP is strongly recommended
*To be considered for an interview, all materials, including GRE scores, must be received and VERIFIED by CASPA. From CASPA’s website, “To ensure the application is verified on time, applications must be completed (e-submitted, payment received, transcripts received, and two letters of recommendation received) at least four weeks in advance of the deadline date.”
**You must request official transcripts from your previous institution’s Registrar’s Office. Official transcripts should be sent directly to CASPA. Any transcripts emailed from the applicant will be considered unofficial.
Other Requirements
GPA Requirements
The minimum required cumulative GPA is 3.20 and the minimum required science GPA is 3.00. However, applicants who meet only one of the above two criteria will be considered for an interview if there is strong evidence of improved academic performance in more recently completed coursework. This is evidenced by meeting the following criteria:
- GPA of 3.20 or higher for the most recent CASPA verified 20 semester hours, which could include the science-related prerequisites (not including Statistics, College Algebra, Psychology, or Medical Terminology) or upper-level science courses (300-level or higher)
PLEASE NOTE: The GPAs derived from the CASPA application are the only values considered for application screening. GPAs will not be recalculated based on coursework completed following application submission via CASPA.
Health Care Experience
We require our applicants to have healthcare experience because:
- They need to be comfortable working intimately with diverse patients who manifest with a variety of conditions and diseases.
- They need to fully understand:
- the physician assistant profession
- the significant differences between PAs and other practitioners—including allied health providers
- how PAs operate within the medical system
Direct Patient Contact Experience
To be considered for an interview, applicants must have at least 250 hours of direct patient contact experience documented in CASPA at the time of e-submission.
Examples of specific positions that would qualify as direct patient contact experience include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Athletic Trainer
- Dental Hygienist
- Dietician
- Emergency Room Technician
- Medical/Nursing Assistant
- Military Medic or Corpsman
- Nurse (LPN, RN)
- Ophthalmology Technician
- Paramedic/EMT
- Patient Care Technician
- Phlebotomist
- Physical Therapy Assistant
- Radiologic Technician
- Surgical Technologist
Volunteer experience during which you have actively worked with patients and influenced their care also qualifies as direct patient contact experience. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Hospice
- Medical Mission
- Nursing Home
- Peace Corps
Other healthcare experiences having minimal or no direct patient care responsibility, such as administrative jobs and pharmacy assistants, do not count for direct patient contact experience.
Provider Shadowing
Shadowing medical providers is particularly valuable when considering a career as a physician assistant. We highly recommend that applicants shadow providers as described below:
- a primary care PA (i.e. one who practices in a general medicine area such as family medicine or internal medicine)
- a PA who practices in a specialty
- and at least one physician.
Additional shadowing of various types of providers will only further strengthen your application. Remember, the goal in shadowing is for applicants to have sufficient exposure to medical providers so they understand the PA profession, including how PAs differ from other providers and how they operate within the medical field. As it will assist members of the Program Admissions Committee in evaluating application strength, we highly recommend shadowing hours be documented in CASPA at the time of e-submission.
PLEASE NOTE: Provider shadowing does not qualify for direct patient contact experience.
Standardized Test Scores - GRE
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required for all applicants. We strongly encourage applicants to take the GRE by late August to ensure that CASPA receives the official scores by the September 1st deadline. All test scores are sent directly to CASPA by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Please use 3660 as the code number to designate score results for the RMU PA program.
To be considered for an interview, an aggregate score of at least 290 is required for the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning subsections. Additionally, an Analytical Writing score of at least 3.5 is expected. (**If the GRE score is in the range of 290-299, OR the Analytical Writing score is 3.0, the overall science GPA MUST be 3.3 or above to meet our GRE requirements.) The highest GRE score will be considered in the circumstances of multiple GRE scores.
For more detailed information about each subsection, please refer to the GRE Test Content and Structure web page by clicking here. PLEASE NOTE: Only GRE scores less than five years old from the time of application submission to CASPA will be accepted. In the event an applicant is not offered a seat in the program for a given cycle and reapplies for a subsequent cycle, they must again request that ETS send official scores to CASPA.
Standardized Test Scores - TOEFL
To be considered for an interview, all applicants for whom English is a second language must satisfy at least one of the following requirements:
Successful completion of undergraduate or graduate degree at an institution where English was the primary language of instruction
Achieve a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
Official TOEFL scores should be mailed directly to CASPA as described in the Standardized Tests section of their website:
Official TOEFL Scores should be mailed to CASPA in paper format. They must be original copies of the test and sent to CASPA directly from ETS. CASPA can NOT accept photocopied or electronic TOEFL scores. Please mail all official TOEFL scores to:
CASPA TOEFL SCORES P.O. Box 9108 Watertown, MA 02471
Advanced Placement
Interviews
All interviews are conducted in the Fall after the application deadline. Applicants invited to interview will be notified by email.
