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Application due 9/1

Physician Assistants (PAs) are health care providers who practice medicine with physician supervision. They are highly sought after members of the health care team who provide diagnostic and therapeutic patient care. PAs are dependent practitioners who perform medical tasks and procedures with the supervision, but not necessarily in the presence, of a supervising physician. The PA scope of practice is authorized by state law and determined by the supervising physician.

PAs take medical histories, perform physical examinations, order laboratory tests/studies, diagnose, develop and implement a treatment plan in consultation with the supervising physician, prescribe medication in all states, advise patients on health promotion and disease management, provide hospital care for surgical patients and assist in surgery.

They provide care both in teaching institutions and in hospitals where there are no physician residents, and are employed in health centers, health maintenance organizations, emergency rooms, college health services, doctor’s offices, nursing homes, and specialty clinics.

Northeastern University's Bouvé College of Health Sciences has been training physician assistants since 1971, making us one of the most experienced programs in the nation. Since its founding, Northeastern's PA Program has been accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant and its predecessors. The 2007 US News and World Report Graduate Rankings list Northeastern University's Physician Assistant Program as #17 in the nation.

The program is a full-time, 24-month graduate program that offers you an opportunity to earn a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies.  Graduates of the PA program take the PA National Certifying Examination (PANCE) after graduation.  Certification is required for initial licensure/registration in all states. The pass rates for first-time takers of the Northeastern PA Program compare very favorably with the national rates.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition for the PA Program for the 2009-2010 academic year is $25,560/year.  Additional fees include: student fees - $384/year; medical equipment - approximately $800; required textbooks - approximately $300; and CORI check - $25/year.

By law, all students in Massachusetts are required to have health insurance.  If a student does not elect to take the Northeastern University student health insurance plan ($2,220 for the 2008-2009 academic year), evidence of other comparable health insurance coverage must be provided.  For details about the required graduate student fees, please see http://www.northeastern.edu/registrar/billing-fees0910.html

Information about financial aid is available through The Office of Student Financial Services (617.373.5899 or www.financialaid.neu.edu).  There are several types of financial aid including a loan available only for physician assistant students.  Limited part-time employment during the first year of the program is possible but is not feasible during the second year.

• academic records
• science grades
• personal statements
• medical experience
• references

We interview approximately 100 candidates each year in a low-stress, 2-day process that includes:

• sitting in on a class
• meeting with program leadership for an overview of the program and detailed discussion of financial aid
• meeting in small groups with first- and second-year students as well as having lunch with first year PA students
• meeting with a program graduate to discuss what the professional life of a PA is like and how well the program prepared them for the work
• touring the Behrakis Health Sciences Center clinical lab
• individual interviews with program faculty and leadership

The interview dates for the class entering in August 2010 are scheduled on:

January 8-9, 2010
January 15-16, 2010
January 22-23, 2010
January 29-30, 2010
February 5-6, 2010

The final class is chosen from among those interviewed. In most cases, you will receive an admissions decision from the program by the end of February at the latest.

Northeastern University’s PA Program is a participant in CASPA (Centralized Application Service for PAs).  CASPA allows you to apply to multiple participating programs, verifies your application for accuracy, processes the application, and forwards it to your designated PA programs.  The deadline for the CASPA application for the Northeastern University PA Program is September 1. 

The CASPA application can be accessed at https://portal.caspaonline.org.  Be sure to read thoroughly all of  the CASPA information before you begin the application process and print out a copy of your application for your own records.

Questions about the CASPA application should be discussed directly with CASPA customer service at caspainfo@caspaonline.org or 616-612-2080.

All required material must be received by CASPA before it can be sent to your designated PA programs.  It is your responsibility to make sure that CASPA receives all material in a timely manner.

CASPA does not send original documents to any program.  If you are accepted into the program, you will have to arrange to have all official college and university transcripts sent directly to the Northeastern PA Program prior to matriculation.

A supplemental application is also required of all applicants to the Northeastern University PA Program.  Our supplemental application must also be received by the program by the same deadline --  September 1.  Your file will not be reviewed until the program has received both your CASPA and supplemental applications.

You should begin your CASPA application prior to completing the supplemental application as your CASPA ID number is required on the supplemental application.  The supplemental application fee is $25, made payable to Northeastern University in the form of a personal check or money order.  We are unable to accept credit card payments.

