Master of Science in Physician Assistant Program
Mission
The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Master of Science in Physician Assistant Program’s mission is to recruit and prepare graduate students to become competent, compassionate, service-driven physician assistant leaders who deliver evidence-based medical care to meet healthcare needs.
Program education occurs in a Christian environment guided by faculty who teach and mentor with integrity, sensitivity, and a commitment to excellence.
Vision
The vision of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Master of Science in Physician Assistant program is to be a regionally and nationally recognized medical education program, with a reputation for developing highly sought after physician assistants who are dedicated to the delivery of compassionate evidence-based healthcare, professional leadership, and community service.
UMHB MSPA Program Goals
Goal 1: Recruit and admit diverse qualified graduate students committed to the PA profession
Goal 2: Provide a competency-driven, practice-based training experience that prepares students for entry into clinical practice
Goal 3: Deliver quality clinical instruction that provides experiences in a variety of patient care settings.
Goal 4: Encourage professional involvement, leadership, and service
Goal 5: Graduate competent medical practitioners who are in high demand for careers as Physician Assistants
Goal 6: Create a supportive environment for faculty and staff that promotes continued educational development, ingenuity, scholarship, and collaboration.
Physician Assistant Program Curriculum
The UMHB MSPA program consists of 28 months of graduate curriculum resulting in a Master of Science in Physician Assistant degree. It is comprised of pre-clinical and clinical educational experiences. The pre-clinical phase is 12 months in duration consisting of courses that prepare graduate students for the clinical training. The clinical phase is 16 months in duration and is comprised of rotations in Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Behavioral and Mental Health, Family Medicine, and elective rotations. The last month of the clinical phase is devoted to preparing students for graduation and the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE). Students will demonstrate their acquired medical research knowledge through a capstone research project and poster delivered prior to graduation.
The total academic credit awarded by the MSPA program is 120 credit hours.
Entrance Prerequisite Courses
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Required Courses
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Credit Hours
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Human, Human Comparative, or Vertebrate Anatomy with a Lab and
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4
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Human Physiology with a Lab or
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3-4
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Human Anatomy and Physiology with a Lab
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8
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Microbiology with a Lab
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4
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Genetics
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3
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General Chemistry with a Lab
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8
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Organic Chemistry 1 with a Lab
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4
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Statistics/Biostatistics
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3
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General, Abnormal, or Developmental Psychology
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3
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Application for admission to the UMHB MSPA program will be available through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) starting in April and closing on August 1 each year. Applications must be verified by 11:59 PM ET on the deadline date. Interviews with rolling admissions will start in June each year. Admission to the UMHB MSPA program is extremely competitive. The following list includes the minimum requirements, however meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee applicants an interview nor admission to the program with one exception – all UMHB undergraduate or graduate students who meet these requirements will be offered a one-time interview invitation. If the applicant interviews in a future admission cycle, they are not guaranteed an interview. Applications will be evaluated at the time of submission. With the exception of required prerequisites, the program will not evaluate items added after the submission date.
Below are the required academic standards/prior education experience and documents for a completed UMHB MSPA application:
- Completion of a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college or university or the equivalent academic accomplishments, approved by the World Education Service (WES) Credential Evaluation
- An overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale as calculated by CASPA
- A last 60 hours GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale as calculated by CASPA
- A science GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale as calculated by CASPA (This GPA includes all college science courses taken at regionally accredited institutions.)
- Overall prerequisite GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale as calculated by CASPA. All prerequisite courses must be completed by August 31 during the year prior to matriculation
- Original transcripts submitted to CASPA
- Three professional letters of recommendation (Overall reference scores are used with average scores of 4 or 5 preferred)
- Recommendation letters can be from professors, medical professionals, employers, ministers, or area leaders. These letters should reflect your desire and commitment to becoming a physician assistant, as well as notable accomplishments
- Demonstration of Experiences on the CASPA (Visit the CASPA Help Center to determine how to choose the category that best fits the experience)
- Healthcare-related experience (increased points based on number of hours)
- Points are awarded once applicants reach 250 hours and then subsequently increase at the 500, 1000, and 1500 hour thresholds. Applicants with 0-250 hours are still eligible for admission.
- Our program evaluates all healthcare-related experience hours as a whole rather than stratifying the hours into separate categories such as patient care experience, healthcare experience, and shadowing hours. We recommend following CASPA’s guidelines when categorizing these, but the program will evaluate these experiences together once an application is received.
- Virtual shadowing hours will be accepted.
- Community service (increased points based on number of hours)
- Points are awarded once applicants reach 100 hours and then subsequently increase at the 200, 300, and 400 hour thresholds. Applicants with 0-100 hours are still eligible for admission.
- Leadership experiences (increased points based on number of experiences)
- Three professional letters of recommendation
- Demonstration of Experiences on the CASPA
- Healthcare-related experience
- Our program evaluates all healthcare-related experience hours as a whole rather than stratifying the hours into separate categories such as patient care experience, healthcare experience, and shadowing hours. We recommend following CASPA's guidelines when categorizing these, but the program will evaluate these together once an application is received.
- Virtual Shadowing hours will be accepted.
- Volunteer experiences
- Leadership experiences
- The Graduate Record Exam (GRE), PA-CAT, and CASPer assessments are NOT required nor considered for UMHB MSPA program applicants.
- While clinical shadowing experience with a physician assistant and a physician is highly recommended, the UMHB MSPA program does NOT require a set number of shadowing or clinical medical experience hours for admission.
Additional Requirements for International Applicants or Domestic Applicants Who Attended Foreign Universities
- Transcript Evaluation by World Education Services (WES), submitted through CASPA
- Official iBT TOEFL scores submitted to CASPA, with a minimum total score of 100 AND at least 25 in each section (reading, listening, speaking, and writing). TOEFL scores are only valid for two years.
- Applicants who have obtained US citizenship or have a four year degree from a U.S. regionally accredited institution are exempt from the TOEFL requirement.
- Immigration documents, including a copy of a valid passport submitted to www.umhb.edu/graddocs
- If offered admission, further documents may be requested by the UMHB International Student Services Office
- All prerequisite courses must be taken at a U.S. regionally accredited college or university and completed by August 31 during the year prior to matriculation
Disclosure of Admission and Enrollment Practices
- The UMHB MSPA program will grant a one-time interview to all applicants who are current full-time students or graduates of UMHB who meet the minimum requirements for admission. If the applicant interviews in a future admission cycle, they are not guaranteed an interview. An interview does not guarantee admission into the program.
- Falsification of any application materials will be grounds for denial of admission to or expulsion from the MSPA program.