Physician Assistant Studies

Lipscomb University School of Physician Assistant Studies

COVID-19 Statement and Admissions

Due to COVID-19, several temporary changes have been made to the Lipscomb admissions policies for the 2021-2022 CASPA cycle. 

• We will accept online credit for classes with corresponding labs ONLY if the transition to an online platform was due to COVID-19 and assuming all other prerequisite criteria are met. Please answer the questions in CASPA to indicate any courses this may have affected. 
• Classes and their corresponding labs taught online before the COVID-19 pandemic impacted in-class/lab teaching will not be accepted. 
• The admissions committee may require official documentation from your institution. The letter should include the university seal and state that classes with corresponding labs were originally taught in a classroom and lab setting, but due to COVID-19 were transitioned to an online platform.  
• As soon as classes with corresponding labs are offered back in the physical classroom and lab setting, online credits will no longer be accepted.
• We understand that applicants may have difficulty obtaining shadowing hours and patient care experience hours.
• We strongly advise against choosing the option of pass/fail if the option is given by your university. If used, the admissions committee may require official documentation from your university stating what the letter grade would have been if that option had been chosen. 
• For transcripts, we will continue to accept only those that are official and submitted through CASPA. 

Further updates and changes are possible as this situation continues to evolve. Feel free to reach out with any further questions via email to aven.humphreys@lipscomb.edu.

Professional healthcare providers are challenged in environments that demand certain abilities, behaviors and skills Here at Lipscomb University, the PA faculty have identified certain professional behaviors, abilities and skills that are essential for students to be able to successfully profess through the PA program so that each student can provide excellent care to patients. In order for a student to be eligible to enroll in the program, he or she must be able to perform these skills and behaviors successfully either unassisted, with dependable use of reasonable assistive devices, or by employing another reasonable accommodation. The following descriptions define the capabilities expected from an individual in order to successfully complete the Lipscomb University Physician Assistant Program. 

Minimum Performance

All students must possess the skills related to critical thinking, communication, gross motor dexterity, fine motor coordination, interpersonal skills, observational abilities, and social skills in an individual, group, classroom, laboratory or other educational setting. All students must be able to effectively perform and function in settings that are solitary, small group, large groups, social environments, public space, or even very large classroom settings without disruption of other students, patients, faculty, or staff. All students must be able to function and remain calm within stressful situations while maintaining a calm temperament. All students must be able to attend classes and laboratory sessions and be present for examination and testing. All students must be able to perform overnight call when required on supervised clinical rotations.

Communication Skills

The PA student must be able to effectively hear, understand, speak, and observe patients in order to elicit history and other information necessary to interact with patients, students, faculty and staff. The student must be able to perceive nonverbal communication and cues, describe patient mood or changes, describe posture and appearance, and to interpret and describe patient activity and behavior. The PA student must be able to communicate in verbal, written, typed, and electronic manner that is effective, efficient and sensitive and in the English language. The PA student must be able to receive and give communication effectively to others in a professional manner. The PA student must be able to interact, communicate, and understand other students, clinicians, faculty, patients and their families in order to respond appropriately and in a timely fashion.

Intellectual Capabilities

The PA student must possess and demonstrate the physical, emotional, intellectual, compassionate and ethical capabilities required to undertake the full curriculum at normal pace with an on-time completion. The student must be able to learn, retain, and recall information and make a reasoned decision in a timely fashion. The student must be able to achieve a competent level of critical thinking and reasoning required to function in an entry level PA position. In order to achieve this level,  the student must be able to perform in areas of reasoning, measurement, analysis, interpretation, synthesis, calculation and deduction. These skills must be evident in dealing with other students, faculty, staff, patients, patient families, and other health care professionals. Critical thinking and problem solving, while in stressful situations, are necessary to complete the program.