The Northeastern University supplemental application can be accessed here.  Please complete the application online, print out a copy, and mail the application directly to the PA Program along with the required supporting materials:

• one-page personal essay
• curriculum vitae
• $25 supplemental application fee
• acknowledgement of receipt form
• self-addressed stamped envelope (your name and address as both the sender and recipient)

Be sure to keep a copy of everything for your own records.  You cannot submit the supplemental application to the program online.  Email applications will not be accepted.

Both academic work and hands-on patient care experience must be completed prior to applying to the program. 

The GRE is not required, and the program has no code number.

Course work

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree with a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• 2 semesters of general chemistry lecture plus 1 chemistry lab which are acceptable for students majoring in chemistry or as pre-med courses by the school offering them
• 2 semesters of general biology lecture plus 1 biology lab acceptable for students majoring in biology or as pre-med courses by the school offering them.  These courses may focus on cellular and organismic biology, genetics, and/or evolutionary process.  Microbiology is acceptable as 1 of the 2 biology courses.
• Human anatomy and physiology which must cover all of the systems of the body, either combined as 1 course or 2 separate courses.  A laboratory is not required.
• 1 course in statistics covering basic principles such as hypothesis testing, probability theory, chi square, multiple regression, T tests, etc.

All prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of B or better by the end of the summer semester preceding the September 1 deadline.  The chemistry and biology courses must have been completed within the previous 7 years, and both should be taken at a 4-year institution.  Anatomy and physiology must have been completed within the previous 4 years.  There is no time limitation for statistics.

AP credits from high school do not fulfill any of our courses prerequisites.  For applicants who received college credits for chemistry and biology AP courses, upper level chemistry and biology courses taken in college may be substituted.

For those applicants who have taken the prerequisite chemistry and biology courses more than 7 years ago, upper level courses such as genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, immunology, cell physiology, pathophysiology, or other upper level or graduate science courses may be substituted rather than repeating the basic level courses.  However, they must have been taken within the previous 7 years.  The program does not accept transfer credit in lieu of taking any didactic courses within the PA curriculum.

Patient care experience
We are looking for candidates with a high level of maturity and an understanding of patient care. For this reason, we require that applicants have completed approximately one year (2,000 hours) of direct patient care experience (hands-on experience with the physical care of patients) prior to applying. We will consider part-time equivalency if it totals approximately 2,000 hours, but this is not as competitive as full-time employment carried out after completing your baccalaureate degree. This level of understanding of patient care makes the classroom experience richer because you bring a deeper knowledge and a personal history of care into the discussions. We will consider experience that you have gained through work in positions such as:

• certified nurse's assistant
• medical assistant
• medical corpsman
• nurse
• physical therapy aide
• emergency medical technician doing more than patient transfer
• paramedic
• physical therapist
• respiratory therapist
• ER technician

Hands-on work with patients in a medical care setting is most appropriate. Generally, individuals who have more than the minimum amount of hands-on patient care experience are more competitive. It is recommended that all applicants have at least one year of post-baccalaureate full-time work experience before applying to the program.
 
All students accepted into the program are required to document their immunizations (i.e., measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, varicella, Td, and PPD) prior to the start of the program. In addition, a number of clinical sites require criminal background checks.  

Access to a car or alternative transportation is necessary in order to travel to required suburban and out-of-state rotation sites.

International applicants

For applicants who have earned degrees outside the United States, the following prerequisites must be completed prior to applying:

• Completion of the science courses required of all applicants (see above) at an accredited institution of higher education in the United States, even if these courses were previously taken in your native countries. 
• A course-by-course evaluation of foreign transcripts to ascertain equivalencies to United States educational standards.  Suggested services include:

World Education Services
Bowling Green Station
PO Box 5087
New York, NY 10274
Phone: 212-966-6311

Center for Educational Documentation
PO Box 199
Boston, MA 02117
Phone: 617-338-7171

• A TOEFL score within the previous 2 years of at least 250 (computer-based) or 100 (internet-based) to demonstrate proficiency in English.

Successful completion of the ECFMG or USMLE cannot be substituted in lieu of taking the prerequisite courses in the United States.  Advanced standing credit cannot be given for courses taken elsewhere.  All students accepted into the program must successfully complete the entire 2-year curriculum regardless of previous education and degrees.

