PA Program Admissions Practices and Process

Fair Practices in Admissions

Along with the University, the PA Program strives to create a safe and welcoming environment that embraces differences Rowan-Virtua SOM recognizes that a diverse campus community is essential to enriching intellectual exchanges and enhancing cultural understanding, and as such, values equality of opportunity, mutual respect and diversity. The University does not discriminate in admission, employment or administration of its programs on the basis of gender, age, disability, race, religion, creed, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or in violation of federal, state and local laws or executive orders.

Applications from students who meet minimum requirements will be reviewed, but meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee an interview or acceptance to the program. The Rowan-Virtua SOM’s PA program reserves the right to update or revise admissions criteria, with each admissions cycle.

TitleIX

Pursuant to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and supporting regulations, Rowan does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education programs or activities that it operates; this extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its supporting regulations may be directed to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education or to the University’s Associate Vice President and Title IX Coordinator.

Policy and grievance procedures: Title IX Sexual Harassment/Sexual Assault

Admission and enrollment practices that favor specified individuals or groups (In compliance with ARC-PA Standard A3.13a)

The admissions committee considers all information provided on the CASPA application, including required components and other components, in a holistic review of all applicants. Please see details of the pre-screening process, faculty screening, applicant interviews, and committee selection below for more information regarding preferential considerations for applicants. The admissions preferences listed below will be provided to students who fully embody the mission and goals of the PA program.

• Rowan University undergraduate Pre-PA Pathway (3+2) students who have met all progression requirements and completed all components successfully of the undergraduate phase are guaranteed an interview. These students are not guaranteed admission. In some instances, this may include the ability to apply the credits of the first and second semesters of the graduate PA Program towards their academic credit requirements for their bachelor’s degree.
• Rowan University graduate students of the Masters of Biomedical Sciences degree who have met all progression requirements and completed all components successfully of their degree are guaranteed an interview. These students are not guaranteed admission.
• GPA
  • 3.2 or higher cumulative GPA is preferred, as calculated by CASPA
  • 3.2 or higher prerequisite GPA is preferred, as calculated by CASPA
• Academic Rigor
  • Preference is given to applicants who completed prerequisite science courses and labs in person, as these experiences may better prepare students for the rigor of PA school.
• Rolling admissions
  • Applicants with a completed application (meeting all requirements and fulfilling all hours, and all course work) through CASPA and a completed supplemental application will be given consideration for admission earlier and over those who have an incomplete application or are missing requirements, course work, hours, or letters of recommendation. Students who have incomplete applications or missing requirements are encouraged to update their applications in a timely manner.
• Values
  • The Rowan-Virtua PA Program prefers candidates whose experiences and aspirations align with our core values, as these qualities are essential for success in PA education and practice.

Pre-screening Process

The Rowan-Virtua SOM Admissions team receives all applications from CASPA and completes an objective pre-screening. At this time, the application is reviewed for required components. Required components to move beyond this phase includes review of Overall GPA, Overall prerequisite GPA, direct patient care experience, community service, and letters of recommendation. Applicants will be denied at this point if they do not meet the minimum admission requirements. Please note that it is not required to have all prerequisite courses completed at the time of application. CASPA will prompt applicants to provide a plan for prerequisite completion.

Faculty Screening Process

All applications who meet the minimum requirements of the pre-screen phase are assigned to a PA faculty member for a second review of minimum requirements and a review of the CASPA application in its entirety. The review of the CASPA application includes review of both required components and other submitted information within the application. For example, while the GRE is not required, the committee is not blinded to submitted scores. Other examples of this include shadowing experience if submitted by the applicant.

The faculty screening process considers the entire application holistically, with careful consideration for overall GPA, Overall prerequisite GPA, direct patient healthcare experience, community service experience, letters of recommendation, and the personal essay submitted in CASPA. 

At the conclusion of the in-depth holistic review of the application, the faculty member determines whether or not the applicant is invited to interview with the Rowan-Virtua SOM PA Admissions Committee.

Interview Days

Applicants who are invited to interview with the Rowan-Virtua SOM’s PA Admissions Committee will be offered an interview. Due to the rolling nature of the admissions process and how quickly interview day slots are filled, it is suggested that applicants invited to interview schedule an interview day as early as possible.

Interview days include program presentations, a campus tour, an individual interview, written essay prompts, and a group problem-solving activity.

Committee Selection

Within approximately two weeks of the conclusion of the interview day, the Rowan-Virtua SOM PA Admissions Committee convenes to holistically review all applicants. All information discussed above in the screening process is considered, in addition to outcomes related to the personal interview, writing assignments at the interview day, and participation in the interview group activity. Outcomes of the applicant selection process will subsequently be communicated to the applicant by the Rowan-Virtua SOM PA Admissions team. 

Careful attention is paid to the requirements listed above and the interview day which works to assess an applicant's ability to work as a team member, ability to problem solve, written communication skills, cultural awareness, awareness of the profession, personal development, motivation for the profession, academic ability, interpersonal skills, critical thinking abilities, verbal communication, ethics, and professionalism.

Reserving a seat with deposit

If offered acceptance, the applicant will have 10 days to submit a $1,000 deposit to reserve a seat in the program. The deposit is non-refundable and will be applied to your first semester's tuition.

Applicants placed on the continuing candidate list will be reviewed in subsequent committee meetings and will be informed of any status updates as applicable.

The PA Program does NOT award or grant “Advanced Placement” as defined by the ARC-PA - A3.13c: “A waiver of required coursework included in the PA curriculum for applicants to the program and/or a waiver of required coursework included in the PA curriculum for currently enrolled students in the program which results in the student advancing in the curriculum without completing required curriculum components at the sponsoring institution.” 

• For example, the PA program will not accept courses taken at an outside institution or another PA program or Medical School to take place of any of the curriculum requirements of the RVSOM MSPAS degree.
  • Please note there is a difference between “Advanced Placement” as defined by the ARC-PA and “AP credits”.
    • If you as an applicant were awarded AP credits in high school, and your college or university accepted these AP credits, and they appear on your transcript, the PA program will accept AP credits to meet the course prerequisite requirements as listed above.

For admissions and program related questions, visit our Frequently Asked Questions. For any additional questions, please contact us: AdmissionsPA@rowan.edu