The Physician Assistant Program at The University of Iowa is a non-thesis, graduate level program awarding the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (M.P.A.S.) degree upon completion. One class of 25 students is enrolled in late May each year. Applications are accepted after April (date established by CASPA) with a deadline of November 1st. All application materials including G.R.E. scores, recommendations, and college transcripts must be submitted prior to the deadline. Prerequisite requirements for the M.P.A.S. program are listed below.
Previous health care experience is regarded as one measure of the applicant's interest in health care. In addition, such experience offers a means by which the applicant can better understand the role of the P.A. within the health care delivery system and appreciate the relationships between health providers. Applicants should seek out interactions and shadowing experiences with P.A.s.
Such experience can be gained in a variety of situations, for example hospital orderly/nurse's aide, emergency medical technician/paramedic, O.R. technician, and physical, rehabilitation, or respiratory therapist. The health care experience may be gained through part-time or full-time employment or voluntary service.
Prior research experience, especially in a medical environment, has the benefit of increasing the candidate's understanding of the research process. In addition, the candidate will gain an appreciation of the crucial role that experimental and epidemiology studies play in our understanding of the etiology, mechanism(s), and treatment of medical problems.
Applicants should also seek out interactions and shadowing experiences with PAs.
Individuals must have completed the majority of the science course requirements and have GRE/MCAT scores prior to the application deadline of November 1st. Candidates who will be earning their baccalaureate degree before the class begins in May are eligible to apply.
Under present College of Medicine regulations, applications will only be accepted from U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Applicants must apply through the centralized application process (CASPA). Applications are reviewed, and those applicants considered most competitive will be invited to visit Iowa City for a personal interview. Interviews will be conducted from September through December. All applicants will be notified before March 1 about their admission status.
Selection of interviewed candidates by the Admissions Committee is based on several criteria including academic achievement (particularly in the sciences), type and extent of health related and/or research experience, letters of recommendation, GRE/MCAT scores, and the candidate's personal narrative and interview evaluation. Click here for a graphic of how these factors are applied to the selection process.
For the class admitted in 2007, the successful applicant averaged a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.56 on 145 semester hours of college credit, a science GPA of 3.54 on 72 semester hours, an average of 2,387 hours of health care and 1,623 hours of research experience, and the following GRE scores: verbal = 508, quantitative = 666, and written (analytical) = 4.6. The class average age was 25.9 years.
University of Iowa PA Program's policy on advanced placement.
Application for the class beginning May 2008 should be made through the Central Application System for Physician Assistants (CASPA). Please visit the CASPA Web site for more information. All materials for application except GRE scores should be sent to CASPA. GRE scores should be sent directly to The University of Iowa, Department Code 0601, School Code 6681.