Elms College offers a complete and dedicated postbaccalaureate pre-physician associate (pre-physician assistant) (PA) program that provides all of the prerequisites needed to apply to physician associate (physician assistant) schools. We’re proud to have a 94% acceptance rate to PA schools when students complete their program requirements and achieve the minimum professional program requirements.
Students who wish to apply to PA programs must have the required coursework and the minimum number of documented patient care hours.
Advising
Students will be provided with personalized pre-physician associate (pre-physician assistant) advising meetings and general premedical/pre-PA meetings to address other aspects of their application to physician associate (physician assistant) schools, including: personal statements, interviews, recommendations, applications, and GRE test preparation, among others.
Affiliations and Linkages
Marywood University School of Physician Assistant
Standardized Test Preparation
Elms College offers discounted GRE Test preparation for undergraduate students and subsidized GRE test preparation for postbac pre-PA students.
Documented Patient Care Hours
Students will be advised to attain CNA (certified nurse’s aide), EMT (emergency medical technician) or paramedic training in order to fulfill 500-2000 patient care hours required to apply to most PA programs.
We are a member of the National Association of Advisors of the Health Professions.
Students have matriculated to many Physician Associate (Physician Assistant) programs in the local area and throughout the United States. Here is a list of some of the schools our students have been accepted to:
- Baypath University Physician Assistant Studies Program, MA
- Florida State University College of Medicine School of Physician Assistant Practice, FL
- Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Physician Assistant Studies Program, PA
- Pace University Physician Assistant Studies Program, NY
- Springfield College Physician Assistant Studies Program, MA
- University of Bridgeport Physician Assistant Program, CT
- MCPHS Physician Assistant Studies Program, MA
- Tufts University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program, MA
- University of Alabama at Birmingham Physician Assistant Studies Program, AL
- Westfield State University Physician Assistant Studies Program, MA
Premed Meetings and Development Sessions
- Q&A events with M.D.s, D.O.s, P.A.s, and other healthcare professionals
- Personal Statement Workshops
- Mock Mini Multiple Interview Sessions
- Mock Traditional Interview Sessions
- Resume Development
- Obtaining Letters of Recommendation
- Application Assistance Forums
- Financial Aid Discussion Sessions
Academic Support
- Students can have a committee letter written on their behalf.
- All courses offer tutoring options that include peer tutors and course tutors.
- 24/7 online tutoring is available.
Housing
Postbac premed students can take advantage of the completely renovated Living-Learning, Community and Cultural Center, which opened in February 2020. The newly redesigned building features classrooms and meeting spaces on the first floor, and residence rooms on the second and third floors. The ADA-compliant LLCCC can house up to 11 students, and includes a full kitchen, laundry facilities, energy efficient heating and cooling systems, smart desks, and other modern amenities.
Additional housing for postbac premed students is located near the college’s campus and is available for a limited number of enrolled students on a first-come, first-served basis. On campus residence hall options are available on a first-come, first-served basis as well. For more information, contact reslife@elms.edu.
Postbac Premed Tuition
- Elms College offers discounted rates for standardized test preparation for medical school (MCAT), dental school (DAT), optometry school (OAT), pharmacy school (PCAT), and veterinary, PA, PT, OT, chiropractic, and other graduate schools (GRE).
- Tuition information can be found here.
Application Requirements
- At least a 2.8 GPA
- Official Transcript
- Resume
- Goal Statement
- 2 Letters of Recommendation
Curriculum
Click to view course requirements for the Postbaccalaureate Pre-Physician Assistant program.
Courses listed in the “Recommended Courses” table may be required or strongly recommended by different institutions. Many of these courses have content that will support preparation for standardized tests.
In addition to required science courses, students are encouraged to take courses in English, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and other academic areas to enable them to be as competitive as possible when applying to medical school and other health professional schools.
Pre-Physician Assistant Prerequisites
| Course # | Course Name | # of Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 1203/1203L | General Biology 1 Lecture and Lab | 3+1 |
| BIO 1204/1204L | General Biology 2 Lecture and Lab | 3+1 |
| CHE 1201/1201L | General Chemistry 1 Lecture and Lab | 3+1 |
| CHE 1202/1202L | General Chemistry 2 Lecture and Lab | 3+1 |
| CHE 2101/2101L | Organic Chemistry 1 Lecture and Lab | 3+1 |
| CHE 2102/2102L | Organic Chemistry 2 Lecture and Lab (Can replace with Biochemistry Lecture and Lab) | 3+1 |
| BIO 3103/3103L | Anatomy & Physiology 1 Lecture and Lab | 3+1 |
| BIO 3104/3104L | Anatomy & Physiology 2 Lecture and Lab | 3+1 |
| BIO 3300/3300L | Microbiology Lecture and Lab | 3+1 |
| ENG XXXX | Writing Composition | 3 |
| ENG XXXX | Reading Comprehension | 3 |
| PSY 1001 | General Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 3009 | Social Psychology (alternative to PSY 1001) | 3 |
Additional Recommendations: PrePA
| Course # | Course Name | # of Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 3006 | Medical Terminology | 3 |
| BIO 3201/3201L | Genetics Lecture and Lab | 3+1 |
| BIO 3305 | Nutrition | 3 |
| BIO 4306/4306L | Biochemistry Lecture and Lab | 3+1 |
| BIO 4009/4009A | Research & Independent Study | 2/1 |
| BIO 4010 | Research Methods | 1-2 |
| BIO 4011 | Research Experiences | 1-2 |
| SOC 1001 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
| PHI 2408 | Healthcare Ethics | 3 |
| BIO XXXX | Other upper-level biology courses support an application | 3+ |
