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Program Overview
The Utah Physician Assistant Program is accredited by ARC-PA (Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc.). UPAP is a full-time program that begins each summer semester and spans 27 months over 7 continuous semesters. Part-time or interrupted attendance is not an option.
The didactic phase of the program takes place over 4 semesters for a total of 64 credits of academic coursework, and includes full-day clinical rotations once weekly beginning at mid-year. The clinical phase takes place during the second year and includes full-time clinical rotations under the direct supervision of a preceptor (students are not required to supply their own clinical sites or preceptors). The total number of credits awarded during the clinical year is 27. In addition, all students must produce and present a Master’s Project.
Graduates of the Utah Physician Assistant Program earn a Master of Physician Assistant Studies Degree, MPAS.
The Application Process
Applicants may apply beginning in April 16, 2008 for the class that begins in May of 2009. The deadline for the electronic application is October 1, 2008. No exceptions or extensions will be offered.
Apply through CASPA
CASPA - Central Application Service for Physician Assistants - is a web-based application service (http://www.caspaonline.org). The Utah Physician Assistant Program (UPAP) only accepts applications from this service. Official transcripts must be obtained from all colleges and universities previously attended and sent directly to the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). You must also provide 3 letters of reference and a personal statement up to 500 words in length. Applicants with foreign course work should check the CASPA website for official CASPA approved foreign course work confirmation agencies, and apply early to allow time for transcript translation.
Supporting documents (reference letters and transcripts) should be received by CASPA no later than two weeks after the October 1st deadline in order to assure timely processing. CASPA requires up to five weeks after all of your materials are received (provided there are no problems) to finish processing applications before sending them to us. Applications received at UPAP from CASPA after December 1, 2008 will not be considered.
There is no supplemental application.
Applicants should not apply to the University of Utah Graduate School unless an offer of acceptance has been extended by UPAP.
It is not necessary to send transcripts to UPAP.
Application tips:
• Allow yourself plenty of time to fill out the application and submit it electronically. Do not plan on filling out your application in one day and submitting it on the deadline. The average applicant spends around 20 total hours compiling an application. You may log on and off the CASPA website to work on the application over time, but DO start early. Starting early will allow you to resolve any problems that may arise so that you are not at risk of missing deadlines.
• Log on to CASPA at least once weekly to reference your application status. This will allow you to become aware of any problems that may arise and fix them in a timely manner. Most common delay problem: letters of reference and/or transcripts haven’t arrived. It is your responsibility to know the processing stage that your application is in, and your responsibility to see that your supporting documents are sent.
Transfer Policy
UPAP does not admit transfer students from, or offer advanced status to candidates whose backgrounds include prior PA or MD training. All candidates must apply, be accepted, and complete all coursework and clinical rotations as required by UPAP.
Academic Prerequisites
Degree Requirement
Baccalaureate Degree (B.A. or B.S.) - received no later than Spring semester 2009 (early May).
GPA Requirements
To be considered for admission, we recommend that applicants have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above; a strong science GPA is preferred. Please be aware that ALL undergraduate coursework is considered in your GPA calculation. Exceptions to this policy are rare and at the discretion of the program, where offers to attend the program originate, and the Graduate School Admissions Committee, where final acceptance to the program is determined.
Advanced Placement and CLEP
UPAP does not accept advanced placement (AP) or CLEP in place of Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Biology, or Chemistry grades and credits.
Prerequisite Courses
• All prerequisite courses must be completed at a regionally accredited institute of higher learning in the United States.
• Prerequisite courses must be completed by early May of 2009 (due to the program start date of May 11, 2009, one week earlier than the regular summer semester start).
• Must be taken for credit and a letter grade (AP, CLEP, pass/fail, and audited coursework is not accepted).
• Must be completed with grades of “C” or better (C minus is not accepted).
• Completion of degree and prerequisites prior to application deadline is highly recommended and makes for a stronger, more competitive application.
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Applicants whose prerequisite coursework was completed more than 10 years ago are encouraged to consider retaking some or all prerequisite coursework*
*The 10-year time limit on coursework has been waived. This new policy is intended to enable applicants with an excess of paid medical experience to apply. Applicants with coursework older than 10 years and without medical experience are not apt to be among the stronger applicants.
!! All candidates offered interviews will be given a test of basic anatomy, physiology, and general medical knowledge. Study guides are not provided.
Human Anatomy - 4 semester credits
must be human – no other anatomy courses accepted
Human Physiology - 4 semester credits
must be human – no other physiology courses accepted
or combined Anatomy/Physiology I and II totaling 8 semester credits
Human Anatomy and Human Physiology courses must be taken from Biology, Physiology, or Zoology department (those in Exercise/Sports Science or Kinesiology are not accepted) and must be courses approved toward credit for science majors.
