CASPA

The Bryant University Physician Assistant Program participates in the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA).  Students applying to the Bryant PA Program must follow the application instructions on the CASPA Website www.caspaonline.org.

Supplemental Application

The Bryant University PA Program requires a supplemental application in addition to the CASPA application. The supplemental questions can be found within the CASPA portal. In addition to completing the application students will need to submit a supplemental application fee of $50 online.

Admissions Requirements

CASPA applications must be verified by October 1, 2021 for consideration in the class entering January, 2022.

• Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution by October 1, 2021.
• All coursework must be completed prior to October 1, 2021.
• Applicants must have maintained an overall undergraduate minimum 3.0 GPA
• Applicant must have maintained a prerequisite GPA of 3.0

Applicant must complete the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

• No minimum is required on the GRE, but performance will be used to determine eligibility and competitiveness
• Testing must have been from within the last 5 years

The applicant must document at least 2,000 hours of direct patient care experience

• Documentation must be submitted on the supplemental application
• Direct patient care involves the actual one-on-one care of a patient
• Patient care experience of 2,000 hours must be complete and verified by October 1, 2021
• The following is a partial list of examples of areas of direct healthcare
  • Military medics, corpsmen, health services technicians, and medical technicians
  • Nurses
  • Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedics
  • Emergency room technicians
  • Medical Scribes
  • Physical and Occupational Therapists
  • Respiratory Therapists
  • Medical Assistant

The applicant must complete the following minimum prerequisite classes*:

Course List

Biology with lab		8
Chemistry with lab		8
Human Anatomy & Physiology (maybe taken separately)		8
Microbiology		3
Biochemistry or Organic Chemistry with Lab		3/4
Psychology		3
Statistics		3

*	Note: summary, AP and survey courses are not permitted. All courses must have letter grades; Pass/Fail courses are not accepted.
**	Students applying under the academic provisions as outlined in the Bryant University and Western New England University should make the appropriate annotation in the Supplemental Application area for consideration in accordance with the agreement.

Background Investigation

All successfully admitted students must undergo a criminal background investigation.  The PA Program will provide the accepted student access to the necessary criminal background investigation process.  A felony conviction may prevent the student from completing clinical rotations at our affiliated healthcare organizations; therefore may prevent admission to the PA Program.  Some additional non-felony convictions may prevent students from gaining certification, licensure or credentialing as a healthcare provider.  In the event of such a conviction, the Program will contact the applicant to discuss the matter prior to matriculation.  Neither the program, nor its personnel are responsible for ensuring that an applicant will be eligible for NCCPA certification, state licensure or credentialing at any healthcare facility.  Applicants with a criminal history should investigate the laws, regulations and statutes applicable to the state and facility in which they intend to practice.

Screening for drugs of abuse

Students may be required to submit to a drug screen at any time during the program.  Our affiliated Healthcare Facilities require negative drug screening prior to starting clinical rotations. 

A positive drug screen for any substance not legally prescribed to the student will result in dismissal from the PA Program.  Students who refuse to submit a drug screen will likewise be dismissed.  Students who screen positive for drug use during clinical rotations may be subject to criminal action as required by the state or institution.

Technical Standards

Matriculated Students must meet all technical standards required for program completion with or without reasonable accommodations for documented disability.

Physical abilities:  In very basic terms, the physician assistant student must be able to carry out the physical tasks necessary to elicit a patient’s history and perform a physical exam, including the ability to observe/see the patient and physical exam findings, hear physical exam findings such as lung and cardiac sounds, and possess the coordination and manual dexterity to examine the patient such as palpation of the abdomen and to use the medical equipment routine to patient encounters such as a stethoscope. Additionally, the student must be able to stand for prolonged periods of time necessary for example, in surgical rotations, and have the strength necessary to provide emergent interventions such as CPR.

Cognitive abilities:  The physician assistant student must have the cognitive abilities required to elicit and understand a patient’s history, obtain and interpret physical exam findings, formulate a reasonable assessment and partner with the patient in the development of diagnostic and treatment plans. The PA student must also therefore be able to learn and understand, remember and apply the course content necessary to care for patients.

Behavioral abilities:  The physician assistant student must have the behavioral abilities, including the interpersonal and communication skills, required for interacting with patients, the supervising physician, and other members of the health care team to be able to deliver care in a patient centered, professional, ethically sound manner.

Americans with Disabilities Act

Bryant University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. The ADA prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of that individual's disability.  Not only does Bryant comply with the ADA, but Bryant also considers this compliance to be a reaffirmation of the University's long-standing nondiscrimination policy.  To this end, Bryant bases all of its admissions decisions on an applicant’s qualifications to perform the essential functions of the physician assistant student role, with or without reasonable accommodations that do not impose an undue hardship on the University.

Bryant University does not discriminate unlawfully against the disabled and is in full compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

Inquiries/complaints with regard to disabled student issues should be addressed to the Director of Health Services, Bryant University, Smithfield, RI 02917 (401-232-6220), who has been designated by Bryant University to coordinate the institution’s efforts to comply with the regulations implementing Section 504.

Persons may also contact the Director, US Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, Region One, Boston, MA 02109, regarding the University’s compliance with regulations.

