Physician Assistant Prerequisite Coursework

  1. Prerequisite Coursework must be completed by the December (end of the fall semester) immediately preceding enrollment into the PA program.

  2. Required Coursework

    3. Required Courses
    Semester Hours
    Comments
    Human or Vertebrate Anatomy 4 Includes one credit laboratory
    Preference to anatomy courses offered within a biology department
    Human or Vertebrate Physiology 4 Includes one credit laboratory
    Preference to physiology courses offered within a biology department
    Biology 8 Includes two, one credit laboratories
    Basic biology courses should include a strong background in cell biology, genetics, and immunology.
    Upper Level Biology 3 One term of upper level biology including but not limited to: Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Histology, Immunology, Embryology, Biochemistry
    Microbiology 4 Includes one credit laboratory
    General Chemistry 4 Includes one credit laboratory
    Medical Terminology Can be credit derived or a certificate
    Statistics 3 Recommended but not required Biostatistics, Epidemiology
    Psychology 3 Recommended but not required one term of Developmental Psychology
    Humanities and Social Sciences 9 Must include one upper level course that focuses on developing a deeper understanding of the human condition including but not limited to: ethics, public health, sociology, religion, anthropology
    Recommended Courses
    These courses are not required, however they provide a good foundation for the study of medicine. Organic Chemistry, Medical Ethics, Cultural Diversity, Physics, or any upper level Biology Course listed above
    The Anatomy and Physiology requirements may be met by taking either one semester of Anatomy and one semester of Physiology, or two semesters of Anatomy and Physiology combined.

  3. GPA
    • Minimum Science GPA of 3.0 (greater than or equal to 3.2 recommended)
    • Minimum overall GPA of 3.0 (greater than or equal to 3.2 recommended)
    • The strength of the institution where science courses are taken is a factor in the decision making process for acceptance.

  4. GRE
    • The GRE must have been taken within five years prior to enrolling at High Point University.
    • Preference will be given to candidates who score 153 on verbal and 144 on quantitative sections on GRE tests taken on or after August 1, 2011, and candidates who score 500 on verbal and 500 on quantitative sections on GRE tests taken prior to August 1, 2011.

  5. Patient Care/Clinical Experience
    • Minimum of 200 hours volunteer or work experience in a health care setting with at least 15 of these hours spent working with or observing a physician assistant (may be in progress).
    • Preference will be given to applicants having greater than 200 hours of volunteer or work experience and to those applicants having experience that requires a period of training and results in direct (hands-on) patient care. Evidence of community service in a health care setting is highly valued.

  6. Coursework Completed at Non-U.S. Schools
    • Applicants educated outside the U.S. and Canada must utilize a transcript evaluation service to document their schooling. The academic record must show credits and grades equivalent to those given by U.S. institutions of higher learning. At High Point University we prefer to utilize WES – the World Education Services http://www.wes.org/.
    • It is the responsibility of the applicant to submit transcripts to WES and get the translation by the deadline dates.

  7. Advanced Placement
    • Advanced placement is defined as a waiver of required coursework included in the PA curriculum for applicants to the program. All courses within the curriculum are required, no transfer credit is accepted, no credit is granted for pre-admission experiential learning, and no advanced placement is awarded.

  8. TECHNICAL STANDARDS

    9. A candidate for the MPAS degree must have abilities and skills in five general areas:

    a. Observation – A candidate must be able to:
    observe demonstrations, visual presentations in lectures and laboratories.
    observe patients accurately and completely both at a distance and closely.
    This standard requires functional vision, hearing, and somatic sensation.

    b. Communication – A candidate should be able to:
    perceive nonverbal communication, speak intelligibly, hear sufficiently, and observe patients in order to elicit information.
    elicit and transmit patient information in oral and written English to members of the healthcare team.
    communicate effectively and sensitively with patients.
    possess demonstrated reading skills at a level sufficient to accomplish curricular requirements and provide clinical care for patients.
    be capable of completing appropriate medical records and documents in the written and electronic form in a thorough and timely manner.

    c. Sensory and Motor Coordination and Function – A candidate must:
    possess motor skills sufficient to directly perform palpation, percussion, auscultation, and other basic diagnostic procedures.
    be able to execute motor movements required to provide basic medical care. Examples of basic medical care include but are not limited to: airway management, placement of catheters, suturing, phlebotomy, application of sufficient pressure to control bleeding, simple obstetrical maneuvers, etc. (Such actions require coordination of gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision).
    be able to manipulate equipment and instruments to perform basic laboratory tests and procedures.
    be able to transport themselves from one location to another in a timely fashion in order to facilitate patient care responsibilities and necessary to receive educational training.

    d. Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities Problem solving is the critical skill demanded of Physician Assistants.
    This requires that students have the ability to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, and synthesize. – A candidate must:
    be able to incorporate new information from peers, teachers, and the medical literature in formulating diagnoses and plans.
    be able to independently access and interpret medical histories or files.
    identify significant findings from history, physical examination, and laboratory data.
    provide a reasoned explanation for likely diagnoses and prescribed medications and therapy.
    recall and retain information in an efficient and timely manner.

    e. Behavioral and Social Attributes – A candidate must:
    possess the ability to use their intellectual capacity, exercise good judgment, and promptly complete all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis under potentially stressful and/or emergency circumstances.
    be able to accept criticism and respond by appropriate modification of behavior.
    be able to develop mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients and colleagues.
    have a high level of compassion for others with sufficient interpersonal skills to interact positively with people from all levels of society, all ethnic backgrounds, and all belief systems.
    be able to adapt to changing environments and to learn in the face of uncertainties inherent in the practice of medicine.
    be able to use supervision appropriately and act independently, when indicated.

    Technological compensation can be made for some disabilities in certain areas, but a candidate should be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner.