Admission Requirements to the Nashville MHS in Physician Assistant Studies Program

1. Completion of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university in the United States, prior to matriculation.

Advantage: Master’s degree holders will receive higher standing.

2. Documentation of the following – Overall undergraduate cumulative GPA of a minimum of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale, undergraduate cumulative science GPA of a minimum of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale, and completion of all prerequisite coursework with a cumulative GPA of a minimum of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.

Scoring will be assigned on a graduated scale.

Advantage: higher overall GPAs will receive higher standing within the admission process.

3. It is preferred applicants obtain patient care experience/shadowing. No minimum required, but higher hours receive higher standing.

4. Completion of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or Physician Assistant College Admission Test (PA-CAT) are required for your application to be processed. The GRE code for South College Nashville CASPA is: South College Nashville: 4148. For the PA-CAT, log in to your account and share your scores with South College-Nashville. (Each section of these exams are evaluated separately. Scoring will be assigned on a graduated scale; higher scores will be assigned higher standing). GRE and PA-CAT scores expire after 5 years.

5. Three Letters of Recommendation – one letter must be from one of these specific Health Care Providers: Physician Assistant (PA), Medical Doctor (MD), Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), or Nurse Practitioner (NP).

(Applicants are considered more competitive if they are determined by the evaluator to have “Excellent” marks on their reference evaluations.)

6. Each applicant is required to compose a personal statement on CASPA expressing his or her desire to become a Physician Assistant. Each personal statement will be reviewed and scored, based on the following: Grammar, Clarity of Expression, Creativity, Understanding of PA role and expressed interest in primary care and/or underserved populations.

7. Successful completion of Strongly Suggested Courses (Genetics, Immunology, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry) will assist in competitiveness if a letter grade of A or B is achieved. Please see the list for examples.

8. In order for your application to be processed, we must receive the following items:

Verified CASPA application that includes:

9. All science prerequisite courses must be completed within 7 years of planned matriculation.

*Additional applicant information and details can be found on the Nashville PA Program Admissions web page.

Additional Information for All Applicants:

*Once CASPA applications are verified and received by the program, no changes will be made to the cumulative or science GPA.  We regret we cannot honor individual requests for GPA recalculations.

Strongly Suggested Courses include Genetics, Immunology, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry. Successful completion will assist in competitiveness if a letter grade of A or B is achieved. Please see the list for examples.

Advanced Placement credit is granted only if documented on an official transcript or verified by an official score report showing a passing score.

Selection for the Physician Assistant program is very competitive. It is anticipated that the successful applicant will generally exceed the minimum criteria for consideration for admission.

Applications are reviewed relative to undergraduate cumulative and pre-requisite course GPAs, health care experience (military or civilian), letters of reference, and GRE scores. Additional consideration is given to applicants with military medical experience. Personal interviews with the principal Physician Assistant faculty, practicing Physicians, and Physician Assistants from the community will be required for final admission and will be offered only to the most qualified individuals.

Mean Scores

Applying

The South College Masters of Health Science Physician Assistant Studies Program participates in the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA).

CASPA provides a web-based service that allows applicants to submit a single application to multiple participating PA programs.

All official transcripts, GRE Scores (Nashville Code 4148), and letters of reference are sent directly to CASPA as part of the application process. Please visit CASPA at caspa.cas.myliaison.com for more information on how to apply for admission. We encourage you to visit CASPA’s Frequently Asked Questions section for answers to most common questions.

If you have not completed all required coursework at the time of your application with CASPA, any official transcripts including recently completed course work will have to be mailed directly to South College PA Program.

WE WILL SEND YOU AN EMAIL CONFIRMING YOUR APPLICATION ONLY WHEN YOUR APPLICATION IS COMPLETE (CASPA, SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATION WITH APPROPRIATE FEES, AND OFFICIAL GRE SCORES RECEIVED).

Applicants with incomplete applications or applications that are not completed by the published deadline will not be considered.

You will be contacted if you are selected for a personal interview.

GRE scores are sent to CASPA and received by South College Physician Assistant Program through your completed CASPA application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure their “Official” GRE scores are included in their CASPA application. Our GRE school code is South College Nashville CASPA: 4148.

Transfer of Credit

Applicants to the program should be aware that all courses within the professional didactic and clinical curriculum are required. The Masters of Health Science Physician Assistant Program at South College does not recognize international medical experience, or transfer credits from another Physician Assistant Program or Medical School. 

For any admissions questions not answered by our website, please contact us at:

South College Nashville
Physician Assistant Studies
Attn: PA Admissions
616 Marriott Dr.
Nashville, TN 37214

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