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**Admissions Changes for the Fall 2013 Application Cycle**
Admission into East Carolina University's PA Program is very competitive. We select up to 35 applicants to become students in each class. Our process of submission, review and interview ensures a fair selection of students to join our program. ECU's PA program has several requirements necessary for applicants to meet, as listed below. In addition to our requirements, applicants must also meet the standards of the Graduate School (http://www.ecu.edu/gradschool). Accepted applicants for the Fall of 2013 averaged the following scores: Cumulative GPA: 3.53
Science GPA: 3.51
Prerequisite GPA: 3.75
GRE Score (New Scores): 309
GRE Score (Old Scores): 1153 GRE Analytical Writing Score: 4.31
Admission Requirements Residency Status Applicants must be residents of one of the following states; with preference given to residents of North Carolina:
Education Applicants must currently have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university. The undergraduate degree must be completed by June 1st of the year of enrollment. Example: Applicants who submit application materials by September 1, 2012 must complete the undergraduate degree by June 1st of 2013 in order to enroll in the fall of 2013. Prerequisites Courses
Taking Courses at a North Carolina Community College? Colleges within the North Carolina community college system use the same course name and number designations regardless of which location you choose to attend. Use the chart below to plan and register for your prerequisite course of study. North Carolina Community College Equivalent Courses
*ATEP can be taken to fulfill the medical terminology prerequisite requirement and is offered online. HIMA 3000 is often reserved for ECU majors in specific allied health fields. Patient Contact Hours We require that applicants have at least 250 documented healthcare exposure hours. All hours must be completed by September 1. However, if some hours are pending, they may be submitted by December 31. These hours can be obtained through paid, volunteer or shadowing experiences. NOTE: Beginning with the 2014 Application Cycle (applications due September 30, 2014) applicants must complete 1000 documented healthcare exposure hours. We strongly recommend shadowing of a PA, NP, MD, or DO as 250 of those hours. Acceptable forms of clinical experience include:
Unacceptable forms of clinical experience include:
GRE Applicants must take the GRE. The GRE can taken several times; however, we will combine the top verbal and quantitative scores to determine the overall score. GRE scores must be submitted by September 1. However, pending scores may be submitted by December 31. Criminal Background Checks and Drug Screens ECU and the PA program are not responsible for reviewing background checks or paying for them. Some rotation sites require these background checks. If a student can not complete a clinical portion of the PA program because negative items contained in a criminal background check or failure to pass a drug screening, the student will not be able to graduate. Neither ECU nor the PA program will be held liable for the student's failure to obtain state licensing. Students will be subject to institutional and ECU policies regarding alcohol and drug use. Immunizations The Department of Physician Assistant Studies complies with the immunization recommendations for healthcare personnel set forth by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The following immunizations are required for Physician Assistant students and are based on CDC guidelines:
Each student must update their PPD status and statement of good health every 12 months or more frequently if required by a clinical site to which the student is assigned. Students should maintain a personal pocket file of current immunization status and CPR, ACLS, PALS certifications that may be easily accessed, if requested while participating in hospital ward visits and/or clinical rotations. Students are advised that the information above may be released to third parties to facilitate their clinical placements. All students accepted for admission must document with the program no later than July 1 that all immunizations or appropriate titers under Sections A and B of the Student Health Application have been completed or are in progress if immunization requires a series of injections. The Student Health Service web site is at: http://www.ecu.edu/cs-studentlife/studenthealth/index.cfm Basic Life Support All accepted applicants into the Physician Assistant Studies program are required to complete basic life support for health practitioners. Please contact your local American Red Cross on training courses available. Technical Standards A student admitted into the East Carolina Physician Assistant program must meet basic and essential requirements that are necessary for obtaining employment and performing as a Physician Assistant. The technical standards each student must master include cognitive, physical and behavioral characteristics. Reasonable accommodation for persons with documented disabilities will be considered on an individual basis, but a candidate must be able to perform in an independent manner. All students must possess the intellectual, ethical, physical and emotional capabilities required to undertake the full curriculum and to achieve the levels of competence required by the faculty. The following skills are required, with or without accommodation. Critical Thinking: Students must possess the intellectual, ethical, physical and emotional capabilities required to undertake the full curriculum and to achieve the levels of competence required by the faculty. The ability to solve problems, a skill that is critical to the practice of medicine, requires the intellectual abilities of measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Candidates for the program must be able to perform demonstrations and experiments in the basic sciences. Communication Skills: A candidate should also be able to converse with patients as well as hear and observe them on order to elicit information, describe changes in mood, activity, and posture, and perceived nonverbal communications. The candidate must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in oral and written forms. Visual Ability: Candidates must be able to observe a patient accurately, both at a distance and close at hand. This ability requires functional use of vision and somatic sensation. Hearing and Tactile Abilities: Candidates should be able to execute movements reasonably required to move from area to area, maneuver in small spaces, calibrate and use large and small equipment, position and move patients, and provide patients with general and emergency treatment. Interpersonal Abilities: A candidate for the PA program must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of his or her intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of responsibilities required for diagnosis and care of patients, and the development of mature sensitive, and effective relationships with patients, families and colleagues. Admission Process We review applications on a rolling basis as they are received from the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). The completed application deadline for CASPA is September 1. Please note: applicants should not apply to the ECU Graduate School until they are offered a seat in the PA program. Preference for interviews is given to applicants who apply early. Application Timeline
*COMPLETE applications that arrive by September 1 will be screened and qualified applicants may be interviewed as early as November 30.
If our website does not address your admissions question or you would like more information, please email our admissions staff at PAadmissions@ecu.edu. Admission Checklist |
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