Vaccinations
Tech Requirements
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Prerequisite Course Requirements
All applicants must complete the required prerequisite coursework prior to beginning the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMU) Physician Assistant/Associate (PA) Program. Not every course must be completed prior to submitting an application. The RMU PA program allows applicants to have up to nine credits of prerequisite coursework in progress or planned at the time of application submission to CASPA. A feasible plan to complete outstanding prerequisite coursework must be documented in the CASPA application.
Course
Credits
Human Anatomy w/lab*3-4
NOTE: a two-semester combined Human Anatomy and Physiology course series is acceptable
Human Physiology (lab strongly recommended)* 3-4
NOTE: a two-semester combined Human Anatomy and Physiology course series is acceptable
General Biology w/lab4
General biology course designed for Biology or Physiology majors.
Microbiology w/lab*4
This course does not have to be one designed for Microbiology majors.
Eight Credits of Chemistry w/lab8-10
College Algebra or Higher OR College Statistics 3
100-level or higher course covering the foundations of Algebra. A calculus course fulfills this requirement. AP credit or ACT/SAT scores may also count toward this requirement. A College Statistics course also fulfills this requirement.
Psychology 3
Medical Terminology*1-3
To be considered for the RMU PA program, each prerequisite course with an * must have been completed within ten years of the cohort start date. Additionally, credits must have been earned from a regionally accredited institution and be verifiable through official transcripts or accepted by a National Association of Credentialing Evaluation Services (NACES) accredited U.S. equivalency reporting agency.
Prerequisite courses must be successfully completed with a grade of C or better. In plus-minus grading systems, a grade of C- does not qualify as a C. Applicants offered seats contingent upon successful completion of outstanding prerequisites must complete each remaining course with a grade of B or better (earning a grade of B- does not qualify as a B).
Additional Recommended Courses
Course
Credits
Genetics or Cellular Biology3-4
Though not required, taking at least one of these courses is highly recommended.
NOTE: Although not mandatory, these courses help better prepare students for the rigors of PA program coursework
Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry3-4
Though not required, taking at least one of these courses is highly recommended.
NOTE: Although not mandatory, these courses help better prepare students for the rigors of PA program coursework
Technical Writing3-4
Though not required, a technical writing course is highly recommended due to the volume of graduate writing and charting assignments.
Check Prerequisites
Please note that the classes listed in the table below are our preferred courses from local Utah schools as well as BYU-Idaho. However, alternative courses not listed may also be approved. If you have any questions regarding your specific coursework or would like to request an evaluation, please fill out our prerequisite check form.
BYU
| Required Course | Credits | BYU Class |
|---|---|---|
| Human Anatomy with Lab* | 3-4 | CELL 220, CELL 210 |
| Human Physiology with optional Lab* | 3-4 | CELL 305, CELL 362 + 363 (optional) |
| General Biology with Lab | 4 | BIO 130, CELL 120 + MMBIO 241, MMBIO 240 + MMBIO 241 |
| Microbiology with Lab* | 4 | MMBIO 221 + 222, MMBIO 151 |
| Chemistry Series with Lab | 8-10 | Any 8 credits of Chemistry with at least one lab |
| College Algebra (100 level) OR Waived from ACT/SAT Score OR Higher Level Math OR Approved Statistics Course | 3 | MATH 110, STAT 105, STAT 121, HLTH 447 |
| Psychology (100 level) | 3 | PSYCH 111, PSYCH 342 |
| Medical Terminology (100 level)* | 1-3 | NURS 102, LATIN 123 |
BYU-I
| Required Course | Credits | BYU-I Class |
|---|---|---|
| Human Anatomy with Lab* | 3-4 | BIO 264 + 264L |
| Human Physiology with optional Lab* | 3-4 | BIO 265 + 265L |
| General Biology with Lab | 4 | BIO 180 |
| Microbiology with Lab* | 4 | BIO 221 + 222 |
| Chemistry Series with Lab | 8-10 | Any 8 credits of Chemistry with at least one lab |
| College Algebra (100 level) OR Waived from ACT/SAT Score OR Higher Level Math OR Approved Statistics Course | 3 | FDMAT 110, MATH 221B, MATH 221C |
| Psychology (100 level) | 3 | PSYCH 111, PSYCH 342 |
