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Admission

Admission

MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT ADMISSION CYCLE FOR MAY 2014 IS open.

Interview appointments and opportunities go quickly.  Because the program uses a rolling admissions process, early interviewees are able to have their applications considered by the admissions committee more frequently.

Applicants will have until March 1st, 2014 to submit their completed applications to the Physician Assistant Program through the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA).  Completed applications must arrive at the Physician Assistant Program Admissions office by the March 1st deadline. Be sure to allow for CASPA processing time.

Information Sessions

Information sessions are held at the PA Medical Education Center located on the third floor of the Baptist Healthplex on the Mississippi College main campus.  Information sessions are held at 3pm on the third Wednesday of each month.These sessions are open to the public, contact our office 601.925.7383 if need additional information.

The Physician Assistant Program admits one cohort each year, at the beginning of the summer semester. Applicants must have completed all pre-requisites before matriculation into the PA program. Applicants may have no more than two outstanding pre-requisite courses (not including labs) at the time of application to the program. No transfer credit will be allowed from other PA programs and advanced placement is not permitted.

Admission to the physician assistant program is highly competitive. The admissions committee considers a number of factors when selecting applicants for interviews and for matriculation into the program.

Minimum requirements for admission to the physician assistant program include: 

  1. A Bachelors Degree from an accredited university.
  2. Completion of all pre-requisite courses with a grade of C or better from an accredited university or college within the United States. All prerequisites must have been completed within the 10 years prior to the expected date of matriculation at an accredited institution within the United States. With the exception of statistics, on-line coursework will not be accepted for pre-requisite courses.
  3. A cumulative overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 of a possible 4.0 on all undergraduate and graduate work completed at an accredited university or college.
  4. A cumulative biology, chemistry and physics grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 of a possible 4.0 on all undergraduate and graduate work completed at an accredited university or college.
  5. An appropriate GRE test score at or above the published minimum for the School of Graduate and Professional Studies.
  6. Consistent with State law for health care providers, and for compliance with hospital and health center requirements, criminal background checks and/or drug screenings may be required. Failure to successfully meet requirements for the background check or drug screening may result in denial of admission or dismissal from the physician assistant program.
  7. Applicants must have completed all required immunizations (as outlined in the PA student handbook) prior to matriculation.
  8. Applicants must meet all technical standards as evaluated by the admissions committee. 

Admission to the physician assistant program is a highly competitive process. An interview with the admissions committee is required. The requirements listed above are the minimum for admission to the program. Prospective PA students are strongly encouraged to exceed minimum levels of work, especially in relation to grade point average, grades in the prerequisite courses, and scores on the GRE and clinical experience hours. Applicants may request exceptions through a petition letter to the PA program Admissions Committee.  The Admissions Committee will select those most qualified for the positions available. When selecting applicants for interview, the Committee may take into account any and all aspects of the student’s prior educational record. These factors include but are not limited to:

  1. Grade point averages in the areas listed above.
  2. Quality points earned in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics courses.
  3. Quality and quantity of direct and indirect patient care experience.
  4. GRE test scores.
  5. Letters of recommendation.
  6. Student essay and expressed goals congruent to the mission of the PA program.
  7. Test scores from other standardized tests such as the Medical College Admissions Test or the Health Sciences Reasoning Test.
  8. Honors, awards and community service.
  9. State of Residence
  10. Prior work experience.

For physician assistant students, the costs of uniforms, immunizations, physical examinations, diagnostic equipment, malpractice insurance, standardized tests, board review, professional association fees, clinical lab and technology fees are in addition to the standard university tuition, fees, and books. Some clinical rotations may require students to temporarily reside outside of the Jackson metropolitan area. While reasonable efforts will be made to provide housing, ultimately, students are responsible for their own housing and transportation at all clinical training sites.

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