Admission criteria: The established qualifications and standards that applicants must meet to be considered for acceptance into the program. These criteria ensure that candidates possess the necessary academic background, professional certification, and potential for success in a rigorous doctoral-level curriculum. Meeting these criteria does not guarantee admission but establishes the minimum eligibility requirements. The admissions criteria include:
- A graduate of an ARC-PA accredited program or international equivalent;
- Current physician assistant certification (NCCPA or other); or unencumbered licensure as a physician assistant in the U.S.A. or international jurisdiction within nine (9) months post matriculation;
- Demonstrated potential for success in an advanced rigorous doctoral-level program (e.g., GPA & extracurricular activities);
- No history of self-reported negative legal, administrative, or licensure action related to the practice of medicine or medical education;
- An applicant whose native language is not English needs to submit scores from the combined TOEFL and TSE examination unless the applicant is a graduate of a U.S. college or university. The minimum required score for the IBT (Internet Based Testing) is 79 and a minimum score of 26 is required for the speaking component.
Candidates are encouraged to continue practicing clinically as a PA or actively teaching in graduate medical education while enrolled in the program, though this is not required.
Medical Education Major applicants without 2 years of full-time academic experience are recommended to start the program in the Fall semester; however, it is not required.
Please see the DMS Academic Recruitment, Admissions, and Enrollment Policy in the DMS Student Handbook for further information.