| Medical Terminology (100 level)* | 1-3 | HS 280 |
University of Utah
| Required Course | Credits | U of U Class |
|---|---|---|
| Human Anatomy with Lab* | 3-4 | BIOL 2325 |
| Human Physiology with optional Lab* | 3-4 | BIOL 2420 |
| General Biology with Lab | 4 | BIOL 1610 + 1615 |
| Microbiology with Lab* | 4 | BIOL 3210 + 3205, PATH 3100 + BIOL 3205 |
| Chemistry Series with Lab | 8-10 | Any 8 credits of Chemistry with at least one lab |
| College Algebra (100 level) OR Waived from ACT/SAT Score OR Higher Level Math OR Approved Statistics Course | 3 | MATH 1050, MATH 1100, MDCRC 6050, MDCRC 6000, MATH 1070 |
| Psychology (100 level) | 3 | PSY 1010, PSY 2300 |
| Medical Terminology (100 level)* | 1-3 | H EDU 3030 |
Utah Valley University
| Required Course | Credits | UVU Class |
|---|---|---|
| Human Anatomy with Lab* | 3-4 | ZOOL 2320 + 2325 |
| Human Physiology with optional Lab* | 3-4 | ZOOL 2420 + 2425 |
| General Biology with Lab | 4 | BIOL 1610 + 1615 |
| Microbiology with Lab* | 4 | MICR 2060 + 2065 |
| Chemistry Series with Lab | 8-10 | Any 8 credits of Chemistry with at least one lab |
| College Algebra (100 level) OR Waived from ACT/SAT Score OR Higher Level Math OR Approved Statistics Course | 3 | MATH 1050, STAT 1040, STAT 2040, BESC 3020 |
| Psychology (100 level) | 3 | PSY 1010 |
| Medical Terminology (100 level)* | 1-3 | HLTH 1300 |
Southern Utah University
| Required Course | Credits | SUU Class |
|---|---|---|
| Human Anatomy with Lab* | 3-4 | BIOL 2320 + 2325 |
| Human Physiology with optional Lab* | 3-4 | BIOL 2420 + 2425 |
| General Biology with Lab | 4 | BIOL 1610 + 1615 |
| Microbiology with Lab* | 4 | BIOL 3010 + 3015, BIOL 2060 + 2065 |
| Chemistry Series with Lab | 8-10 | Any 8 credits of Chemistry with at least one lab |
| College Algebra (100 level) OR Waived from ACT/SAT Score OR Higher Level Math OR Approved Statistics Course | 3 | MATH 1050, MATH 1040 |
| Psychology (100 level) | 3 | PSY 1010, PSY 2300 |
| Medical Terminology (100 level)* | 1-3 | SCI 1010 |
Salt Lake Community College
| Required Course | Credits | SLCC Class |
|---|---|---|
| Human Anatomy with Lab* | 3-4 | BIOL 2320 + 2325 |
| Human Physiology with optional Lab* | 3-4 | BIOL 2420 + 2425 |
| General Biology with Lab | 4 | BIOL 1610 + 1615 |
| Microbiology with Lab* | 4 | BIOL 2060 + 2065 |
| Chemistry Series with Lab | 8-10 | Any 8 credits of Chemistry with at least one lab |
| College Algebra (100 level) OR Waived from ACT/SAT Score OR Higher Level Math OR Approved Statistics Course | 3 | MATH 1050, MATH 1040, MATH 2040 |
| Psychology (100 level) | 3 | PSY 1010, PSY 2300 |
| Medical Terminology (100 level)* | 1-3 | HS 1100, TEMA 1080, TEMO 1011 |
Utah State University
| Required Course | Credits | USU Class |
|---|---|---|
| Human Anatomy with Lab* | 3-4 | BIOL 2320 |
| Human Physiology with optional Lab* | 3-4 | BIOL 2420 |
| General Biology with Lab | 4 | BIOL 1610 + 1615 |
| Microbiology with Lab* | 4 | BIOL 3300, BIOL 2060 |
| Chemistry Series with Lab | 8-10 | Any 8 credits of Chemistry with at least one lab |
| College Algebra (100 level) OR Waived from ACT/SAT Score OR Higher Level Math OR Approved Statistics Course | 3 | MATH 1050, PSY 3010, STAT 1040, STAT 3000 |
| Psychology (100 level) | 3 | PSY 1010, PSY 3210 |
| Medical Terminology (100 level)* | 1-3 | NURS 1008, NDFS 3600 |
Weber State University
| Required Course | Credits | Weber Class |
|---|---|---|
| Human Anatomy with Lab* | 3-4 | HTHS 1110, LS ZOOL 2100 |
| Human Physiology with optional Lab* | 3-4 | HTHS 1111, ZOOL 2200 |
| General Biology with Lab | 4 | ZOOL 1610 |
| Microbiology with Lab* | 4 | MICR 2054 LS |
| Chemistry Series with Lab | 8-10 | Any 8 credits of Chemistry with at least one lab |
| College Algebra (100 level) OR Waived from ACT/SAT Score OR Higher Level Math OR Approved Statistics Course | 3 | MATH 1050 QL, PSY 3600, SOC 3600, MATH 1040 QL, HIM 3200 |
| Psychology (100 level) | 3 | PSY 1010 SS, PSY 3010 |
| Medical Terminology (100 level)* | 1-3 | HTHS 1101 |
Utah Tech University
| Required Course | Credits | Utah Tech Class |
|---|---|---|
| Human Anatomy with Lab* | 3-4 | BIOL 2320 + 2325 |
| Human Physiology with optional Lab* | 3-4 | BIOL 2420 + 2425 |
| General Biology with Lab | 4 | BIOL 1610 + 1615 |
| Microbiology with Lab* | 4 | BIOL 2060 + 2065 |
| Chemistry Series with Lab | 8-10 | Any 8 credits of Chemistry with at least one lab |
| College Algebra (100 level) OR Waived from ACT/SAT Score OR Higher Level Math OR Approved Statistics Course | 3 | MATH 1050, MATH 1040, BIOL 3150, BIOL 3155 |
| Psychology (100 level) | 3 | PSY 1010, PSY 2400 |
| Medical Terminology (100 level)* | 1-3 | HLOC 1000 |
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Application Process
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Application Analysis Process
Scoring Areas and Weighting
Utilizing a detailed rubric, applicants receive a score in each of the four categories listed in the table below. The weight assigned to each category is included in the right hand column.
55%
Application Screening
Admission to the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMU) Physician Assistant/Associate (PA) program is highly competitive. Individuals who submit applications meeting the minimum qualifications as described on the Application Requirements and Prerequisite Courses pages will have their applications scored on a 100-point scale.
An individual’s application is screened only once—after all application materials have been verified by CASPA (including GRE scores). No additional materials pertaining to screening will be considered after this point for the application cycle. For example, if GPA requirements are not met at the time of application screening, GPA scores will not be recalculated to determine if an applicant qualifies for scoring in the event additional coursework is completed. Therefore, candidates must verify that their application fully qualifies when they submit it via CASPA.
Application Scoring
Academic Strength
Evaluation of academic strength is based on transcript history, GPA, and GRE scores. Several variables are considered. Academic Strength accounts for 55% of the total score for a total of 55 points. Academic Strength Breakdown is as follows: GRE 10 points, GRE Written 5 points, Science GPA 15 points, Overall GPA 15 points, Anatomy & Physiology Course Grades 10 points.
Health Care Experience
- Health Care Experience is scored based on the quality of patient care experience
- An additional point is given for over 1000 hours of experience
- An additional point is given for administrative/leadership responsibilities
- A maximum of 25 points can be earned
- No shadowing experience with a PA will result in a deduction of points
Social Engagement
Candidates with a history of active volunteerism and engagement in their communities, school settings, and global opportunities are highly valued. Quantity, quality, and depth of involvement are considered, including the extent to which one engages with others either in leadership roles or as a participant. Examples include but are not limited to:
- medical mission trips
- leadership opportunities
- community service activities
- military service
- service for one’s church or religious establishment
- team sports, collegiate clubs, and extracurricular activities.
Please list specific service projects separately. For example, if you organized a blood drive in association with a service group or extracurricular club, please list the blood drive as a separate entry in CASPA.
Please specify any leadership roles held in clubs or organizations (e.g. team captain, activity coordinator, vice president, board of directors).
Please specify whether you volunteered or received compensation for an activity.
Please include only activities completed after high school graduation.
Our successful applicants average > 300 hours of community service (not including religious, military, and collegiate service). Please include ANY type of service that you have completed on your application including religious, military, and collegiate service.
PLEASE NOTE: CASPA does not provide a section in their online application system specifically entitled Social Engagement. Please include experiences appropriate for this category in the Volunteer/Community Enrichment section.
- Up to five points can be earned for religious service
- Up to five points can be earned for University involvement (service, clubs, sports)
- Up to 15 points can be earned for community service
- Up to 5 points can be earned for military service
- A maximum of 20 points can be earned
References
References provide an opportunity for program faculty to examine external perspectives of applicants’ potential for success. Applicants are encouraged to choose references who are able to comment on the categories described above. It is strongly recommended that, at minimum, one of these references be from a PA, MD, DO, or NP. No reference from a PA, MD, or NP will result in a deduction of points.