PA · Boston, Massachusetts · private

Tufts University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program prerequisites

What Tufts asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 9 lines differ from the standard PA school set, marked below.

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Coursework

Biology with labrequiredextra here
lab
"2 semesters" of general biology, "Each semester with lab." The acceptable list is broad, "general biology (for science majors), genetics, immunology, histology, infectious disease, pathophysiology, cell biology, molecular biology," with one exclusion: "Ecology and Evolution courses will not be accepted." C or better, within 10 years.
General chemistry with labrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
"2 semesters" of general chemistry, "Each semester with lab," and "Organic chemistry will be accepted" toward the requirement. C or better, within 10 years.
Biochemistrynot required here
Biochemistry is not required. The chemistry requirement is two semesters of general chemistry with lab, and organic chemistry is the substitution Tufts names; biochemistry is not listed.
English or writing-intensivenot required here
No English or writing requirement appears on the prerequisites page.
Statisticsrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"1 semester" of statistics and it "Can be an introductory course." C or better, within 10 years.
Psychologynot required here
Psychology does not appear among the five prerequisites.
Anatomy and physiologyrequireddiffers
2 semesters · 8 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
"2 semesters" covering all body systems, and the sequence may be split: "1 semester of anatomy and 1 semester of physiology for science majors will also be accepted." Tufts attaches a laboratory requirement to biology, chemistry and microbiology but not to this line. C or better, within 10 years of the intended start date.
Microbiologyrequired
1 semester · 4 credits · lab
"1 semester" and the lab is not optional: "Course must be accompanied with a lab." C or better, within 10 years.
Medical terminologynot required here
Medical terminology is not a prerequisite here.

Experience hours

Patient care experiencerequireddiffers
1000+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours.
"Required direct patient care experience = 1,000 hours" with a "Recommended minimum = 1,750 hours." Two timing rules bite: "Required direct patient care experience MUST be completed before submitting an application" and "Most of the required hours must have been completed within the last 5 years." Accepted roles include nurse, physical therapist, dental hygienist, emergency room tech, respiratory therapist, clinical nutritionist, EMT, paramedic, CNA, patient care assistant, medical assistant, athletic trainer, exercise physiologist, optometric assistant, patient care technician, ophthalmology technician and surgical assistant. The rejected list is unusually strict and catches jobs many programs count: "personal trainer, patient navigator, physical therapist aide, chiropractic assistant, acupuncture assistant, pharmacy technician/clerk, clinical office assistant, medical scribe, counseling, observational positions, or non-clinical related positions." Scribing does not count here.
Healthcare experiencerecommended
500+ hours
No separate healthcare experience figure is published, and Tufts draws the line hard: clinical office assistant, medical scribe and other "non-clinical related positions" are named as unacceptable toward the 1,000 hours. Hands-on work is the only kind that counts toward the requirement.
PA shadowingrecommended
20+ hours
"PA shadowing is encouraged, but not required, for the purpose of ensuring an individual understands the profession and is making an informed decision but it will not be accepted as part of the 1,000 hours of direct patient care experience." No hour figure is published.

Letters

Science faculty letterrecommended
No published minimum
Only a handful of programs require a science faculty letter by name. An academic letter is welcome nearly everywhere and mandatory almost nowhere.
PA letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
No letter from a PA is required. Neither the prerequisites page nor the program FAQ names a writer by profession; the only guidance is the recommended supervisor reference from a listed patient care job.
Supervisor letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
Recommended rather than required, and tied to the patient care claim: the program recommends that "one of your references come from a supervisor or someone in a supervisory role who can attest to the position and your performance, of a direct patient care experience that you list in your application." All letters must be completed by the evaluator in CASPA's online evaluator portal, which includes a skills rating alongside the letter.

Also on the school’s page

Tufts counts prerequisites in semesters rather than credits, so this overlay leaves credit figures off where the program does. Five lines: two semesters of human anatomy and physiology, two of general biology each with lab, two of general chemistry each with lab, one of microbiology with lab, and one of statistics. "All prerequisites must be completed with a grade C or better" and "All prerequisite courses must be taken within 10 years of your intended program start date"; older coursework must be redeemed either by taking higher level courses or by repeating the introductory ones, and in that case "at least ONE lab is required." Three GPA figures are published, an overall "ideal minimum" of 3.4 and required science and prerequisite GPAs of 3.0 each, so only the 3.0 pair reads as a floor. Testing is optional in the true sense: "The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) are not required for admission," though "applicants may choose to submit GRE or MCAT scores as an optional component of their application." The PA-CAT is not mentioned. TOEFL of at least 100 IBT is required if English is not the applicant's first language or the degree is non-U.S. Letters go through CASPA's evaluator portal only: the program "cannot accept letters of recommendation through Interfolio or other similar services." A Patient Care document describing the hands-on work claimed must be uploaded into CASPA. For the Spring 2027 entry the verify-by deadline was August 1, 2026, with complete applications advised by July 1, 2026.

School

medicine.tufts.edu/Academics/Physician-Assistant-Program

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