Interpersonal Abilities and Social Interactions

The PA student must be able to establish and maintain appropriate relationships in a professional manner with other students, faculty, staff, health care professional and patients, as well as patient families. This will encompass possessing the maturity and emotional health necessary to function within the health care and educational environments while achieving full utilization of his or her abilities, intellectual function, sound judgment, sensory input, critical thinking, and promptness. The student must be able to demonstrate compassion, empathy, responsibility and tolerance towards patients, families, faculty, staff, other students and colleagues. This includes the ability to remain calm and function at this level within stressful situations and with competing demands for the student's time and energies.

Fine and Gross Motor Skills and Strength

The interaction with patients and the demands of the health care and educational environments while in training and practice require strength, coordination and endurance of sufficient nature. The PA student should have sufficient fine and gross motor coordination to function within the patient care and educational environments that may include clutter, equipment, tables, family members, stairs, textbooks, supplies, and distractions.This includes the ability to ambulate, stand for long periods, concentrate, balance, interact, assist in movement, use of medical instruments, use of electronic devices, positioning of patients, and lifting of heavy objects. In general, a PA student should be able to safely lift 50+ pounds without any assistance or injury. Interaction within the environment may include classrooms, treatment rooms, laboratory space, patient rooms, waiting rooms, operating rooms, public spaces, stairwells, outdoor movement and any other space generally necessary to interact with and treat patients or interact in the educational environment. This interaction may require standing or sitting for very long periods of time without disruption or change in position. This interaction may require altering lighting including bright or fluorescent lights or low light conditions. All students must be able to travel to practicum and clinical rotation sites.

Observational Skills

The PA student must be able to observe a patient or simulated patient accurately. This should be able to occur in varying distances from up close to across a room or down a hallway. This includes appropriate vision or adjusted vision. The PA student must possess the visual, auditory, tactile and olfactory sensations sufficient enough to receive the sensory input in the classroom, clinical, laboratory or educational setting. These skills including the ability to inspect, palpate, percuss, and auscultate accurately during the physical examination.

Patient Contact Hours

Lipscomb does require all applicants have patient contact hours. However, there is no set minimum required number of hours. We are more interested in the type of experience and how that experience helps you understand patient care and the healthcare team. We prefer to see quality patient interactions, rather than an arbitrary number of hours. We will ask you about your patient contact experience during the interview process.

Shadowing

We require all applicants to be exposed to the PA profession by shadowing a practicing physician assistant. We do not have a set minimum number of hours. We prefer you seek quality interactions with a practicing PA rather than just accumulating higher quantity hours. We will ask you about your shadowing experience during the interview process.

A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for both the cumulative GPA and the calculated BCP (Biology, Chemistry, and Physics) GPA. Additionally, all applicants will be expected to have earned a ‘C’ or above in all prerequisite courses.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, or the international equivalent verified by WES, or anticipate earning a bachelor’s degree prior to matriculation into the physician assistant program.  

The following prerequisite list is representative of classes that are generally accepted. Other courses may substitute if they are similar and of equal academic rigor. This is simply a possible list of classes. The prerequisite classes must be obtained from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. Any classes that deviate from this list may not be accepted if the class does not meet the same academic and scientific rigor. Prior approval must be obtained for any deviation from the list below. For some courses, a recent timeframe for completion (within the past seven years) may be required.  The only online prerequisite courses considered for acceptance are the psychology and biostatistics courses.

Course Expiration Policy

All prerequisite science courses and statistics courses must be taken within 7 years of matriculation. If a one-semester course was completed greater than 7 years prior to the time of matriculation, then the course must be repeated. If a two-semester course was completed greater than 7 years prior to the time of matriculation, then at least one-half of the course must be repeated. All prerequisite courses older than 7 years AND with a grade of "C" or less must be repeated.

