Master of Physician Assistant Studies

Program Metrics

** HCE = health-care experience
***At MGH IHP, our working definition of an underrepresented minority (URM) is someone whose racial or ethnic makeup is from one of the following: African American/Black, Asian (Filipino or Vietnamese), Hispanic, Native American/Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, or two or more races, when one or more are from the preceding racial and ethnic categories.

View PDF of the report

PANCE 5 Year Exam Performance Summary Report (PDF)

*Attrition rate calculation: Number of students who attritted from cohort divided by the entering class size.
**Graduation rate: Number of cohort graduates divided by the entering class size.

View Physician Assistant Studies Program Manual

The Physician Assistant Studies program at MGH Institute of Health Profession participates in the CASPA 2024-2025 Application Cycle. All applicants are required to apply online through this service.

Items to submit directly to CASPA:

• Application with the application fee
• Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
• Three (3) recommendation letters
• Statement of Intent
• Healthcare experience hours verification

MGH Institute of Health Professions does not require a supplemental application.

*In order to be eligible for review, CASPA applications must be verified on or prior to the deadline. Please note: you should allow several weeks for all required documents to be received and processed by CASPA.

Degree

Baccalaureate degree (BS or BA) from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university or recognized international equivalent.

A minimum overall and science GPA of 3.0 is required for admission. 

Prerequisite Coursework

Completion of the following prerequisite courses at a fully accredited institution with a grade of B- or better is required for admission.

All of these courses are offered online by the MGH Institute. Learn more about our online prereqs.

• Human Anatomy & Physiology 1 & 2 (8 credits with lab) or
  • Human Anatomy (4 credits with lab) and
  • Human Physiology (4 credits with lab)
• Biology (4 credits with lab)
• Microbiology (4 credits with lab)
• Chemistry 1 & 2 (8 credits with lab)
• Psychology (3 credits; Foundations of Psychopathology, General or Developmental Psychology are acceptable)
• Statistics (3 credits)

All prerequisite courses must be taken at an institution that is accredited by one of the six regional accrediting bodies. Please refer to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation website for additional information.

Applicants with questions about prerequisite course equivalency and/or acceptability should complete and submit the PA Prerequisite Inquiry Form. Upon submission of the form, replies can be expected by email in 7-10 business days.

Important Notes:

• Applicants must have all prerequisites completed at the time of application submission.
• Prerequisite credit cannot be given for courses with a grade of Pass/Fail (Please see our Temporary Admissions Policies for COVID-19).

GRE

The GRE is not required for admission to this program.

PA-CAT

The PA-CAT is optional. MGH IHP MPAS Program will not be looking at these scores as part of the admissions or selection process. We will be utilizing the information from PA-CAT to generate preparatory content to support the success of the student.

TOEFL/ IELTS

The language of instruction and clinical education at the MGH Institute is English and a high level of proficiency in both written and spoken English is required. Applicants who have not completed either an undergraduate or graduate program where English is the language of instruction must demonstrate English Language proficiency as part of your application to the MGH Institute of Health Professions. If you have questions about the language requirements, please contact the Office of Admissions.

• Applicants who are citizens of Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, Guyana, an Anglophone country of Africa, or an English-speaking country of the Caribbean are not required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores.
• Applicants who are candidates for graduation from an accredited degree-granting program in the United States or at an English-speaking school in one of the countries listed above are also not required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. Acceptance to the IHP will be contingent upon the successful completion of this degree prior to matriculation.

Please note that in some circumstances, demonstrating English language proficiency may be required by the academic program even if you are a citizen of a country in which the (or one of the) national language(s) is English. Decisions about the need for TOEFL or IELTS scores are at the discretion of the academic program to which you are applying in coordination with the department of OES.

The IHP accepts either the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System). The test must have been taken within two years of the application deadline and official score reports are required. The minimum TOEFL (internet-based) score accepted is 89 and the minimum IELTS score accepted is 6.5.

