Program Overview

Program Description

The Physician Assistant (PA) program at Loma Linda University is designed to educate and train students to become competent and compassionate healthcare professionals. Physician Assistants are graduates of accredited PA programs who are licensed to practice medicine in collaboration with a supervising physician. There are over 178,000 certified PAs nationally, with more than 11,000 in California alone. PAs provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventative healthcare services as members of the healthcare team.

Program Details

• The program begins annually in the autumn quarter and consists of a 12-month didactic phase, providing instruction in biological, behavioral, and medical sciences for primary care providers.
• This is followed by a 12-month phase of supervised clinical practice experiences in various medical specialties.
• Graduates from the Loma Linda University Physician Assistant program are eligible to take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE).

Program Length

The program is 24 months, full-time.

Possible Careers

• Clinical or Hospital Practice
• Research
• Education
• Administration

Application Deadlines

Applications are accepted through CASPA between May 1 and October 1, with classes beginning annually in September of the year following the application cycle.

Admissions Requirements

To apply to the Physician Assistant program, applicants must have:

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution, completed by December 31 of the year of application
• An overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and a Science GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Documented paid patient care experience of 2,000 hours minimum by August 1 of the year of matriculation
• Three letters of recommendation, including one from a practicing MD/DO/PA who the applicant has worked under in a direct, hands-on, paid patient care experience

Prerequisites

General Information

• For the CASPA Application cycle, Loma Linda University Department of PA Sciences will allow for two total outstanding prerequisite courses at the time of application, with a maximum of one science course outstanding at the time of application.
• An outstanding course is defined as any course listed as being in progress when the CASPA application is submitted by the applicant, even if the course will be completed prior to the applicant submitting their supplemental application.
• All outstanding prerequisite coursework must be completed by the end of the Spring quarter of the year of matriculation.
• Science prerequisite courses must be for science majors.
• The program is not currently accepting science prerequisite courses that include online lectures and/or labs, with exceptions for courses completed between Spring 2020 and Fall 2022.
• All prerequisite science courses must be taken within the last 10 years from the time of application.
• Applicants must complete all prerequisite coursework at an accredited institution in the United States.
• Recommended coursework includes Statistics, Medical Terminology, and Conversational Spanish.
• All prerequisite courses must contain a letter grade; Pass/Fail, Credit/No Credit, Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grades will not be accepted.
• C minus grades and below are not accepted for prerequisite courses.

Science Courses

• Human Anatomy and Physiology: must contain a laboratory component, covering all organ systems.
• Chemistry:
  • General Chemistry: a one-year sequence, must contain a laboratory component.
  • Alternatively, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Biochemistry: a minimum one-year sequence, of which all three courses must contain a laboratory component.
• General Microbiology: must contain a laboratory component, covering bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa.

General Education Courses

• General Psychology: must be general and cover topics across the lifespan.
• General Sociology or Cultural Anthropology: must be general and cover multiple groups of interest.
• College-level Algebra: must be college-level or higher; Statistics courses do not satisfy this prerequisite.
• English Composition: a one-year sequence; English as a Second Language (ESL) courses do not satisfy this prerequisite.

Discipline Accrediting Agency

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Loma Linda University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Loma Linda University. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA.

Expected Cost of Attendance

The estimated cost of attendance is based on full-time attendance for the number of months enrolled per academic year. Estimated amounts may vary based on several factors.

Required Program Costs

• Academic Year:
  • Year 1:
    • Months Enrolled: 12
    • Tuition & Fees: $74,015
    • Books, Materials, Supplies & Equipment Allowance: $5,575
  • Year 2:
    • Months Enrolled: 12
    • Tuition & Fees: $50,190
    • Books, Materials, Supplies & Equipment Allowance: $1,000

Other Educational Costs

Non-required costs that can be funded with scholarships/loans.

• Year of Program:
  • Year 1:
    • Living Expense (Food & Housing Allowance):
      • On Campus Dorm: $16,596
      • LLU Owned Rental Property: $29,256
      • LLU Owned Rental w/ Dependents: $29,916
      • Undergraduate Dependent w/ Parents: $10,200
      • Off Campus: $29,256
    • Transportation Allowance: $4,200
    • Miscellaneous Personal Expenses: $4,380
    • Federal Student Loan Fees: $4,309
  • Year 2:
    • Living Expense (Food & Housing Allowance):
      • On Campus Dorm: $16,596
      • LLU Owned Rental Property: $29,256
      • LLU Owned Rental w/ Dependents: $29,916
      • Undergraduate Dependent w/ Parents: $10,200
      • Off Campus: $29,256
    • Transportation Allowance: $4,200
    • Miscellaneous Personal Expenses: $4,380
    • Federal Student Loan Fees: $3,146
    • Cost of Obtaining Professional License: $775

Notes

• The cost of attendance varies from year to year; please contact the office of Student Finance for up-to-date costs.
• Estimated living expenses are based on living off campus with a roommate and not with a relative.
• International students need to calculate 12 months of living expenses based on the listed amounts.
• To qualify for financial aid, a student must be enrolled at least half-time, taking degree requirements; half-time is 6 units in a quarter for undergraduate programs and 4 units in a quarter for graduate programs.
• Estimated amounts are for the academic year specified only and are based on full-time attendance for the number of months enrolled per academic year.
• Amounts are expected to increase each year consistent with inflation in the professional education sector.