Chemistry (8 semester hours)  

• General Chemistry I and II with a Lab
• Organic Chemistry I and II with a Lab
• Chemistry for Health Sciences (including a lab)

Human Anatomy and Physiology (8 semester hours)

• Human Anatomy/Physiology I
• Human Anatomy/Physiology II
• Human Anatomy
• Human Physiology

Biology (8 semester hours, Below is a selection of representative courses that will fulfill the requirement. Students may select 8 hrs of coursework from the courses represented below. Human based biology coursework is preferred. )

• Cell Biology with lab
• Microbiology with lab
• Immunology
• Virology
• Molecular Basis of Human Disease
• Molecular Biology with lab
• Genetics

Psychology (3 semester hours)

• Developmental Psychology
• General Psychology I

Statistics (3 semester hours)

• Statistics:
  • Probability & Statistics
  • Biostatistics

Many other factors are considered in the holistic review of the application, interview, and admissions process. They may include the following: communication skills, letters of recommendation, problem solving skills, professionalism, work experience, degree earned, research, volunteerism, interview performance, attitude, timeliness, and other factors that help differentiate those applicants that possess the highest likelihood of succeeding as part of the healthcare team as a physician assistant.

Achieving the prerequisite and minimum requirements does not guarantee an invitation to interview with or an offer of admission into the physician assistant program. Certain exceptions may be granted on an individual basis concerning admission requirements. No assurances or guarantees are given or implied based on the completion of the prerequisites or achieving a high level of academic performance.

Lipscomb University, the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and the School of Physician Assistant studies require international students to be proficient in written and oral English before submitting an application. Applicants whose native language is not English must present the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), prior to applying for admission to the college. For more information, visit www.toefl.org. Minimum TOEFL scores are 213 for the computer exam and 550 for the paper exam. The equivalent TOEFL iBT score is 80. Lipscomb’s TOEFL code is 1161. In addition to an acceptable score on the TOEFL, other evidence of proficiency in English may include letters from employers or instructors, credit earned in English language courses and a personal interview.

Applicants that are U.S. citizens or permanent residents may apply. Graduates of foreign institutions must have a degree equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree as verified by World Education Services (WES). Contact information for WES can be found at www.wes.org. Transcripts must be provided in the original language and with an English translation. In addition, all prerequisite classes must be completed from a regionally accredited U.S. higher education institution.  The Physician Assistant Program requires a course-by-course evaluation including verification of lab components of the courses with the CASPA application. Applications will not be considered for admission until the WES report is received.

An applicant who is not a United States citizen or permanent resident must follow the same admissions procedures as applicants who are U.S. citizens in addition to other specific requirements. Click the button below to visit our Graduate Admissions site for more information.

International Student Admissions Information

We have a rolling admission process and we strongly encourage you to apply as early as possible as the Fall 2022 cohort. All applications must be verified by CASPA by the November 1, 2021 deadline to be considered. To increase your chances of receiving an interview, please review our admission guidelines below.

• Thursday, April 29, 2021 - CASPA Application Available.
• Midnight Eastern Time on Monday, November 1, 2021 - Deadline to have a CASPA application status of Verified and received by our program. Applications that remain unverified by CASPA and not yet received by our program after midnight will not be considered.

Does Lipscomb participate in the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA)?
Yes, Lipscomb participates in CASPA. All applications and materials must be submitted through CASPA. Lipscomb does not require a supplemental application.

Do I have to take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE)?
No, Lipscomb does not require the GRE for admissions. Data shows that the GRE does not correlate with performance in PA school or success in the PA profession.

Does Lipscomb accept advanced placement or does it have a pathway program?
No, the Lipscomb School of Physician Assistant Studies does not accept advanced placement or participate in a pathway program.

Does Lipscomb University give favor to specified individuals or groups?
No.

What if a student withdraws from the program? Is there a refund?
The School of Physician Assistant Studies has a refund and withdrawal policy available in the student handbook. Please contact the program for a copy of the policy that includes specific deadlines and definitions of enrolled students. In general, there is no refund of tuition after the first official day of classes. Also, all application deposits, student fees and registration fees are non-refundable. Lastly, the University charges a $170 withdrawal fee.

Does Lipscomb require a supplemental application?
No, Lipscomb does not require a supplemental application. We accept applications through CASPA only.

Can I work while in PA school?
Lipscomb strongly discourages employment during PA school due to the significant time commitment necessary to being successful in the program.

