Application Process

OCTOBER 1ST VIA CASPAonline.org

2012-13

Applicants who are not pre-PA students at Kettering College or enrolled in the Bachelor of Science human biology major “3+2”-year MPAS accelerated curriculum must apply through Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) at www.caspaonline.org. Applications must be officially submitted to CASPA no later than Oct. 1 of the year prior to matriculation.

All Kettering College students wishing to apply to the PA program must complete the MPAS application, which is available from the PA admissions coordinator. Applications are due in the PA office no later than Oct. 1 of the year prior to matriculation. For those Kettering College students considering the accelerated curriculum, please refer to the program of study for the human biology major.

NOTE: Kettering College does not require the GRE for application to the Master of Physician Assistant Studies.

The application process is structured on a two-tiered system composed of a pre-interview selection process and selection for admission to the program.

PRE-INTERVIEW PROCESS:

Interviews are conducted from September through December. The following qualifications must be met in order to be considered for the interview process:

1. Only completed applications will be considered.

2. Transcripts must reflect a GPA of 3.00 for all prerequisite courses with no grade lower than a C-. Selection for the interview is based on the following:

1. Completion and nature of the degree:
   1. Completion of a bachelor's degree and prerequisite courses from a regionally accredited institution OR enrollment in the BS degree, human biology major
   2. Nature of the degree (BA, BS, MS, PhD, etc.)
2. GPA analysis of complete academic history:
   1. Prerequisite courses as listed below
   2. Cumulative college GPA
   3. Any grades of C and/or below on college transcript.

Prerequisite courses: Completion of prerequisite courses/degree must be at a regionally accredited college or university. Prerequisite courses may be in process at the time of application; however, applicants must have completed at least 18 semester hours total with 12 of the natural science courses and 6 in the other courses.

Natural sciences prerequisites (all must include lab component except biochemistry):
Organic chemistry                             8 semester credits
Biochemistry (lab preferred)           4 semester credits
Human anatomy and physiology   8 semester credits
Microbiology                                       4 semester credits
TOTAL                                               24 semester credits 

Note: Natural science courses need to have been taken within 10 years of date of application; if older than 10 years, please consult the PA admission coordinator.

Other prerequisites:
Psychology                                                         3 semester credits
Developmental OR abnormal psychology   3 semester credits
Statistics                                                             3 semester credits
TOTAL                                                                  9 semester credits

Verification of prerequisite course completion: Students must complete any outstanding prerequisite courses prior to the beginning of the summer semester, with submission of the course grades to the admissions office prior to the end of the first summer semester of the PA program. Official transcripts need to be submitted to admissions to demonstrate completion of outstanding classes. Students will be blocked from registering for fall classes until completion of outstanding prerequisite courses is verified.

3. Quality and quantity of health care hours: Applicants will be rated on both the type of health care hours and the number of completed experiential hours at the time of application. It is highly recommended that applicants complete at least 1,000 hours, which could be obtained in, but not limited to the following roles: nurse, nurse's aide, EMT or paramedic, lab tech/phlebotomist, medical office assistant with patient care responsibilities, respiratory care practitioner, radiological technologist, mission worker.

4. Evaluation of recommendation letters:

1. Applicants will need to submit three letters of reference (to CASPA or directly to the PA department if a current Kettering College student)
2. Letters must be written no more than 12 months prior to the application deadline.
3. No more than one letter should be from a professor; one should be from a health care professional if possible.

5. Bonus consideration will be awarded to those students taking at least 7 semester credits at Kettering College.

SELECTION FOR ADMISSION TO THE PROGRAM:

Selection for admission to the program is based upon the results of the pre-interview process evaluation and the interview

1. Evaluation of communication skills. Applicants must demonstrate strong written and oral communication skills.
   1. Written communication skills will be determined from an essay to be completed at the time of the interview.
   2. Oral skills will be determined during the interview process.
2. Documented plans for completion of any outstanding prerequisite courses (if applicable).

The PA admission committee selects and recommends applicants for admission to the PA program; this roster is shared with the College admission office for final acceptance.