Attend an on-site interview

Applicants who are deemed as likely successful candidates by the PA Program Admissions Committee will be invited to Bryant University for a one day interview and campus tour.  This is the ideal chance for potential students to not only impress upon the faculty their strong interest in becoming a physician assistant, but also why they are a good fit for the Bryant University PA Program.  Students should thoroughly prepare for this interview.

The Selection Process and Program Preference

The Bryant University Physician Assistant Program developed its Mission and Goals to reflect our commitment to help decrease health care disparities and increase access to health care for currently underserved populations.  Our strategy to accomplish this goal is to support the admission and enrollment of future clinicians who have demonstrated a similar commitment to these philosophies. While the Program does not extend preference to any particular individual or group, application materials are scored during the file review and interview process using a scoring system that awards points to any applicant demonstrating evidence of a commitment to the philosophies embodied by the Program’s Mission and Goals. 

Applicants are screened and competitively ranked based on the following criteria:

Academic Preparation

item	gpa
Academic Preparation
Overall and Science GPA (science + overall/2)	0 - 5 points
GRE Quantitative	0 - 5 points
GRE Verbal Reasoning	0 - 2.5 points
GRE Analytical Writing	0 - 1 point
Interpersonal and Communication Skills and Professionalism
CASPA Narrative	0 - 2 points
Supplemental Essay	0 - 2 points
References	0 - 2 points
Resume/CV	0 - 2 points
Interviews
Four interviews	0 - 2 points per interview
On-site essay	0 - 2 points

International Applicants

For applicants who have earned degrees outside of the United States, in addition to the general application requirements, the following prerequisites must be completed prior to applying:

• TOEFL score within the previous 2 years of at least 100 (internet-based) to demonstrate proficiency in English
• A certified degree and course-by-course evaluation of foreign transcripts to ascertain equivalences to United States educational standards. www.wes.org

Deferred Admission

The Bryant University PA Program does not offer deferred admission. 

Transfer Policy to the Bryant University PA Program

The Bryant University PA Program will consider student requests to transfer from other PA programs on a case-by-case basis.  The total number of transfer applicants accepted will be based on the current number of available seats in the cohort in accordance with ARC-PA-established authorization.

Students must meet the following admissions requirements for Bryant University PA Program regardless of current graduate standing:

• Should have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least a 3.0.
• Should have a required science course GPA of at least a 3.0 and include the following courses:

1. Biology                                       8 semester hours
2. Chemistry                                   8 semester hours
3. Statistics                                     3 semester hours
4. Anatomy and Physiology          8 semester hours
5. Psychology                                3 semester hours
6. Microbiology                             3 semester hours
7. Biochemistry or                         3 semester hours

     Organic Chemistry                    4 semester hours

• Must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited U.S. university.
• Must have a minimum of 2,000 hours of direct patient care experience.
• Must have a minimum graduate (PA Program) GPA of 3.0 at their current program.
• Must meet all program technical standards.
• Must not have any history of negative actions (includes both academic and non-academic probation) while enrolled in PA school.
• The GRE and TOFEL requirement is waived for students who have already completed the didactic component of a PA program from which they are requesting transfer.

Requests for transfer will be directed to PA_Admissions@bryant.edu and will contain the following documents:

• A copy of the applicants completed CASPA from their current PA Program.
• A completed Bryant PA Program Supplemental Application with a personal reference and a narrative on why the applicant is seeking transfer.
• A letter of academic standing from the applicant’s current program director to include any academic or non-academic actions while in the program.
• Stamped (Student) copy of current PA program transcripts (official transcripts will be required if the applicant is accepted.)
• Initiation of background investigation (need not be completed at the time of submission.)

All perspective transfer students must undergo an admissions interview with at least two faculty members.

Students requesting transfer who have completed the entire component of the didactic phase at their current institution are eligible to request transfer into the clinical phase.  No credit will be awarded for any SCPE’s completed at other institutions.  Students will be required to complete all assigned clinical courses through the Bryant PA Program to attain the required 48 semester hours needed for graduating.

Students who have not completed a full didactic curriculum and are granted transfer will be required to complete the entire didactic curriculum in the Bryant University PA Program and will matriculate in January of the following year. 

Withdrawal

Students retain the right to withdraw from their program of study in which they are enrolled, and thus the University, based on the personal preferences and necessities of the individual. When a student makes a decision to formally withdraw from graduate study at Bryant, a student must submit a University Withdrawal form to the Registrar’s Office. This action serves to notify the University of a student’s intention not to register for future courses. The student should also notify the Program Director in writing of their intent to withdraw from the program.   At such a time in the future as a student desires to resume graduate coursework at Bryant, a re-application and formal admission process is required.

Re-admit Policy

If a student withdraws from the Bryant University PA Program and later wishes to resume coursework, he or she will be required to re- apply to the PA Program via CASPA and will be responsible for the degree requirements that are in place at the time of re-application.

• Any previously completed coursework from the Bryant University PA Program must be repeated upon re-admission

Course Waivers

Transfer credits may not be applied towards Physician Assistant Program coursework and the Program does not award advanced standing/placement based on prior coursework.