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FAQs

What are the pathways into ����ֱ��’s PA Program?

There are two pathways for admission:

• The traditional Post-Baccalaureate pathway is designed for students who have obtained a baccalaureate degree in a related healthcare science field.
• The Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track pathway is designed for students seeking an undergraduate degree and progressing to the graduate degree.

At which campus locations will the PA program be offered?

The PA program is only offered at the Reading, PA, campus.

What is the benefit of the program being located in Reading, PA?

• Pennsylvania has several Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), with 35 primary care and 35 mental health HPSAs in Berks County alone. The city of Reading also has a >30% poverty rate and >10% of uninsured individuals. ����ֱ��’s Physician Associate Program is the only PA program in Berks County. The program was established to help meet the healthcare shortage needs of the community.
• Alvernia is committed to establishing strong ties to the Reading community and has fostered multiple partnerships in Berks County. The local community supports both the program and the university.

What makes ����ֱ��’s PA program special?

• Our curriculum is a modular systems-based design to promote critical thinking. We do not separate task areas, such as physical diagnosis, pharmacology, anatomy, physiology, etc. into separate courses but rather they are integrated in the system module, i.e. cardiovascular, pulmonology, neurology, etc.
• Our state-of-the art, brand new facility houses a medical simulation lab, an Anatomage lab, OSCE assessment center, patient simulation rooms, clinical skills labs, and small group learning rooms, and several large lecture halls.
• Our faculty are experienced PA educators, both in the classroom and as preceptors, that also continue to practice clinically or are participating in research and can bring real-world experiences to the classroom.

Does the program offer rolling admissions?

Yes. The program utilizes a rolling admission policy.

When will I receive an admission decision after applying to the program?

The goal is for an admission decision to be made within 8-10 weeks after initial application via CASPA.

What is the program looking for in a candidate?

The program utilizes a holistic approach when reviewing candidates. There is no one ideal candidate. Applicants should be well prepared academically, meet all admissions criteria, and have resilience. The program also looks for applicants who resonate with the university and program’s mission statement and Franciscan values.

Is the PA-CAT required for admission?

Currently, the PA-CAT is not required for admission.

How do I apply to ����ֱ��’s PA program?

All students .

When does the program’s application cycle close?

· The program will accept applications through March each year, with matriculation into the program in August.

Does the CASPer test need to be completed prior to applying to the program?

· No. However, the program does requires that the CASper test be completed prior to matriculation.

Where can I practice the CASPer test?

A practice CASPer test is available .

Will students who reside outside of the preferred Pennsylvania counties be considered for admission into the program?

Yes. The program accepts applicants nationwide. However, preference will be given to applicants local to Berks County and the immediate surrounding counties of Chester, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery and Schuylkill.

Will international students be considered for admission into the program?

Yes. The program accepts international applicants. Applicants who have completed coursework outside of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, or any other English-speaking country must take an English proficiency examination. We accept the following minimum scores:

• TOEFL = 100
• IELTS = 7.5
• Duolingo = 130

The program will not enroll applicants who have graduated from foreign or domestic medical institutions alone. International applicants must have completed at least one year of study in a U.S. or English-speaking institution and fulfill the program’s minimum requirements for one of the English proficiency examinations listed above.

I struggled in some of the basic science courses as an undergraduate. Does the program incorporate any foundational coursework to ensure success in the program?

The program’s curriculum offers a Fundamentals of Disease States course, which is the first course in the didactic phase. This course provides introductory instruction to include core knowledge about established and evolving biomedical and clinical sciences and the application of this knowledge to patient care and will expose students to the principles of disease states. Students will begin with the fundamentals of the basic sciences, including the approach to organ systems through the study of the genetic and molecular mechanisms of health and disease. Introductory anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, epidemiology, and etiology will also be presented throughout the course. Students will develop the fundamental knowledge needed to progress to the organ systems-based modules throughout the remainder of the didactic phase.

What is the program’s Advanced Placement Policy?

Advanced placement is not granted for any student entering the ����ֱ�� Physician Associate Program. Per our policy:

• All students must complete the full Physician Associate Program.
• No external course work will satisfy Physician Associate Program requirements.
• Applicants who have graduated from or attended foreign or U.S. medical schools or who have advanced degrees in biological sciences or similar programs will not be granted automatic acceptance into the Physician Associate Program. Nor will transfer credits from graduate or postgraduate programs be accepted.
• No transfer credit is accepted. No courses will be waived.
• No credit is granted for pre-admission experiential learning.

