Admission Requirements & Procedures

The Manhattan Campus Physician Assistant Program participates in the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). Applicants must complete the online application at https://portal.caspaonline.org.

A new class of students is admitted to the program and enrolled each fall. Decisions on admission are made by a committee of Manhattan Campus PA Program faculty, and are based on an assessment of the applicant's past academic performance, potential for success in the program, as well his/her understanding of and commitment to the PA profession. Classes in the BS/MS program at the Manhattan campus begin in late August.

For the class entering Fall 2013, the deadline for receipt of the application with all accompanying documentation is January 15, 2013. Applicants with superior academic records may wish to avail themselves of our “early decision” option, for which the application deadline is November 1, 2012. Candidates choosing this option will receive priority consideration in the admission process.

The following are required for consideration for admission to the Fall 2013 entering class:

• Completed CASPA application
• Completed Supplemental Application
• A written personal statement (see CASPA application for guidelines)
• 3 letters of recommendation (one must be from a physician assistant)
• Documentation of a minimum of 200 hours of direct patient contact health care experience, either volunteer or paid (patient contact form can be found in the Supplemental Application).
• Documentation of a minimum of 20 hours "shadowing" a physician assistant (shadowing form can be found in the Supplemental Application).
• Official transcript(s) indicating (1) a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, (2) a minimum GPA of 3.0 in science courses, and (3) successful completion of 90 transferable credits - 60 of which must be in general liberal arts and sciences and specifically include 52 credits of prerequisites listed below - with grades of “C” or better* at an accredited college, university, or its equivalent. Please note: Students may apply to the program with prerequisite coursework in progress. However, pending coursework may delay review of the candidate's application. All prerequisites must be completed prior to entering the program.

  Distribution of 52 credits of specific prerequisites:

  General Biology I & II (with labs)	8 credits
  General Chemistry I & II (with labs)	8 credits
  Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry	4 credits
  Anatomy & Physiology**	8 credits
  Behavioral Sciences (e.g., Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology)	6 credits
  English Composition and/or English Literature+	6 credits
  Humanities (e.g., History, Philosophy, Languages, Literature, Art)	6 credits
  Mathematics (pre-calculus level or above)	3 credits
  Statistics	3 credits

  *  Advanced Placement courses taken in high school must have scores of 4 or 5 to transfer.
  ** Applicants who completed two Anatomy & Physiology courses for less than a total of 8 credits must satisfy the credit requirement by completing an additional elective in Biology or Chemistry.
  +  Applicants must provide catalog descriptions for English courses not taught by an English department (e.g. through a core curriculum or honors program).

• For applicants who do not hold a degree from an accredited college, university, or its equivalent, an official high school transcript or proof of GED.
• For applicants whose native language is not English, or who did not attend college in the U.S. or other English-speaking country, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination with a score of at least 560 (paper-based), 220 (computer-based), or 83 (Internet-based) (Note: the TOEFL exam does not fulfill or substitute for the 6-credit English prerequisite requirement).
• Foreign credentials must be evaluated by a Touro-approved agency such as the International Education Research Foundation, Inc. (IERF) or World Education Services, Inc. (WES). A list of approved agencies can be found by visiting www.naces.org/members.htm.

Please note:

• All prerequisite science courses must be designed for science majors. Transfer of science courses designed for non-science majors, e.g., liberal arts, nursing, respiratory therapy, is at the discretion of the Admissions Committee.
• Applicants whose sciences prerequisites are more than 10 years old may be required to take refresher courses unless exempted by the PA Program Admissions Committee
• All prerequisite courses are offered by the School of Health Sciences' Undergraduate Studies department at the Bay Shore campus, as well as by Touro College's Lander Colleges of Arts and Sciences and New York School of Career and Applied Studies.
• The PA program does not award academic credit for experiential learning.
• Meeting the minimum requirements listed above does not guarantee an interview or admission to the program.

The program Admissions Committee evaluates an applicant's completed application and considers the following factors:

• Quality and content of the personal statement
• Strength of the recommendations made in the three letters
• Cumulative GPA
• Science GPA
• Nature and extent of health care experiences

Based on this evaluation, selected applicants are invited for a personal interview where they are assessed with regard to their understanding of the PA role, their motivation, maturity, intellectual qualities, insights, and interpersonal skills.

The Admissions Committee makes final decisions on admission to the program.

Admissions Appeals

Students who do not meet established grade point standards or other established admission requirements detailed above may petition the PA Admissions Committee in writing for consideration. The petition must accompany the application. It should clearly explain extenuating circumstances that have prevented the student from meeting existing grade point standards or other requirements, and describe elements of the applicant's background that would indicate the potential for success in the program. The Admissions Committee may choose to admit students who have not met established admission requirements, based on the student's petition, application, interview and other supporting documents required as part of the application process.

Physician Assistant Program/ Office of Admissions
Touro College School of Health Sciences
1700 Union Boulevard
Bay Shore, N.Y. 11706
(866) TOURO-4-U
enrollhealth@touro.edu