Physician Assistant

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Frequently Asked Questions​

Admissions Questions


When will I get my Supplemental Application to the program?
Supplemental applications will be automatically sent to all applicants (electronically to the email address registered with CASPA) who demonstrate the minimum required grade point averages of 3.0 out of 4.0 for all colleges and universities attended on their completed CASPA application in the overall, science, and non-science categories. Please note that the GPA calculations used are those generated from CASPA which include “all” course grades (original course grades and any/all repeat course grades). In many instances, these may be lower than those calculated by the institutions you attended and/or the University of Findlay.

Each CASPA application must be reviewed by the committee to determine who is eligible to receive a Supplemental Application and this will cause minor delays (there may be several weeks between your application being “verified” in CASPA and receiving a supplemental application or denial notification).

Do I need to send my official transcripts to both CASPA and UF?
In order to complete the application process, official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended for college credit must be sent directly to CASPA. 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.

Only official transcripts for coursework completed after your CASPA application is verified needs to be sent to UF. No transcripts that have already been submitted to CASPA need to be sent to UF.
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I am a graduate of a foreign medical school. Does this mean that I don’t have to take all of the prerequisite or program courses?
No. You must take all of the prerequisite and PA program courses. Each applicant is viewed equally. Therefore, each must complete all required course work (both prerequisites and program courses) as explained on our program website. No advanced placement or course credit is given for previous work or life experience, including any medically-related training or certification.
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I have been (or am) a student in another PA program. Do you accept transfers into your program from other PA programs?
No. It is the policy of the program not to accept transfers from other PA schools.
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As a graduate of a medical school outside of the United States or Canada, am I still required to take all of the PA program's required courses?
No student, regardless of their educational background or the country in which they attended a college or university is granted advanced standing toward progression through the program. Those with medical degrees from outside of the United States are not given special standing or privileges.

They must meet all published requirements for entry into the program, and if accepted must successfully complete all courses in sequence along with the entire class in order to graduate from the program.

Courses taken in any medical school or college anywhere in the world will not be substituted for any course taught as part of the physician assistant program at The University of Findlay. There will be no exceptions.
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Do I need to submit a supplemental application?
Each applicant who meets the minimum admissions criteria will be sent a Supplemental Application automatically. It must be returned within two weeks of its receipt. A non-refundable processing fee of $50 must accompany the completed Supplemental Application.
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How many students are accepted to the Physician Assistant Program each year?
The program is in the middle of an incremental increase in students approved by the ARC-PA. Twenty students were admitted in 2020 (increased from previous 18), 22 will be admitted in 2021, and 24 will be admitted in 2022. The number of students in a cohort will remain at 24 from 2022 onward.​
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Are there any admission or enrollment practices that favor specified individuals or groups? (A3.13a)
Yes. The University of Findlay complies with all state and federal rules and regulations in its development and implementation of its policies and procedures. There are various entities on campus that help ensure the University's compliance.

The admissions committee for the PA program has elected to offer members of certain groups a small number of additional admissions points (priority). The number of additional points awarded are determined on a yearly basis, and once set for a specific year will not change. This ensures that all applicants are treated equally during any single application cycle. These admission points are designed as "tiebreakers" and are not of sufficient magnitude to select an unqualified applicant over a qualified one.

Individuals who meet the following criteria will be awarded a small number of additional admission points:
  • Applicants who have more extensive and or more highly skilled healthcare experience.
  • Honorably discharged veterans of the United States armed forces.
  • Individuals who have taken at least 30 semester hours of course work at The University of Findlay.
  • The exact number of points awarded each year is considered proprietary information and therefore will not be made known to the public.
  • Applicants who are from Ohio.
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Are there any specific requirements regarding prior education or work experience to get into the PA program? (A3.13b)
Yes. The PA program publishes the admissions process regarding prior education and work experience on its website. An applicant must meet the following minimum requirements.
  • Have a bachelor’s degree from a recognized accredited institution.
  • Have a minimum overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 (B) on a 4.0 (A) scale and no grade lower than 2.0 (C) for any of the CASPA-calculated GPAs: Overall GPA, Science GPA, non-science GPA, and the program calculated program-specific prerequisite GPA.
  • There is no minimum amount of health care hours required.
Health care experiences may include volunteer and/or paid health care experiences, or shadowing. It must occur in an area in which patient care is being delivered. The amount and type of health care experience will be used in the decision making process for admission. Health care experiences are reported to CASPA. The hours completed after submitting the CASPA application are submitted directly to the PA program.
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Do you award advance placement credit or waive any PA program course or pre-requisite course based upon past education, experience, or testing? (A3.13b and A3.13c)
PA program pre-requisite courses: Yes, if the applicant earned an acceptable score on the AP exam, then the program will recognize this AP credit towards meeting a program prerequisite. Refer to our AP credit policy to determine the score needed to earn prerequisite credit for an AP exam. No credit is awarded based on life experience in place of a course.