Biology - 4 semester credits including labs
(Biology coursework with relationship to the human body. Intro, General, Microbiology, Cell and Genetics are examples of acceptable biology courses)
Chemistry - 8 semester credits including labs
(All Chemistry coursework is accepted, including Intro, General, Organic and Biochemistry)
Coursework completed at Non-U.S. Schools
All prerequisite course work must be completed at an accredited college or university located within the United States, and a total of 60 semester credits (approximately 2 years) of U.S. College or University must be completed as well.
If English is not your native language
All non-native speakers must submit a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). There are no exceptions regardless of citizenship status or educational background;
Applications for whom English is not their native language will not be considered without a TOEFL score of 550 (written), 230 (computer) or 80 (internet), submitted with the CASPA application or sent to us directly no later than December 1, 2008. Test results may not be older than 2 years. Check testing centers in your area for availability and frequency of tests offered, and plan to wait several weeks for results. On the University of Utah campus:
University of Utah Testing Center
450 SSB
Salt Lake City, Utah 84112
(801) 581-8744
http://www.sa.utah.edu/testing
No GRE is required
Medical Experience Recommendation
It is highly recommended that an applicant have at least three years of recent medically related experience, preferably with patient contact. Paid medical experience is weighted more than volunteer experience in the evaluation process.
Demographics
Click here to see the demographics from the most recently accepted class.
Requirements for Accepted Students
Basic computer skills
Reliable web access and a good understanding of basic computer functions is required, including Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, and general use of the Internet for research and communication.
Background check requirement
All students receiving an offer of admission must consent to a criminal background check for the primary purpose of our ability to place students in clinical rotations. Acceptance to the program is contingent upon acceptable background check results. Adverse results of background checks will be considered by the Admissions Committee and could result in revocation of offer. Students may also be background checked by individual clinical sites.
Drug testing
Clinical sites may require that students submit to drug testing.
Immunizations
Students who are accepted to the program must provide immunization records or proof of immunity to Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), TB (annual skin test) and Hepatitis B. The Hepatitis B series must be started before the clinical year commences. UPAP also recommends that students obtain additional vaccinations for healthcare workers as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control that include Tdap (Tetanus, Diptheria, Pertussis combo), Varicella (Chickenpox), Meningococcal, and Influenza (when available annually).
University of Utah Graduate School Application
After the applicant has been formally accepted by UPAP, they must apply and be accepted by the Graduate School. No exceptions to this policy can be made. All students will be enrolled in the University of Utah Graduate School and will receive a Master of Physician Assistant Studies, MPAS. Enrollment in UPAP is pending final acceptance by the Graduate school.
Technical Performance Standards
The University of Utah School of Medicine Technical Performance Standards has been adopted by UPAP. These standards establish the minimum physical, cognitive, and emotional requirements needed to reasonably assure that a student can complete the entire course of study and participate competently in training and practice. For a copy of UPAP Technical Standards, click here.
More About Admissions
The Utah PA Program seeks students who reflect the diversity of the region's population as a whole. Students from different cultural, economic backgrounds, and life experiences add valuable perspectives to the student experience. UPAP is committed to recruiting, admitting, and graduating qualified candidates from diverse groups.
A strong applicant would be an individual with the following characteristics:
• Evidence of dedication to the medically underserved (prior medical experience working in a community or with an organization whose mission is to target populations with barriers to receiving health care)
• Strong clinical background (employment with a high level of clinical responsibility and decision making)
• Academic aptitude (baccalaureate degree with a GPA of 3.0 or greater)
Applicants must provide information about education, medical training, employment, and professional goals to UPAP. Evaluations from physicians, PAs, medical supervisors, etc., familiar with an applicant's medical knowledge, skills, and potential also are required. Applications are evaluated according to UPAP criteria and finalists are invited to attend a two-day Selection Conference in Salt Lake City. Students begin training in May of each year.
Positions are limited in comparison to the large number of qualified candidates who apply. Admission to UPAP is extremely selective and competitive. Selection criteria are based on underserved focus, academic performance, quality of clinical experience, personal statement, letters of reference, and interviews (if offered). For the 2008 entering class there were 605 applications. 84 scheduled interviews were offered for 36 positions. In 2009, the program will schedule approximately 90 interviews and admit 40 students.
Applicants must demonstrate superior interpersonal and communication skills, high motivation, strong ethical/moral character, a strict knowledge of limitations, exceptional grasp of the role of a PA, an ability and desire to live and work among diverse populations, and a sincere desire to care for others. UPAP and the University of Utah have a policy of nondiscrimination with respect to age, color, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, race, nationality, college(s) attended or major field of study, religious or political preference, prior occupation, parental occupation or status and work or extracurricular activity involvement. The University provides reasonable accommodation to the applicants with known disabilities.
Contact us with admissions questions Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM MST:
Please note that we do not have admissions information to mail. All pertinent admissions information is posted on this website.
University of Utah Physician Assistant Program
375 Chipeta Way Suite A
Salt Lake City, UT 84108
Phone: (801) 581-7766
Fax: (801) 581-5807
admissions@upap.utah.edu
