Master of Physician Assistant

Overview

About the Program

Our program provides students with the medical knowledge, technical skills, and experience in a variety of didactic and clinical settings necessary for them to become ethical, competent, and compassionate health care providers as part of a health care team. 

Because of the close working relationship PAs have with physicians, PAs are educated in the medical model. Upon graduation, physician assistants take a national certification examination developed by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistant (NCCPA). Graduates of the MPA program are eligible to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE). 

Program

Highlights

At the University of Findlay, the Physician Assistant program prepares you to make a meaningful impact in healthcare settings by developing the medical knowledge, clinical reasoning, communication, and compassionate patient care skills needed to diagnose illness, support treatment plans, and improve health outcomes for individuals and communities.

Admissions

Admissions Requirements

At a minimum, to be eligible for admission into the physician assistant program the applicant must fulfill all the following requirements: 

• Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution or first-professional doctorate degree, specifically when no baccalaureate degree was offered (e.g., PharmD. etc.). 

• Have an overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all college or university course work completed 

• Submission of documentation demonstrating or providing the resources to calculate the following minimum GPAs: 

• A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 from all colleges or universities attended; 

• A minimum science GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 as calculated and reported by CASPA; 

• A minimum non-science GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 as calculated and reported by CASPA; 

• A minimum GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 for all program-specific prerequisites and no more than two grades of “C”; (Specific Prerequisite Courses) 

• Have completed the Specific Prerequisite Courses with no final grade in any course less than a “C” either at the time of application or prior to entering the program. 

• We use an online system called Transferology to share information about how courses transfer into Findlay from other schools. Click here for a list of our prerequisites and time limit requirements. Transferology can evaluate courses you have taken in the past or help you select courses to take in the future to meet our requirements. Please click here to access our Transferology Guide that provides step-by-step instructions on using this tool. If you have any questions about your results in Transferology, please use the “Request More Information” button to send us your courses for evaluation. Please email admissions@findlay.edu with any questions about using Transferology. 

• There is no requirement for a health care experience, and having no health care experience will not disqualify any candidate. 

• Those with health care experience as reported to CASPA will be given preference in the admission process based on type and number of experiences. 

• Those with a greater number of hours in a skilled position will be awarded more admission points than those with fewer hours in a less skilled position (Recommended Shadowing). 

• Successfully complete all program specific prerequisites. 

• Courses successfully completed within the last five years are recognized as ideal 

• Courses completed 10 or more years prior to application to the program are generally considered to have exceeded the program statutory limits 

• Courses that fall within the ten or more-year limit include: 

• Biology 

• Chemistry 

• Physics 

• Medical terminology 

• We do not require the GRE 

• The UF PA program does not accept any transfer credits or advanced placement into the program for any coursework, including coursework completed at other PA or medical programs.  A rare exception may exist if a student may be relocating due to a change in accreditation status with his/her physician assistant program.  In such instances, an exception may be made allowing a student to receive admission and credit for coursework from another institution on a case-by-case basis entirely at the discretion of the UF PA program after discussion with the ARC-PA.  In such instances, individuals receiving credit for coursework completed elsewhere must satisfactorily demonstrate the necessary knowledge, skills, and dispositions required for students already enrolled in the UF PA program at that same level. Students in this situation may be assigned additional work to be completed over the remainder of their time in the program to make up for any deficiencies noted. 

Prerequisite courses taken at other colleges or universities may be deemed equivalent to courses taken at The University of Findlay by the Office of the Registrar and/or the PA program chair. Grades below a “C” are not acceptable for meeting program-specific coursework requirements. If an applicant has more than two grades of a “C” in any of the prerequisite courses, the application will not be processed further. 

Any coursework in progress after submission of the CASPA application must be completed with a “C” or higher and maintain the required minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale to be eligible for admission into the program. 

International Students 

If an applicant is not a U.S. citizen, a minimum score as listed below on one of the TOEFL exams or the IELTS must be achieved: 

• 100 on a verified Internet-based (IBT) (minimums of 25 in speaking and 25 in writing) 

• 8.0 overall minimum band score on an International English Testing System (IELTS) 

Additionally, if the applicant is not a U.S. citizen or if the student has non-U.S. school transcripts the University’s Office of International Admissions and Services requires additional specific documentation. 
 
All applicants, including those who have non-U.S. school transcripts, must submit a minimum of 20 semester hours (30 quarter hours) of undergraduate, graduate or professional college program course work obtained at an accredited college or university in the United States. 

Physical Examination Requirement 

Applicants must provide evidence of a current physical examination including documentation of immunizations due at the time of entry into the PA program. The health form will be provided after acceptance into the program. Applicants must also provide evidence of health care insurance at the time of entry into the PA program. 

