Frequently Asked Questions

The PA program is a full-time program and due to the nature of the heavy course load, high academic standards and the various clinical rotations, the School of PA Medicine does not recommend any type of employment while enrolled in the program. Students are encouraged to ensure they have adequate financial resources prior to matriculation into the program. Please refer to the tuition and fees section for additional information related to costs associated with the program.

The PA program will only offer face to face instruction and students must be willing to attend the program on-campus. The PA program will make every attempt to temporarily accommodate for illness and injury to a student on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the PA program if you have any additional questions.

The PA program is only available full-time, each student admitted to the program will matriculate once per year with an established cohort. Students that are unsuccessful with maintaining the program academic standard will be reviewed by the academic committee. If the student is not allowed to continue, the student could be offered a seat in the next matriculating cohort.

No, the sequencing of the curriculum is unique to the NU PA program and requires all students to enter the program as a cohort. All students accepted to the program must apply through CASPA and participate in the admission process.

The PA program will conduct a routine criminal background check prior to matriculation. The cost associated with the background check will be the responsibility of the incoming student and is required. Failure to complete the background check or is unable to clear the background check prior to matriculation will result in the PA program rescinding the admission offer. If you have questions related to criminal background, please contact the PA program.

The PA program will conduct a routine urine drug test for all students admitted to the program prior to matriculation. The cost associated with the drug screen will be the responsibility of the student and is required. Failure to complete or pass the drug screen with result in the PA program rescinding the admission offer. If you have any questions related to the drug screen, please contact the PA program.

Students are granted a Master of Science (MS-PAS) degree upon graduation and are eligible to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) offered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Graduates of the NU PA program who are certified by the NCCPA, i.e., pass the PANCE, are eligible to practice within the United States and Canada.

The answer is no, the program will review all applications that are submitted by the posted deadline. Once the PA program has determined the candidates that will be selected for an interview, they will be contacted at that time to schedule the on-campus interview. Please refer to the admission process for further information regarding the application deadlines.

The application process that is outlined by the program discusses each attribute that an applicant is evaluated on from a holistic perspective. As the program begins to matriculate students, comparative data from previous admissions will be provided as a reference. A competitive applicant will demonstrate a high GPA (total, science, prerequisite) with a bachelor's degree. The applicant will provide evidence of previous healthcare experience within the application. The higher amount of health care experience above the minimum requirement will look favorable to the program. The applicant will provide evidence of prior leadership opportunities that demonstrate the applicant’s ability to direct a team. The competitive applicant will also have a strong alignment with the PA programs mission and vision and will provide evidence to support this.

The PA program does NOT require GRE scores to be submitted with the application, if you have taken the GRE and it is included in the application, the PA admission committee will NOT review the results and therefore will not factor in the decision of admission to the program.

Unfortunately, no, the program has established relationships with local providers but is unable to share any information with applicants. The program encourages each applicant to seek out opportunities that would enable them to experience the role of a Physician Assistant within the healthcare team. The program does not require any shadowing hours to be submitted with the application.