Physician Assistant BS/MS Program Details
The Physician Assistant BS/MS program at Elizabethtown College provides a direct pathway for current high school students looking to obtain a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies. This program includes instruction in the sciences, hands-on learning, and the true art of medicine.
Vision & Mission
Vision Statement:
The vision of the Elizabethtown College Physician Assistant Program is to provide an innovative and supportive environment that elevates the standard of PA education through the utilization of an evidence-based curriculum that is continuously assessed and adapted to address emerging challenges in healthcare while fostering a collegial environment amongst students and faculty.
Mission Statement
College Mission Statement: Elizabethtown College provides a transformative educational experience that cultivates personal strengths and develops a passion for lifelong learning and purposeful work.
PA Program Mission: The mission of the Elizabethtown College Physician Assistant Program is to educate and matriculate motivated students who will provide high-quality healthcare as skilled Physician Assistants. Through a transformative educational experience and evidence-based curriculum that emphasizes purposeful work, cultivates personal strengths, and develops a passion for lifelong learning, students will be prepared to Educate for Service. Upon graduation, our students will provide individualized healthcare to diverse patient populations while simultaneously working as a member of an interdisciplinary care team.
Goals:
- Provide an environment for all students with multicultural educational opportunities inclusive of underrepresented groups and diversity in healthcare.
- Achieve a first-time PANCE pass rate at or above the national average.
- Obtain a job placement rate of over 80% in a variety of clinical specialties in the six months following graduation.
- Provide all students with an opportunity to perform community service while in the didactic and clinical years of the program.
- All faculty will maintain a professional development plan that addresses teaching, scholarship, and service as well as diversity, equity, accessibility, and justice.
The PA program will post outcomes related to the achievement of our goals by February 2025.
Admission Criteria
BS/MS Physician Assistant Program Students
Students applying for the BS/MS Physician Assistant Program will need an academic GPA of 3.5, which will be recalculated using academic course work and an SAT score of 1100 or an ACT of 22. Applications to the program must be complete and submitted by December 1.
*Transfer students are not eligible for the BS/MS program.
As a result of the competitive nature of the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program, not all students meeting the minimum requirements will be offered an interview, and not all those interviewed will be offered a place in the BS/MS Physician Assistant Program.
2023-24 BS/MS Program Interview Dates:
- Jan. 9
- Jan. 16
- Jan. 23
- Jan. 30
Please note, the interview sessions for the 2023-24 program have concluded. These dates are provided for reference.
For the 2024-25 Program: We will announce the interview dates for the 2024-25 program at a later date. Please stay tuned for updates.
Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies
For more information on applying to our standalone Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, visit our Graduate Program Details page.
Frequently Asked Questions BS/MS Physician Assistant Program:
There are two pathways for students to apply to Elizabethtown College’s Physician Assistant program. High school seniors can apply for our BS/MS Physician Assistant Program option that provides a provisional seat in the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program. Students will be required to complete a series of required academic courses and maintain a minimum science and cumulative GPA to remain in the program.
- Completing the combined program allows a student to complete the Master of Physician Assistant Degree in a shorter period of time with less cost.
- Foundational coursework taught by Elizabethtown College faculty.
- Physician Assistant faculty are the advisors starting the second semester of their first year.
- First-year, provisional acceptance into the Master of Physician Assistant Program, as long as criteria are maintained.
Students applying for the BS/MS Physician Assistant Program are required to have an academic GPA of 3.5, which will be recalculated using only academic course work, and an SAT score of 1100 or an ACT of 22.
As a result of the competitive nature of the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program, not all students meeting the minimum requirement will be offered a seat in the BS/MS Physician Assistant Program. Selected candidates will be invited for a mandatory interview.
Students must submit a completed application by December 1.
No, the BS/MS Physician Assistant Program does not offer rolling admissions.
Admissions decisions related to admission to the College, merit scholarship, and admission to the BS/MS Physician Assistant Program will be released by the end of each January.
20 students will be accepted to the BS/MS Physician Assistant Program each year.
The BS/MS Physician Assistant track and the Master of Physician Assistant Studies programs are competitive. Some applicants may be offered the option to be on a waitlist. As seats in the BS/MS program become available, students on the waitlist may be offered a seat in the program. Once the program is full, we will communicate this with students on the waitlist.
Yes, AP and dual enrollment courses will be accepted; however, students who are accepted to the BS/MS Physician Assistant Program are required to still take science and math courses at Elizabethtown College.
Yes, students are able to study abroad provided they do so within the first six semesters of the undergraduate program.
Yes, students in the BS/MS program are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities like varsity athletics, clubs, organizations, music, and community service until they reach the graduate level.
Students will need to maintain a 3.0 overall GPA and a 3.0 overall math/science GPA to maintain their seats. Students also need to complete two hundred healthcare exposure hours (with a minimum of twenty hours shadowing a PA-C) before the end of their sixth semester. They cannot withdraw from any prerequisite classes and all prerequisite classes need to be taken at Etown. A grade of 'C' or better in all prerequisite courses is required to enter the graduate program. Leave of absence will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
No, transfers are not able to apply to join the BS/MS program. However, transfer students can pursue a degree in Biology, Health Professions Concentration, and apply for the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program.
While completing undergraduate courses, students will pay undergraduate tuition for the first six semesters. Students will begin to pay graduate course tuition and additional program fees at the start of their seventh semester.
Elizabethtown PA program graduate tuition can be found on the graduate program details page, in the Cost Schedule section.
The BS/MS physician assistant program is 5 years with students entering the Master's program during the summer before their senior year. The summer and fall semester of the senior year also counts towards the undergraduate degree.