What are the patient contact hour requirements?
Lipscomb does require all applicants have patient contact hours. However, there is no set minimum required number of hours. We are more interested in the type of experience and how that experience helps you understand patient care and the healthcare team. We prefer to see quality patient interactions, rather than an arbitrary number of hours. We will ask you about your patient contact experience during the interview process.

Does Lipscomb require shadowing of a PA?
Yes, we require all applicants to be exposed to the PA profession by shadowing a practicing physician assistant. We do not have a set minimum number of hours. We prefer you seek quality interactions with a practicing PA rather than just accumulating higher quantity hours. We will ask you about your shadowing experience during the interview process.

Where can I find physician assistant shadow opportunities?
You can visit Physician Assistant Shadow Online.

Does the Lipscomb PA program do open house sessions on campus?
Yes, we do monthly open house sessions that include on campus presentations and tours.  We post the dates for these sessions on our home page. Please register here if you would like to attend one of the sessions.

What is the approximate cost of the PA program at Lipscomb?
Information is located on the tuition and fees tab.

What are the admissions requirements for the PA program?
See information on the admissions requirements on this page.

I meet the minimum requirements. Does that mean I am guaranteed an interview?
No. Lipscomb does not guarantee an interview based on any academic or other standards. All interviews are granted based on multiple factors.

Does Lipscomb do early acceptance or a combined undergraduate, pathway program?
No. Lipscomb does not do early acceptance or pathway programs for its undergraduate students.  All admissions criteria are posted.

How many cohorts are admitted per year?
One cohort is admitted per year.

When does the program begin?
The program begins in the Fall. 

How many seats are available per cohort?
There are a maximum of 50 seats in the cohort matriculating in Fall 2021.

How long will the program be?
The program is approximately 27 months. It is a seven-semester, year-round program with three semesters per year. The didactic phase is 15 months while the clinical phase is 12 months.

Does Lipscomb provide graduate housing on campus?
Housing at Lipscomb is limited with priority going to undergraduate students. While there may be graduate housing available, there are no guarantees that graduate students will have access to on-campus housing.

Do you have a part-time or online option for your PA program?
No. All students must participate on a full-time basis. No online courses will be offered.

Can any of the prerequisites be completed online or in a hybrid course?
The only online prerequisite courses considered for acceptance are psychology and biostatistics courses.

Do all of my recommendation letters on CASPA need to be written by physician assistants?
No. However, we would highly suggest that at least one letter be written by a physician assistant.

Do you accept transfer students from another PA program?
We do not currently accept transfer students from other PA programs.

Does the PA program accept AP or CLEP credits for prerequisite requirements?
No. The program does not accept AP or CLEP credits for any coursework mapped toward our
prerequisite requirements.

Does the PA program accept Dual Credit?
Yes, the program does accept Dual Credit coursework mapped to our prerequisites as long as it
meets minimum grade earned and semester credit hour requirements.

How many prerequisite courses may be in progress at the time of application submission?
No more than 2 prerequisite courses.

Average Profile of Applicants Who Matriculated in Fall 2019:

• Biology/Chemistry/Physics (BCP) GPA: 3.7
• Overall Science GPA: 3.7
• Overall Total GPA: 3.7
• PA Shadowing Hours: 73
• Patient Care Experience Hours: 1,578
• Healthcare Related Experience Hours: 1,265
• Volunteer Hours: 400

CASPA allows for the entry of multiple types of experiences. The definition of these experience types is available here and is also repeated below. We recommend attempting to record experiences in as many categories as possible. Experiences should only be recorded in a single category that best fits the type of experience.

Employment

Paid work done outside of the health care field or a research lab; for example, a retail or restaurant job.

Research

Research projects completed, preferably in addition to or outside of regular classroom work.

Volunteer

Volunteer work done outside of the health care field; for example, working for Habitat for Humanity, tutoring students, participating in or working for a fundraiser walk or blood drive, etc.

Patient Care Experience

CASPA Definition: Experiences in which you are directly responsible for a patient's care. For example, prescribing medication, performing procedures, directing a course of treatment, designing a treatment regimen, actively working on patients as a nurse, paramedic, EMT, CNA, phlebotomist, physical therapist, dental hygienist, etc.