• To forward your TOEFL score please contact the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The MGH Institute of Health Professions code is 3513.
• For IELTS, a Test Report Form may be mailed to MGH Institute of Health Professions, and score information will be verified by the IHP directly. You may designate up to 5 schools to receive Test Report Forms at the time you register for the test. To request additional Test Report Forms, contact your test center.

Please contact the Office of Admissions if you have any questions about the MGH Institute’s English Language requirements.

Transcripts

All official transcripts should be sent directly to CASPA. In order to be considered official, transcripts must be in a sealed envelope and sent directly to CASPA from the institution.

Applicants that have earned a degree from a non-US institution are required to submit a course-by-course credential evaluation from one of the following NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) members: Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc., SpanTran: The Evaluation Company, World Education Services (WES), or the Center for Educational Documentation. If you earned your bachelor's degree outside of the U.S. this credential evaluation must document the minimum equivalency of a US baccalaureate degree or higher.

The LCME (Liaison Committee on Medical Education) accredits medical education programs leading to the MD degree in the United States and Canada. Applicants that have earned an MD degree from an accredited LCME Canadian institution will not be required to have that degree evaluated as part of the application process.

Documents

Personal Statement

The personal statement is located within the CASPA application and must be submitted directly to CASPA.

Recommendation Letters

Three (3) recommendation letters are required for admission. Recommendation letters must be submitted directly to CASPA.

A minimum of 1,000 hours of hands-on, direct patient-care experience is required at the time of application submission. Health care experience is important as it exposes students to, and prepares them for, the challenges and rewards of working directly with patients and demonstrates an applicant's commitment to a career in the health profession.

The MGH Institute of Health Professions Physician Assistant program seeks students from a variety of healthcare backgrounds. The Admission Committee defines patient-care experience as working one-on-one with patients in a paid position. We generally do not accept volunteer hours as direct patient-care experience; however, consideration will be made on a case-by-case basis. Healthcare experience that involves observation of patient care and does not involve interaction with patients, while valuable, will not be accepted as direct patient-care experience.

The following are some examples of typically acceptable direct patient-care experience:

Nurse, CNA, medical assistant, clinic/hospital-based patient care assistant, physical/occupational therapist/therapy assistant, athletic trainer, exercise physiologist, dental hygienist, respiratory therapist, registered dietician/nutritionist, EMT, paramedic, emergency room technician, clinical researcher/research assistant with direct patient contact, optometrist, optometry assistant, radiology technician. This list is not intended to be inclusive, but to give the applicant examples of healthcare professions that are considered desirable.

When reviewing health care experience, we are more interested in the job description and the day-to-day responsibilities of an applicant than we are in the job title itself and would consider most employment as health care experience providing it involves evaluating/triaging patients, bedside care, drawing blood, obtaining EKG's, etc. Applicants are able to submit the Patient Care Experience Form if they have questions about whether their direct patient-care experience meets the admissions criteria for MGH Institute of Health Profession’s PA program.

If you're looking for job opportunities in direct patient care, below is a link with information about Patient Care Associate opportunities across Mass General Brigham. While employment in a Mass General Brigham institution does not guarantee admission to the PA program, additional consideration is given to applicants with two years of full-time employment in a Mass General Brigham institution. See information about Patient Care Associate opportunities.

Technical standards refer to those physical, cognitive, and behavioral abilities required for satisfactory completion of all aspects of the curriculum as a student in the PA program.

The qualified student must possess the mental, physical, and emotional capacities essential to attaining the competencies required to function as a physician assistant. These abilities enable the student to perform tasks required to meet the professional requirements and work demands of the practicing physician assistant.

Candidates who possess any disability that would potentially interfere with the attainment of such competencies are encouraged to contact Accessibility Resources, or the Director of the PA program, to discuss and identify possible accommodations.

Observation: Candidates must have the sufficient sensory capacity to observe in team-based learning and lecture settings, the laboratory, and the health care or community setting. Sensory abilities must be adequate to perform appropriate examination and assessments including functional vision and tactile sensation to observe, diagnose, and treat a patient's condition.

Communication: Candidates must possess sufficient ability to communicate one-on-one and in small and large group settings. As a student, one must demonstrate effective and professional verbal and non-verbal communication in academic, community, educational, and healthcare settings, and be able to demonstrate proficiency in written and spoken English.

Motor: Candidates must have the ability to participate in diagnostic and therapeutic maneuvers and procedures. They must be able to negotiate patient care environments and be able to move between settings such as the classroom, health care facility, educational, or community setting. Physical stamina sufficient to complete a rigorous course of the didactic and clinical study is required. Long periods of sitting, standing, or moving are required in a variety of learning sites. Candidates must be able to coordinate both gross and fine muscular movements, maintain equilibrium, and possess functional use of the senses of touch and vision.

Intellectual: Candidates must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, and integrate information as well as be able to comprehend temporal and spatial relationships.

Social: Candidates must exercise good judgment and be able to function effectively in the face of stress, taxing workloads, and the uncertainties inherent in clinical practice. They must be able to maintain mature, sensitive, and effective professional relationships with faculty, staff, students, patients, family members, and other members of the health care and/or educational team. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation are all qualities that will be assessed during the admissions process and throughout the student’s PA education.

• A prerequisite GPA of 3.0 is required, 3.5 and above is given additional consideration.
• Successful completion of a Biochemistry or Organic Chemistry course with a grade of B or higher.
• 2,000+ hours of direct patient-care experience in a work setting. Though the minimum requirement is 1,000 hours, additional consideration will be given to applicants with 2,000+ hours.
• Evidence of
  • leadership
  • volunteer work/service
  • compassion/empathy
  • overcoming significant personal challenges
• Active military or veteran status.
• Current Mass General Brigham employee with 2 or more years of full-time employment.
• MGH Institute of Health Professions PA Program is recommending that their applicants take the PA-CAT exam. PA-CAT scores will be used for data collection only and will have no bearing on admissions decisions.
  • The PA-CAT is a specialized test designed to measure applicant knowledge in key prerequisite science subjects typically required for PA school. For information about the PA-CAT and to schedule your exam:
    • Register for your PA-CAT exam.
    • Ensure MGH Institute of Health Professions PA Program is selected as the institution to receive your score report in your PA-CAT Score Portal. To select MGH Institute of Health Professions PA Program as a score receiving school, log into your PA-CAT Score Portal.
    • It is recommended that you take the PA-CAT exam early in the application, but no later than August 20, 2024, to ensure that your scores are processed before the deadline. The PA-CAT score deadline is September 1, 2024.
    • If you have already taken the PA-CAT, please select MGH Institute of Health Professions as a score receiving program.

Are students required to arrange their own clerkships?

Students are not required to arrange their own clerkships.

No student, family member of a student, or friend/acquaintance of a student is permitted to contact a clinical facility to request a clinical education experience or to explore the possibility of establishing a clinical education agreement with that facility. The Program is responsible for establishing relationships with clinical education facilities and developing preceptors. In keeping with the Program’s philosophy that clinical education is an extension of the academic program, efforts will be directed at developing a circle of clinical facilities and clinical faculty committed to working with this program to provide quality professional education. For more information, please pa [at] mghihp.edu (contact the PA Program) directly.

Does IHP offer advanced placement in this program?

No. Please note that this is a full-time day program and does not offer advanced placement for students.

Can I work while attending this program?

While the program does not dictate whether or not a student can work while enrolled, the intensity of the curriculum and varying schedules makes working very difficult and it is therefore discouraged.

How do I know if my prerequisites meet your requirements?

Applicants with questions about prerequisite course equivalency should complete and submit the MPAS Prerequisite Inquiry Form.

Who do I contact for more information about the academic program or curriculum?

If you have additional questions, please pa [at] mghihp.edu (contact the Department of Physician Assistant Studies)