Mar 28, 2024  
2014-2015 Graduate Studies Bulletin 
    
2014-2015 Graduate Studies Bulletin [ARCHIVED BULLETIN]

Physician Assistant Studies, M.S.


Assistant Professor Loscalzo, Graduate Program Director, 516-463-4412

Physician assistants are health professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. Physician assistants work in a variety of medical settings, ranging from basic primary care to sub-specialty medicine. Physician assistants are qualified to assist in surgery, attend medical emergencies, or care for patients in out-patient internal medicine, pediatrics or family medicine offices and clinics.

Hofstra’s program is designed for both graduate and first-year direct-entry undergraduate students and provides undergraduates the opportunity to earn both the B.S. and the M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies, as well as provide graduate instruction and an M.S. degree to post-baccalaureate students who complete all requirements. For more information on the first-year direct-entry undergraduate program, please see the undergraduate Bulletin.

The graduate-level curriculum is divided into three semesters of didactic instruction, three semesters of clinical clerkships and one semester of research. Using a number of learning modalities including case-based learning, students integrate basic science with the study and application of clinical medicine. During the clinical phase of the program, students are assigned to clinical clerkships at affiliated hospitals, private physicians’ offices and community clinics. Located in a variety of medical settings, these clinical campuses offer training in all disciplines of medicine and provide the opportunity for exposure to a wide variety of patient populations. The research semester will culminate in a research project using community partnerships and based on the principles of community-oriented primary care. Upon successful completion of the program, candidates are eligible to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certification Examination (PANCE). Students will earn a master of science in physician assistant studies upon completion of the entire curriculum.

M.S. Entry Requirements (Post-Baccalaureate)


Students must meet the following requirements to be considered for the M.S. program.

  1. Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2;
  2. Cumulative GPA of 3.2 in the science courses;
  3. Completion of all prerequisite course work;
  4. Personal essay;
  5. Two letters of recommendation;
  6. Documentation of 50 hours of health care experience;
  7. International students must take the TOEFL exam and pass with a minimum score of:
    Internet-based test: 80
    Computer-based test: 213
    Paper-based test: 550

Prerequisite Course Work


All prerequisite course work must be completed before matriculation into the physician assistant program. It is necessary to indicate courses in progress or planned on the CASPA application.

  1. General biology (with laboratory): 8 s.h.
  2. General chemistry (with laboratory): 8 s.h.
  3. Human or mammalian physiology: 4 s.h.
  4. Human anatomy: 4 s.h.
  5. Biochemistry: 3 s.h. or organic chemistry: 4 s.h.
  6. Statistics: 3 s.h.
  7. Microbiology: 4 s.h.
  8. Genetics, or cell biology, or another upper-level biology course: 3-4 s.h.

Please note the following conditions:

  1. Anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and either biochemistry or organic chemistry must have been taken within the five years preceding the start of the curriculum.
  2. General biology and general chemistry will be waived in circumstances where more advanced courses have been passed with a grade of B+ or better.
  3. Completion of prerequisites at a United States-accredited four (4)-year college or university is preferred.

 

Application


Students must apply to the program in physician assistant studies through the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). Applications are submitted to CASPA online at www.caspaonline.org. The deadline is October 1 for admission to the class beginning the subsequent September. Admission to the program is granted on a rolling basis. Qualified applicants will receive, by invitation only, a supplemental application that must be completed to be further considered.

Applicants should be aware that a minimum overall GPA of 3.2 and a cumulative GPA of 3.2 in science courses do not guarantee entry into the program. The PA program is competitive and only the strongest applicants will be selected for a personal interview with the physician assistant studies program admission committee prior to acceptance into the program.

Admission to the PA program is granted on a rolling basis. Those who apply earliest have the best chance of being invited for an interview and therefore being offered a seat.

M.S. Program Curriculum - Total Semester Hours: 79


The following major and additional requirements can be fulfilled as follows:

M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies
Two and one-half Year Sequence
Full-time Students: 79 s.h.

Clinical Year


 

Fall, Spring and Summer
Course Sem. Hrs.
PHA 250 - Family Medicine Clerkship   4
PHA 255 - Internal Medicine Clerkship         4
PHA 260 - Obstetrics/Gynecology Clerkship   3
PHA 265 - Surgery Clerkship   3
PHA 270 - Emergency Medicine Clerkship   4
PHA 280 - Pediatrics Clerkship   3
PHA 285 - Psychiatry Clerkship   3
PHA 290 - Elective Clerkship   3
Total 27

NOTE: Each of these courses must be completed before the end of the program; however, the sequencing varies.

Research Semester


Fall
Course Sem. Hrs.
PHA 218 - Epidemiology   2
PHA 301 - Research Design and Analysis   3
PHA 302 - Master’s Research Project   3
Total 8

Tuition


Students in the PA Professional Phase of the program will be charged the standard graduate tuition .