Program Overview

---

About The Program

The Physician Assistant (PA) Program is a 24-month program that begins in January of each year. The program consists of a didactic curriculum in the first year, followed by clinical education and a summative experience in the second year. The program accepts up to 30 students each year.

What is a Physician Assistant (PA)?

PAs are highly trained and licensed medical professionals who practice medicine on healthcare teams with physicians and other providers. PAs are graduates of accredited PA educational programs who have passed a nationally certified board exam and are state-licensed to practice medicine with the supervision of a physician.

Program Length and Admission

The program is 24 months in length and begins in January of each year. Typically, the program receives over 1600 applications for 30 seats. The admission profile is an applicant with a 3.5 GPA (both cumulative and science) and a 305 total on their GRE score.

Prerequisite Courses

Applicants must complete one upper-level biology course, typically designated with a course number between 300-3000. Labs are required for biology courses. Online programs will suffice, but the Bachelor's degree must be from an accredited university. Any anatomy and/or physiology courses, microbiology courses, and medical terminology must be taken within the last 5 calendar years.

Admissions

The admissions committee recognizes direct patient care experience, including taking vitals, patient histories, assisting in surgeries and procedures, and pharmacy technician hours. Shadowing MDs and PAs is also valued. The program uses a holistic application process, with the goal of selecting students who can succeed in the intense and fast-paced curriculum.

Curriculum

The curriculum focuses on integrating each body system with regards to clinical medicine, history and physical exam, pharmacotherapeutics, and building clinical decision-making skills. Students take the PACKRAT two times as well as complete MedChallenger questions during their clinical year. During the summative experience, students receive a board review course delivered via webcast.

Student Life

Classes begin in January of each year, with the didactic year providing formal medical education. The second year focuses on clinical rotations, with 9 required and 2 elective rotations. The last month of the second year is a summative experience where students are back on campus. Each student is assigned an advisor who meets with them on a regular basis during the didactic year, and the clinical regional director serves as their advisor during the clinical year.

Accreditation Status

The program is accredited, but specific details are not provided.

Job Opportunities

There are many job opportunities for physician assistants, not only in Tennessee but also nationwide, depending on location and clinical setting.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available, but specific details are not provided.

Program Strengths

The program's greatest strength lies in its passion to provide an excellent education, with exceptional teaching and simulation facilities, as well as a caring faculty invested in student success.