Background Check 

Applicants will undergo a background check prior to entry to the PA program. Specific instructions concerning this requirement will be provided upon acceptance into the MPA program. Certain findings of a background check could result in the seat of the class being revoked. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis. 

Applicants with felony convictions should check with their state PA-licensing agency to determine if such a conviction could result in denial of licensure after graduation. 

Technical Standards 

All applicants and enrolled students must meet or exceed the technical standards which describe the expectations and abilities to achieve the level of competency required for graduation and ultimately practice as a physician assistant. By clearly identifying these key attributes, it is anticipated that persons with disabilities will have increased opportunities while maintaining the expectation that all students achieve the goals of the program. The complete listing of the Technical Standards is encouraged to be reviewed. Submit a signed form acknowledging your ability to meet the technical standards. 

You may download technical standards. This is an Adobe Acrobat format (PDF) file containing a complete list. 

The University of Findlay’s physician assistant program only accepts applications through CASPA. All official post-secondary transcripts must be sent to both CASPA and the University of Findlay. The PA program requires a supplemental application (see Application Process). 

A personal interview will be granted to those applicants who are deemed to be the most highly qualified for a position in the class. 

Application Process 

Entry into the Physician Assistant program at the University of Findlay is a competitive process that involves multiple steps: 

1. Electronically complete and submit the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). Follow the guidelines for submission as stated on the CASPA Web site. The CASPA application is used in lieu of the official application to The University of Findlay. Applicants are not required to submit both an application to the University of Findlay and a CASPA application. 

2. Transcripts: 

1. All official post-secondary transcripts are to be sent to CASPA when you complete and fill out the CASPA form. 

2. If you took any courses outside of the U.S., you should submit your foreign coursework to a US-based evaluation service for a course-by-course US equivalency report. This report should then be sent directly to CASPA from the evaluation service. 

3. Only transcripts (official) for courses completed after your CASPA application has been verified must be sent to UF. This includes domestic and international transcripts/US-based evaluation service evaluation. 

3. The Supplemental Application will automatically be sent to any qualified applicant upon receipt of a completed CASPA application. It will be sent electronically to the email address supplied to CASPA. The completed supplemental application and $50 non-refundable supplemental application fee must be submitted no later than one week after receiving the electronic application link to guarantee review by the admissions committee. 

4. Submit a résumé through CASPA. 

5. Submit three letters of recommendation through CASPA. The University of Findlay’s physician assistant program has no specific requirements concerning letters of recommendation. Applicants are encouraged to obtain letters of recommendation from the following sources to reflect on your motivation for becoming a physician assistant: 

1. PA-C 

2. MD 

3. DO 

4. CRNP 

5. An academic reference attesting to your intellectual abilities 

6. One letter from a work-related supervisor or colleague who could reflect on your personal qualities 

6. All letters of recommendation should be submitted as part of the CASPA application. 

A non-refundable $1,000 deposit is due upon acceptance of an offer of the program and will be applied to the PA program fees.  

The PA program reserves the right to extend the application deadlines. 
Only completed applications will be reviewed by the Interview and Admissions Committee. 

The PA program will begin accepting new applications through the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) when the CASPA site opens for this upcoming admission cycle. 
 
CASPA Application Deadline: 

October 1 of the year prior to the anticipated Fall start date (e.g: applicants for the Fall 2027 must have their CASPA application in the “complete” status by October 1, 2026). 
 

CASPA Application Deadline Definition: 

Completed application 

• Applicants must have a complete application by the deadline date posted 

• A complete application requires that the application is e-submitted and all transcripts, payments and three letters of reference have been received by CASPA and attached to the application 

• Documents should be sent to CASPA several weeks prior to the deadline date ensuring all items arrive on time 
   

Any application that is not verified and released to the program by CASPA by November 1 will not be processed, and the application will be rejected. This can be avoided by getting all documents required by CASPA to them in time to meet this deadline. 

Note: If you were a paid and verified applicant for the previous application cycle, the CASPA website states that you are eligible to sign up and start with last year’s data. 

The PA program reserves the right to change these deadlines. 

Curriculum

Course Requirements

The program begins in August of each year and continues for seven semesters (a total of 28 months), including summers. The first four semesters involve classroom instruction using various instructional modalities including lecture, demonstration, small and large group activities, and seminar-type class work. Other clinically related, out of the classroom activities are integrated into the didactic phase.  

During the last three semesters, each student will train full-time at various clinical sites. Each student is provided with the required clinical experiences in family practice, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, women’s health, general surgery, emergency medicine, and psychiatry/mental health. During this phase of his or her educational experience, the student will be expected to travel to off-campus sites to complete the required clinical work. Clinical experience in an area of interest is also required. 

Students earning a Master of Physician Assistant must complete the following:    

Curriculum: The curriculum consists of required courses grounded in ethics, anatomy, pharmacology, medicine, and patient care. View the full curriculum in the University of Findlay Graduate Catalog.