Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University Physician Assistant Program prerequisites

3 credits

Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.

"General Chemistry: Any college-level general inorganic chemistry course. Survey courses will not be accepted." One course of three semester credits, no laboratory required and no second semester. No time limit, and AP or CLEP credit may be used for this one.

1 semester · 3 credits

"Organic Chemistry OR Biochemistry: Any college-level organic chemistry or biochemistry course. Survey courses will not be accepted." Applicant's choice, three semester credits, no lab. Within ten years of the application deadline.

No English, composition or writing course appears among the eight prerequisites.

1 semester · 3 credits

The requirement is wider than statistics: "College Math or Physics OR College Statistics: Any college-level math, physics or statistics course. Survey courses will not be accepted." One course of three semester credits satisfies it, so a physics or calculus course answers this line as well as a statistics course. No time limit, and AP or CLEP credit is accepted, including the CLEP exams in College Mathematics, College Algebra or Calculus.

2 semesters · 6 credits

Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 3 credits.

Two separate psychology prerequisites, six semester credits in total. First, "Intro to Psychology: Any college-level introductory psychology course offered in the psychology department that focuses on the understanding of human psychological development," with no time limit. Second, "Advanced Psychology Course: Any college-level course in the psychology department beyond an introductory psychology course... (Abnormal, Lifespan or Developmental recommended)," within ten years of the application deadline, and "Part II of Introduction to Psychology will not be accepted." Both carry the same warning: "Courses offered in other departments (e.g. Sociology, Anthropology, etc.) will not be accepted."

2 semesters · 8 credits · lab

"Anatomy AND Physiology OR A&P I AND A&P II will need to have 4 semester hours / 6 quarter hours per semester," so two courses of 4 credits each, "To include lab." The content bar is explicit: courses must "cover the structure and function of all the major human body organ systems, including the musculoskeletal, nervous, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, urinary, endocrine and reproductive systems." "It is highly recommended that both Anatomy and Physiology prerequisite courses be completed at the same institution." The tightest window on the list: within five years of the application deadline.

3 credits

Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 4 credits · lab.

"Microbiology OR Cell Biology: Any college-level microbiology or cell biology course. Survey courses will not be accepted." Three semester credits, no laboratory required, and cell biology is a full substitute. Within ten years of the application deadline.

Medical terminology is not among the eight prerequisites and is not mentioned in the guidebook.

500+ hours

Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours and list it as required.

No minimum is published: "Although not required to apply, patient care and healthcare experience is desirable and rewarded in the application review process. Patient care experience is preferred over healthcare experience; however, credit is given for both types of experience." The program uses the CASPA definition, "experiences in which you are directly responsible for a patient's care," and reads that as "providing hands-on patient care, performing procedures, counseling/educating patients, and/or participating in clinical decision-making. Unpaid experiences are less likely to fall into this category." Roles it lists here include athletic trainer, clinical or medical assistant, clinical psychologist, CNA with clinical duties, dietician, EMT or paramedic, patient care technician, mental health aide, military corpsman or medic, RN or LPN, nurse's aide, OT or OTA, phlebotomist, PT or PTA, respiratory therapist and surgical assistant. Not counted at all: supportive care only, experiences outside the U.S. healthcare system, work done for academic credit or as part of a training program including internships, sorority or fraternity service, shadowing, and veterinary or animal care. "The description of duties will ultimately determine how the admissions committee categorizes an experience," and hours in a current position are extrapolated to the March 1 deadline.

500+ hours

Also unnumbered. The only figure the program publishes is combined: competitive admitted applicants earned "2000-4000 total healthcare experience hours based on the last 3 cycles (combined Patient Care and Healthcare Experience)." That is a range from admitted classes, not a minimum, and the program does not split it into a separate patient care figure. Healthcare experience here follows the CASPA definition of paid or unpaid work where you are not directly responsible for a patient's care, with distinctions: supportive care only is not rewarded as healthcare experience, "Clerical work must be at the level of Medical/Unit or Office Secretary, where regular interaction with clinical professionals is described in the duties," and typical roles are lab tech, medical or unit secretary, pharmacy tech and scribe. A CNA or medical assistant whose duties show direct responsibility is moved up into patient care instead.

20+ hours

No number, and shadowing earns no experience credit: "Shadowing/observational experiences (will not be counted as volunteer experience). However, shadowing PAs is recommended for applicants not otherwise exposed to the PA profession in a clinical setting."

No published minimum

No number is required, but community service is scored: "It is part of VHS' vision to be recognized as the most community-oriented school of medicine and health professions in the United States. Therefore, we reward applicants with a demonstrated commitment to community service." Admitted applicants have averaged "876 hours of volunteer experience" and "95% of applicants have reported community service activity." "Emphasis will be placed on the longevity and quality of the investment rather than simply being a member of an organization or the sheer number of events listed." Experiences outside the U.S. healthcare system and supportive-care-only work may count here even though they do not count as patient care.

Only two letters are required and the guidebook's list of acceptable writers names clinicians, colleagues, supervisors and patients rather than faculty; no science professor letter is asked for.

1 letter

Most PA programmes publish no minimum.

"VHS requires two (2) letters of reference," fewer than most programs, and no writer type is mandated. "References should be from a variety of sources, whether MDs, PAs, other health professionals, colleagues, supervisors, and/or patients or clients." A PA is one option among several. "References from family members are strongly discouraged."

1 letter

Most PA programmes publish no minimum.

Not required by name. Supervisors are one of the listed acceptable sources for the two letters, alongside MDs, PAs, other health professionals, colleagues, and patients or clients. Writers should be "well acquainted with the applicant academically, personally, and/or professionally and who can evaluate the majority of categories included on the reference form," and "References should submit a signed letter on letterhead if feasible."