Required Technical Standards

A candidate for the Physician Assistant Program must have abilities and skills in:

• observation
• communication
• sensory and motor coordination and function
• intellectual-conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities
• behavioral and social attributes

Observation
Candidates and students must be able to observe demonstrations and participate in experiments in the basic sciences, and must observe a patient accurately at a distance and close at hand, noting both nonverbal and verbal signals. Observation necessitates the functional use of the sense of vision and other sensory modalities.
 
Communication
Candidates and students must be able to: speak intelligibly, hear sufficiently, and observe patients closely in order to elicit and transmit information; describe changes in mood, activity, and posture; and perceive nonverbal communications communicate effectively and sensitively with patients. Communication includes not only speech, but also reading and writing skills.  Candidates and students must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in oral and written English with all members of the health care team. Students must demonstrate reading skills at a level sufficient to accomplish curricular requirements, provide clinical care for patients, and complete appropriate medical records, documents, and plans according to protocol in a thorough and timely manner.

Sensory and Motor Coordination and Function
Candidates and students are required to possess motor skills sufficient to: directly perform palpation, percussion, auscultation, and other basic diagnostic procedures; and execute motor movements reasonably required to provide basic medical care, such as airway management, placement of catheters, application of sufficient pressure to control bleeding, simple obstetrical maneuvers, etc. These actions require coordination of gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision.
 
Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities
These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Problem solving, the critical skill demanded of physician assistants, requires all of these intellectual abilities. Candidates and students must be able to: independently access and interpret medical histories or files; identify significant findings from history, physical examination, and laboratory data; provide a reasoned explanation for likely diagnoses and prescribed medications and therapy; recall and retain information in an efficient and timely manner. The ability to incorporate new information from peers, teachers, and the medical literature in formulating diagnoses and plans is essential. Good judgment in patient assessment and diagnostic and therapeutic planning is essential. Students must be able to communicate their knowledge to others when appropriate.
 
Behavioral and Social Attributes
Candidates and students must possess the ability to: use their intellectual capacity, exercise good judgment, and promptly complete all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients under potentially stressful and/or emergency circumstances; develop empathic, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients; adapt to changing environments and learn in the face of uncertainties that are inherent in the practice of medicine; use supervision appropriately and act independently when indicated. Compassion, integrity, ethical standards, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation are all personal qualities that will be assessed during the admissions and educational process.

Northeastern's PA Program is small and well integrated. Small group courses are no larger than 2 to 6 students and our general lectures hold just 34 students. This means that your instructors can take the time to answer your questions and go into the topics in considerable depth, preparing you for the clinical placements where you will put your knowledge to work. As the role of the PA has expanded over the years, Northeastern has adapted its curriculum. While PA education concentrates largely on generalist medicine, more than one-quarter of PAs now go into surgical subspecialties. Northeastern has been in the forefront of creative utilization of PAs. You will be trained as a generalist provider in the traditional primary care environment, and will also be prepared to work in new and emerging aspects of health care.

Successful completion of the entire 2 year program is required to take the national certification exam (PANCE).

Sample Curriculum and Course Descriptions
Academic Requirements

Northeastern's PA Program is affiliated with Tufts University School of Medicine, and also draws upon a wide range of medical communities for diverse clinical opportunities. Because Northeastern has such a strong reputation in the field, we can offer you rotations at most of the major acute care hospitals in Boston, including:

• Brigham and Women’s Hospital
• Boston Medical Center
• Tufts Medical Center
• Harvard-based medical institutions like Mt. Auburn Hospital

Besides rotating through urban and teaching hospitals, students do rotations at community health centers, private practitioner offices, and multi-specialty clinics.  All students experience a broad diversity of patient populations and practice sites.

Program Leadership and Faculty

The PA Program leadership has tremendous longevity and cohesion. Some have been with the program for more than 20 years.

Rosann M. Ippolito, PhD, PA-C, Program Director
Christine M. Canning, MHP, PA-C, Clinical Coordinator
Carol G. Goldberg, MS, Assistant Director
Robin L. Reed, MD, Medical Director
Rebecca L. Scott, PhD, PA-C, Educational Coordinator
Loretta A. Williams, BS, Administrative Assistant 

The program's didactic and clinical faculty members are practicing clinicians and experts in their fields. They are based at area medical schools and clinical practices. Most faculty have been teaching in the program for years.

For further information call or email the program directly at 617-373-3195 or paprogram@neu.edu.