Physician Assistant Program Class Of 2027 Requirements:
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. The supplemental application fee is $75; the link for payment is in our supplemental application in CASPA.
ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
CASPA applications must be verified by October 1, 2024, for consideration in the class entering January 2025.
- Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution by October 1, 2024.
- All coursework must be completed prior to October 1, 2024.
- Applicants must have maintained an overall undergraduate minimum 3.0 GPA or greater.
- Applicant must have maintained a prerequisite GPA of 3.0 or greater.
- Applicants must have maintained a Biology, Chemistry and Physics (BCP) GPA of 3.00 or greater.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score, but it is not required for admission.
- 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.
- Submit score to CASPA using Bryant’s PA Program Code: 8825
The applicant must document at least 2,000 hours of direct patient care experience.
- Patient care experience of 2,000 hours must be complete and verified by April 1, 2024.
- Documentation must be submitted on the supplemental application.
- Direct patient care involves the actual one-on-one care of a patient.
- 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 Therapy Aides
- Respiratory Therapists
- Medical Assistant
The applicant must complete the following minimum prerequisite classes*:
| 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.
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.
The Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree is a broad degree attesting to general knowledge in all fields of medicine and the basic skills required for PA practice. Essential characteristics and abilities required for completion of the MPAS degree consist of certain minimum physical and cognitive abilities, and sufficient mental stability to provide reasonable assurance that candidates can complete the entire course of study and participate fully in all aspects of medical training. Bryant University expects its graduates to become fully competent Physician Assistants and will provide reasonable accommodation to prepare its students to reach this goal.
The program has an ethical responsibility for the safety of patients with whom the candidates will encounter both before and after completion of the MPAS degree. Patient safety is a major factor in establishing program core technical standards required for admission to the program, promotion within the program and graduation.
All Bryant PA students must possess those intellectual, ethical, physical, and emotional capabilities necessary to undertake and achieve levels of competence in the full curriculum required by the faculty. All students must meet technical standards in order to graduate from the program and ultimately enter into clinical practice. Inability to meet these technical standards is grounds for dismissal.
The technical standards are housed within broader categories as listed below. Detailed descriptions of the technical standards follow.
- Observation
- Participation
- Communication
- Motor Skills
- Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative & Quantitative Abilities
- Behavioral & Social Attributes
1. Observation
The student must be able to observe demonstrations and experiments in the basic sciences, including but not limited to physiologic and pharmacologic demonstrations, microscopic studies of microorganisms and tissues in normal and pathologic states. Students must be able to observe all classroom demonstrations of clinical skills. Students must also be able to inspect or observe a patient accurately at a distance and close at hand. Students should have the ability to visualize written documents, images, telemetry monitors, EKGs and interpret diagnostic studies. Students should be sufficiently capable of using observations to draw appropriate conclusions about patient care. Observation necessitates the functional use of the sense of vision. It is enhanced by the functional use of the sense of smell.
2. Participation
The student must participate in all components of the program to include, but not limited to, classroom activities, lab sessions, peer-to-peer clinical skills practice and clinical rotations.
3. Communication
Students should be able to speak to, listen to and observe non-verbal communication in patients in order to elicit accurate information. Communication includes speech, reading and writing. The student must be able to communicate respectfully, professionally, sensitively and efficiently in oral and written form with the patient, the patient’s family, and all members of the healthcare team.
Students must be able to communicate respectfully and professionally with peers, instructors and mentors in both oral and written formats at all times.
4. Motor Skills
Students should have sufficient motor function, skill and dexterity to carry out basic laboratory experiments and anatomical dissections. Students must be able to use clinical examination skills to elicit information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion, and other diagnostic maneuvers. Students should have the motor skills to accurately perform all elements of the physical examination and use instruments and tools appropriately to gather clinical information. Motor skills include the ability to obtain laboratory, radiologic and other diagnostic testing, as well as perform diagnostic procedures. Students should possess sufficient motor skills to be able to provide general and emergency care to patients as well as surgical care. Motor skills must be accurate and able to be performed safely. Such actions require coordination of both gross and fine muscle movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision.
5. Intellectual-conceptual, Integrative & Quantitative Abilities
Physician Assistant students must possess intellectual ability that includes visual-spatial understanding, measuring, calculating, reasoning, analysis and synthesis. Each of these skills is required for critical thinking and problem solving. Students must combine these skills with evidence-based medicine and sound judgment to patient care to formulate a reasonable diagnosis and treatment plan.
6. Behavioral & Social Attributes
Students should have the physical and emotional well-being required for full application of their intellectual abilities, exercise of sound judgment, prompt completion of all responsibilities relative to patient care, and fostering of mature, sensitive and effective relationships with patients and all members of the healthcare team. Students must display compassion, integrity, and altruism in the face of patient care. Students should be flexible, adaptable and able to learn in a multitude of environments.
Professionalism and respect are inherent to core qualities of a physician assistant. All students must treat faculty, staff, peers, preceptors, colleagues, and patients and their families with utmost respect.
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 GPA, CASPA narrative, patient care experience, letters of reference and GRE scores. Preference for interview is for those applicants who have higher GPA scores, greater number of patient care hours, strong letters of recommendation, well-written narratives, and experiences that goals that embody the Bryant PA Program mission.
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 does not accept student requests to transfer from other PA programs.
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 desire 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.