Admission Requirements
The PA Program, which is administered by the Keck School of Medicine, expects that applicants have a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (on a scale in which A = 4.0). Students are chosen once a year for fall entry. Only applicants who (i) submit complete applications by December 1st; and (ii) complete all PA Program prerequisite course work and Bachelor degree requirements by June 30th of the year of enrollment will be considered for entry. All science prerequisite courses must be completed within ten (10) years of submission of your application; any prerequisite science course(s) in progress at the time of application must be completed by the end of the fall semester of the year prior to matriculation. It is highly recommended that science prerequisites be taken as recently as possible. No more than two non-science prerequisite courses can be in progress in the spring semester or quarter following the December 1st application deadline. If you are reapplying to the PA Program you must submit all new materials.
It is strongly recommended that applicants complete and submit both the CASPA Application and the Supplemental Application (including all supporting documents) by October 1st for early consideration, and no later than the December 1st deadline. In addition, it is recommended that applicants keep copies of all materials submitted to the PA Program.
The minimum standard for admission into the PA Program is a U.S. bachelor’s degree (in any discipline), or its equivalent, from an accredited institution, and completion of all PA prerequisite course work. It is expected that all science prerequisites be completed with a minimum grade point average of 2.75, with no individual science prerequisite grade less than a 2.0 (C). All prerequisites must be completed for a letter grade with at least a grade of C (2.0) earned.
Please Note: There is no waiver or substitution of the degree requirement, the prerequisite course requirements, or the time frame in which the course must be taken; there is no advanced standing offered on entry to, or during enrollment in the program.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the course equivalency listing to assure their coursework meets the PA Program prerequisite course requirements.
Coursework
1. Sciences:
One-year sequential coursework for science majors in:
-
General Biology with lab (usually 1 semester each of cellular biology and organismal biology or 3 quarters of cellular, organismal, and evolutionary biology)
-
General chemistry with lab (2 semesters or 3 quarters of inorganic chemistry with quantitative analysis)
Note: General chemistry with organic and biochemistry combinations are not acceptable.
Note: Human Anatomy and Physiology may be completed by taking a 2-semester sequential course of Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II or a 3-quarter sequential course of Human Anatomy and Physiology I, II and III.
Note: AP coursework for science prerequisites will not be accepted. Distance education formats are not permitted for the science courses that require a laboratory component.
2. Non-Sciences:
- Statistics, preferably statistics for psychology, sociology or biology. Introduction to Statistics offered by a math department is acceptable.
Introduction to Psychology;
Beginning Spanish Language, 2 semesters or 3 quarters; 1 academic year (9 months) sequence; (must be college level credit earned either through coursework or by placement exam; AP coursework is acceptable); there are no language substitutions or waivers.
English Composition, 2 semesters or 3 quarters; 1 academic year (9 months) sequence (AP coursework is acceptable).
A listing of course prerequisites that may be completed at over 200 institutions can be found at the Course Equivalences page. Applicants are expected to review this information, as it is applicant's responsibility to assure that their prerequisite coursework meets the USC PA Program requirements.
Note: Students are expected to have a strong competency in medical terminology. Medical terminology study is available through formal college courses, self-study texts, computer based formats, online courses, and continuing education classes. Students are also encouraged to take an introduction to genetics course.
GRE or MCAT Examination
Applicants are required to take either the GRE or MCAT examination. The examination must be taken within five (5) years of the application deadline of December 1st. Official scores of the General and Analytical sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) must be submitted to USC by using the Institutional Code 4852 (departmental code is not necessary). Applicants with MCAT scores must provide their AAMC verification code to the USC PA Program. GRE or MCAT scores must be submitted by December 1st.
The PA Program expects that applicants earn a combined Quantitative and Verbal GRE score of no less than 1,000. (A score of 450 or higher on the Verbal component is expected.)
Clinical Experience
Hands-on, paid patient care clinical experience is preferred. Successful applicants often have worked as one of the following: emergency medical technician, licensed vocational nurse, medical assistant (back office), medical scribe, medical technologist, military medical corpsman, nursing assistant, paramedic, psychiatric technician, radiologic technician, respiratory therapist, or registered nurse. Other health care experience is equally acceptable as long as the clinical experience is hands-on in nature. It is important that PA applicants are familiar with medical care environments and the role of a physician assistant, and have experience working with patients. Applicants are expected to have shadowing experience with a PA in a clinical setting. The following website contains an article explaining the value of the shadowing experience and provides a resource for finding practicing PAs in California to shadow: http://www.capanet.org/information-on-shadowing.
Community Service Activities
Community service activities/projects are expected of all applicants. Service which benefits medically underserved or disadvantaged groups is highly desirable as the USC Primary Care PA Program has a commitment to training its students as primary care providers with these populations.
Letters of Reference
Three (3) letters of reference are required. Reference letters should not be from personal friends or family members. Letters of reference must be submitted directly to CASPA and postmarked on or before December 1st.
Personal Interview
After an initial screening and assessment of applications, a portion of the applicants are invited for an interview. Interviewees are required to bring a passport-size photo I.D. Interviews typically are conducted in Alhambra between early fall and early spring.
Health Requirements and Technical Standards
All accepted candidates are required to meet the PA Program’s Technical Standards (physical and psychological competencies of performance) prior to entering the Program and throughout training. Upon acceptance, students will be required to submit and maintain evidence of current health status and immunizations. Students are also required to maintain University-approved health care insurance coverage while enrolled in the Program. The University offers a health plan; for more information email uscins@usc.edu or call (213) 740-0551.