Is advanced placement (AP) credit accepted for prerequisite courses?

AP credit will not be accepted for prerequisite courses.

If a student received AP credit for chemistry, another higher-level chemistry course must be completed. The higher-level course cannot be used to satisfy any other prerequisite course required for admission.

If a student received AP credit for biology, another higher-level biology course must be completed. The higher-level course cannot be used to satisfy any other prerequisite course required for admission.

Are all prerequisite courses required to be completed at the time of application?

Students can apply with up to two (2) outstanding prerequisite courses. All prerequisite courses must be completed prior to matriculation into the program.

Does the program accept online lab credits?

Yes. In-person labs are preferred, but credits from online labs will be accepted.

Does the program accept community college credits and/or online coursework credits?

Yes. Credits earned from online coursework and/or from a community college will be accepted.

Does the program accept online coursework credits completed during the COVID-19 pandemic?

The program does not accept any coursework completed as Pass/Fail during the COVID-19 pandemic.

How is the curriculum taught?

The curriculum is systems-based. Each of the systems-based courses embed the following: gross anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, clinical medicine, pharmacology, physical diagnosis, and clinical skills. Each systems-based course includes pediatrics, geriatrics, and other special patient populations when appropriate.

Will I need to travel for clinical rotations?

Some rotations will require distant travel and housing.

How long is each clinical rotation?

Each clinical rotation is four weeks in length.

What is the “elective” clinical rotation?

The elective clinical rotation can be completed in any subspeciality of medicine or surgery. This may include specialties such as cardiology, rheumatology, orthopedic surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, urgent care, wound care, urology, etc.

What does the interview entail?

• The program does not require an interview for acceptance into the program. However, there is an optional accepted students’ day on campus for those applicants who seek acceptance through the traditional Post-Baccalaureate pathway The optional accepted students’ day is a day set aside for students who have been accepted into the program to come to campus to see the campus and facilities, as well as meet program faculty. The optional accepted students’ day is not required.
• There is a required Accepted Student Day on campus for those applicants who seek acceptance through the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track pathway.

Does the program offer any financial scholarships?

No. The PA program is not able to offer financial scholarships at this time. For more information, please visit our Financial Aid webpage.

I graduated from a Canadian institution. Does the program require WES to verify my transcripts?

No. The program does not require WES to verify transcripts from English-speaking countries.

Will the program waive the GRE?

The GRE is a part of the program’s established and published admission criteria; therefore, this requirement is unable to be waived.

If I already have a master’s degree, will the program waive the GRE?

The GRE is a part of the program’s establish and published admission criteria; therefore, this requirement is unable to be waved. GRE scores are valid for five (5) years. If a GRE was taken more than five (5) years ago, applicant will need to retake the GRE.

If my GPA is just slightly lower than the minimum requirement, will the program make an exception?

The program adheres to the established and published minimum GPA requirements and exceptions to admission criteria are not able to be made.

Does the program require the COVID vaccine?

For the PA Program specifically, currently, COVID & flu vaccines are not required for the didactic phase of the program but are required for the clinical phase as many of the program’s clinical partners require the vaccines to participate in patient care. However, please note that these may be updated per federal and state guidelines. Please refer to our Health Services webpage for additional information.

Does the program have on-campus housing?

Please refer to our Residence Halls webpage for information regarding housing. You may also email Residence Life & Housing at reslife@alvernia.edu.

What is the cost of attending ����ֱ��’s PA Program?

• Please refer to the Post-Bacc Program webpage. Please note that tuition and fees are updated annually.
• Please reach out to the Office of Student Financial Services for more specific information.

Does the ����ֱ�� PA program have a supplemental application?

No, the program does not require a supplemental application. However, the program has supplemental questions that are part of the CASPA application.

Can you provide a list of clinical sites?

We are unable to provide a comprehensive list of clinical sites; however, ����ֱ�� has several clinical partners in Berks and surrounding counties. We also have clinical partnerships across the nation. Please note that clinical sites/preceptors are subject to change based on availability.