PA program courses: No advanced placement or course credit is given for previous work or life experience, including any medically-related training or certification. Each student must complete all required course work as outlined on the program website.
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Can I “test out” of Medical Terminology (A3.13b)
Yes. A placement test is available in the area of Medical Terminology, but an applicant must take and pass this test. Only the test administered at The University of Findlay is accepted.
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May I update my application with additional courses or experiences after it has been submitted through CASPA?
Admissions decisions will be made based on all coursework and experiences entered into CASPA at the time of application submission. No updates to coursework or experiences will be accepted after submission of CASPA. Therefore it is essential to ensure all admissions criteria are met prior to submission of CASPA. Please note that it is acceptable to have some items in progress (such as current enrollment or planned enrollment in pre-requisite coursework, bachelor’s degree near completion, etc.), however, you must have an outlined plan for how all requirements will be met by the time of matriculation into the program if you are selected for admission.
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How do I know if my prerequisites meet the requirement for admission?
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 [email protected] with any qu​estions about using Transferology.
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Program-Specific Questions


What is the length of the program?
The program consists of seven semesters over approximately 28 months. There are four didactic semesters and three clinical semesters. The program runs continuously with no summer breaks.
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What is the structure of the program – how many didactic semesters, how many clinical semesters?
The first four semesters of the PA Program are mostly classroom based. Some courses, such as Clinical Anatomy have a significant number of hours spent in the laboratory. Students are provided with the opportunity to interview actual patients at various times during their Physical Assessment course.

The last three semesters are spent in the clinical setting – physician/PA offices and clinics, emergency rooms, operating rooms, hospitals, etc. These clinical experiences are known as Supervised Clinical Practice experiences (SCPs). They are also commonly called “rotations” because students “rotate” through the various medical specialties as they move from one course to the other. Each clinical rotation is six weeks in duration. The student is required to work at least 40 hours per week and can be expected to take night call and word some weekends.
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Where will I do my clinical rotations?
Students are placed at clinical sites within a 150-mile radius of Findlay, Ohio when possible. However, due to changes in availability of individual clinical sites, it is sometimes necessary for a student to travel further than this distance. Students are advised to plan on having to obtain alternative/additional housing for at least two (possibly more) clinical rotations based on availability. However, this is not typically needed. Students are not guaranteed clinical placements within commuting distance of Findlay or where they are living, however, this is usually accomplished.
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Do I have to find my own clinical training sites?
No. ARC-PA Standard A3.03 states, “Students must not be required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors. The program must coordinate clinical sites and preceptors for program required rotations”. It is the responsibility of the PA program and not of the student to identify and schedule sites used for the SCPs. It is possible for a student to suggest a clinical site for his or her use that is not a part of the established clinical network of preceptors. However, it is likely that all sites used will be within driving distance, regardless of student request.

Such sites must meet all of the established educational goals for the clinical experience and must agree to become legally affiliated with The University of Findlay PA Program during the time the student is attending the site. It is up to the discretion of the PA Program to utilize student-identified sites and not all students may be placed at sites which they identify/request.
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Does the PA program provide housing at clinical sites?
No. Students are responsible for obtaining their own housing for the clinical year and must be prepared to be move as much as every six weeks. No student should live more than one hour commute from his or her clinical site.

Recent classes have reported spending between $2,000 and $5,000 for room and board during the clinical year. However, each student’s expenses could be higher or lower depending upon whether they are doing their training where they have access to free or reduced-charge room and board.
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My previous education qualifies me to teach some of the courses offered by the PA program. Am I allowed to teach any courses in the program?
No. ARC-PA Standard A3.05 states that, “Students must not substitute for or function as instructional faculty.” Students with ​specific prior knowledge, experiences, and skills may assist faculty in didactic and laboratory sessions to share their knowledge and skills. Students are not permitted to be the primary instructor or instructor of record for any component of the curriculum.
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What are Technical Standards? (A3.13e)
Technical standards describe the expectations and abilities considered essential in order 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.

All applicants and enrolled students must meet or exceed the technical standards which may be read by clicking the following link: UF Technical Standards
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