Master of Physician Assistant Practice

Physician Assistant Practice – MP6356

School of Rehabilitation and Communication Sciences
Division of Physician Assistant Practice
6805 Bobcat Way
Suite 112
Dublin, OH 43016
614.793.5619
PAinfo@ohio.edu

Delivery Mode:  Dublin Campus

Terms of Entry:  Spring

Program Overview

The College of Health Sciences and Professions offers a master’s degree in Physician Assistant Practice (MPAP) at Ohio University’s Dublin Integrated Education Center located in Dublin, Ohio.

The mission of the Ohio University Master of Physician Assistant Practice Program is to prepare students to be leaders in physician assistant practice in any clinical setting with a particular emphasis on primary care in urban and rural medically underserved communities in Ohio and throughout Appalachia using an interprofessional team approach.

The Ohio University Physician Assistant (PA) Program includes 72 semester hours of didactic coursework and 30 hours of clinical rotations for a total of 102 semester hours.

The program educationally prepares students in six areas:  1) Didactic coursework, 2) Clinical skills, 3) Professionalism, 4) Interprofessional education and work environments, 5) Cultural awareness and sensitivity, and 6) Clinical rotations in urban/ rural community-based practice settings as well as rotations in university affiliated academic medical centers.

This is a full-time program over seven consecutive semesters.

Program Learning Outcomes

The Ohio University PA Program educates qualified individuals to be highly skilled licensed health care providers who practice team-based medicine in collaboration with physicians. Upon completion of the program:

• Students will be able to elicit and interpret a comprehensive, detailed and accurate medical history for patients across the lifespan and genders and in any clinical setting.
• Students will be able to perform a detailed or problem focused physical exam across the lifespan and gender and in any clinical setting.
• Students will be able to document and present pertinent patient data in a complete, clear and concise manner that is meaningful and informative for the healthcare team.
• Students will be able to demonstrate communication skills to provide complete and well-organized case presentations to other members of the healthcare team.
• Students will be able to perform and/or interpret routine diagnostic studies including common radiographic studies, routine laboratory tests and electrocardiographic studies, based on the patient’s medical history and physical examination to help assist in the diagnosis.

These outcomes are derived from the OHIO PA Program Learning Outcomes and adapted from The Competencies for the Physician Assistant Profession and can be accessed at: http://www.nccpa.net/PAC/Competencies_home.aspx.

Opportunities for Graduates

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, PAs had a median annual salary in May 2017 of $104,860 with the top 10 percent of the profession earning more than $146,260. With the aging population and with the rapidly changing healthcare environment, significant growth is expected over the next decade.

Further Information

Link to Program:  https://www.ohio.edu/chsp/rehab/physician-assistant

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree: Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or equivalent. The bachelor’s degree must be conferred before or by December 31 of the application year.
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0: CASPA will compute a merged cumulative GPA based on each institution attended. The merged GPA must be a 3.0 in order to meet minimum application standards.
• A minimum prerequisite math and science GPA of 3.0: The math and science GPA is based upon the program prerequisite courses. If an applicant retakes prerequisite courses or takes a higher-level course, the OHIO PA admissions committee may take the most recent grade into consideration.
• Prerequisite Courses
  • Potential applicants should check the program website for details about all of the prerequisite courses:
  • All prerequisite coursework must be completed with a minimum grade of “C.” At the time of application, a candidate can only have two outstanding prerequisite courses. Alternative grading options given during the COVID-19 pandemic will be subject to further review. If given the option, applicants should elect to keep the standard letter grade for the course in progress. If an alternative (pass/satisfactory) grade is elected, a formal letter from the graduating institution verifying that a C or higher was earned in the course will be required at the time of application. OHIO’s PA program reserves the right to decline coursework with alternative grades. All prerequisite courses must be completed by December 31 in the year in which the application occurs.
  • Prerequisite science courses must be at the pre-medical or pre-health professional level. Students should check course equivalents with their academic advisor at their home institution.
  • If students have questions about preadmission coursework, please contact our admissions office at PAadmissions@ohio.edu.
• GRE: Candidate must submit official GRE scores. GRE scores are valid for five years as of test date. Students will submit official GRE scores directly to Central Application Sercvice for Physician Assistants (CASPA) from ETS. Ohio University has a CASPA specific GRE code: 0957.
• International Academic Documents: International candidates must provide a complete English translation of transcript(s) from one of the four agencies listed on CASPA’s website. International candidates should also provide copies of a final diploma or degree certificate in native language with English translation.
• English Proficiency: All non-native English speaking candidates must demonstrate English proficiency by submitting official test scores for either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). To be considered official, test score must be reported directly from the testing agency to CASPA, and Ohio University Graduate College upon invitation. More information can be located on the Ohio University Graduate College website.

• TOEFL – Paper (PBT) Minimum Score: 577
• TOEFL – iBT Minimum Score: 90
• IELTS – Academic Minimum Score: 7.5 across all bands

• Previous Healthcare Experience (or PA 2110 for Ohio University students): Students are required to have direct hands-on patient care experience acquired within five years of matriculation. Experiences can be full-time, part-time or volunteer. Clinical experiences will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of the experience (no minimum number of hours required).
  • Some examples of acceptable experiences are listed here, but this is not an exhaustive list: athletic trainer, medical assistant, military medic or corpsman, nurse, STNA, EMT, patient care assistant.
  • For Ohio University students, PA 2110 Introduction to the PA Profession can be substituted for the healthcare experience requirement; however, additional healthcare experience is recommended.

• Professional Recommendations: Candidates must submit 2-3 recommendations as required by CASPA. At least one reference must be from a practicing physician or physician assistant.

In keeping with the mission of Ohio University, the PA Program is actively seeking candidates who are residents of Appalachia regions of Ohio. The PA Program is also recruiting US Military Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve and / or Veterans. Special consideration will be given to those candidates who meet all admissions requirements and who have the ability to address the needs of the medically underserved in the following statuses.

• Appalachian Students: To be considered a resident of Appalachia, a candidate must reside in an Ohio county identified as Appalachia by the Appalachian Regional Commission (i.e., Adams, Ashtabula, Athens, Belmont, Brown, Carroll, Clermont, Columbiana, Coshocton, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mahoning, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Vinton, and Washington).
• US Military Veterans: To be considered a US Military Veteran, a candidate must be a current honorably discharged Veteran or on Active Duty, National Guard or Reserve. Proof of service will include a notarized copy of your DD-Form 214, retirement orders or current retiree ID card. Candidates in current active military status must provide a letter from their commander or supervisor attesting for the current active status of the military member and an active ID card.

International Students

This program does not permit full-time enrollment in residence at Ohio University, and an I-20 cannot be issued based on admission to this program.

Graduation Requirements

Complete 102 credit hours as follows: