Master of Physician Assistant Studies

Founded on adult learning theory, the student-centered curriculum will present clinical medicine and patient care skills in fully integrated, system-based courses during the first 12 months of the program.

Students have the unique opportunity to learn the practice of medicine in context with an emphasis on critical thinking and the application of learning to real-world situations. Students will be engaged in independent study, team-based learning, and hands-on sessions supplemented with mentoring and traditional lecture by full-time PA and physician faculty and visiting clinical experts.

Early in their first year, students will have the opportunity to participate in clinical learning experiences, ensuring the early application of classroom lessons.

The last 13 months of the program are devoted to clinical clerkships in some of the top medical facilities in the world. Students take advantage of the MGH Institute’s membership in New England’s largest healthcare organization, Mass General Brigham, which provides unparalleled access to such renowned affiliate hospitals as Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Spaulding Rehabilitation Network.

The Physician Assistant Studies program at MGH Institute of Health Profession participates in the CASPA 2025-2026 Application Cycle. All applicants are required to apply online through this service. Applications are reviewed as they are submitted and all applications submitted and verified by September 1, 2025 will be considered. 

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.

*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 an accredited U.S. college or university or recognized international equivalent.

A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 is required for admission. 

Prerequisite Coursework

All prerequisite courses must be complete at the time of application submission. Completion of the following prerequisite courses at an accredited institution with a grade of B- or better is required for admission.

Applicants should wait to submit their application in CASPA until all prerequisites are fulfilled. For example, if you have one prerequisite outstanding in the summer 2025 term, please submit your application after that course has been completed and prior to the September 1 deadline.

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

• Human Anatomy & Human Physiology 1 & 2 (8 credits with lab) to include:
  • Anatomy & Physiology I lecture and lab (4 credits), plus Anatomy & Physiology II lecture and lab (4 credits) OR
  • One semester of Anatomy lecture and lab (4 credits), and one semester of Physiology lecture and lab (4 credits)
  • Sample courses accepted: Survey of Human Anatomy, Anatomy of the Human Body, Systems Physiology, or Vertebrate Physiology
• Biology (4 credits with lab)
  • Sample courses accepted: General Biology, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Principles of Cell Biology, Introduction to Organisms, Diversity of Life, World of Cells, Evolutionary Biology, or Biochemistry
• Microbiology (4 credits with lab)
  • Sample courses accepted: Microbiology, Medical Microbiology, Basic Clinical Microbiology and Pathology, or Human Infectious Disease
• Chemistry 1 & 2 (8 credits with lab)
  • Sample courses accepted: General Chemistry I and II, Chemical Principles I and II, Organic Chemistry I & II, Biochemistry, or Chemical Structures and Reactions
• Psychology (3 credits)
  • Sample courses accepted: Foundations of Psychopathology, General or Developmental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Social Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience, or Drugs and Behavior
• Statistics (3 credits)
  • Sample courses accepted: General Statistics, Statics and Probability, Intro to Statistics for Social Science, Research Methods in Psychology, Biostatistics

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 not required for admission to this program. 

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 must be able to meet all technical standards, with or without reasonable accommodation, upon matriculation and throughout the duration of their training in the PA program. Applicants with questions about technical standards, also referred to as essential functions, are encouraged to contact Accessibility Resources or the Director of the PA program for assistance. 

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.

• An overall GPA of 3.0 is required, 3.25 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

Are students required to arrange their own clerkships?

Students are not required to arrange their own clerkships.

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)