Additional Information: Both number of hours and quality of patient care experience are weighed when considering an application. The more “hands-on” an activities is (i.e., patient care assistant, nursing assistant, EMT, etc.) the more likely the activity will be considered to meet the definition of patient care experience. Patient care hours may be paid or volunteer. It is extremely important to provide a detailed description of your experiences on your CASPA application to assure that you are given appropriate credit. Patient care experiences require a high level of decision making affecting patient outcomes and intensive hands-on responsibility for which 100% of the total hours will count toward your application score. The following is a representative list of patient care experiences. It is intended as a guide only and is not all inclusive.

Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• Medical assistant
• Patient care technician
• Physical Therapy Technician
• Phlebotomist
• Athletic trainer
• Mental health worker
• Substance dependency counselor
• Dental assistant
• Paramedic
• EMT
• Military corpsman
• Nurse
• Certified nurse assistant (CNA)
• Nurse’s aide
• Occupational therapy aide
• Home health aide with health care responsibilities
• Peace Corps or mission volunteer in a health care related assignment or other cross-cultural health care experience

Healthcare Experience

CASPA Definition: Both paid and unpaid work in a health or health-related field where you are not directly responsible for a patient's care, but may still have patient interaction; for example, filling prescriptions, performing clerical work, delivering patient food, cleaning patients and/or their rooms, administering food or medication, taking vitals or other record keeping information, working as a scribe, CNA (depending on job description), medical assistant, etc.

Additional Information:
Only 50% of moderate-level healthcare experience hours will count toward your application score. These healthcare experiences require a moderate level of decision making affecting patient outcomes and moderate hands-on responsibility. The following is a representative list of moderate-level healthcare experiences. It is intended as a guide only and is not all inclusive.

Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• Medical scribe
• Ophthalmology Technician
• Health care related internship or training
• Experience in medical research with human subjects
• Pharmacy technician if patient counseling, preparation of medication, and communication with doctors and PAs are entailed
• Medical transport if ambulation and monitoring of vitals and medications is involved

Only 10% of low-level healthcare experience hours will count toward your application score. These healthcare experiences require a low level of decision making affecting patient outcomes and minimal hands-on responsibility. The following is a representative list of low-level healthcare experiences. It is intended as a guide only and is not all inclusive.

Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• Private care for a relative or friend
• Medical records processor
• Patient transport
• Pharmacy technician if duties only involve cashing out customers and administrative work
• Lifeguard

Shadowing

Time spent officially following and observing a health care professional at work, preferably in the physician assistant field.

Leadership Experience

Experiences in which you held a leadership role within an organization, such as the president of a club, fraternity/sorority, etc.

Extracurricular Activities

Related activities you would like your selected programs to review; for example, academic clubs and competitive teams. Do not include paid work experience in this section.

Teaching Experience

Experiences in which you were in charge of instructing others, such as a teaching assistant, tutor, etc.

We encourage all physician assistant students to file their FAFSA and apply for financial aid. Doing so is the only way to know what aid you are eligible to receive. Applying for aid does not affect your chances of being admitted to Lipscomb.

For financial aid purposes, you are considered a professional student once you are accepted into the School of Physician Assistant Studies. This means that you will file as an independent student on your FAFSA, even if you are claimed as a dependent on your parent's income taxes. You will not use any of your parents' information when you file your FAFSA.

• We recommend that the FAFSA be filed by April 1. If you do not have your tax return completed by then, go ahead and file the FAFSA. You can always amend your FAFSA once your return is complete.
• Complete your FAFSA by going to fafsa.gov and electronically submitting it.
• Be sure to have your tax information from the most recent tax year and your driver's license.
• If you have filed a FAFSA before, you will need your FSA ID.
• If you have not filed a FAFSA before, visit FAFSA.gov to request an ID.
• Lipscomb University's school code is 003486 (to be used in step six on the FAFSA).

Frequently Asked Questions for FAFSA:

Please be sure to answer the following questions on the FAFSA as shown.

How to answer FAFSA Question 28:
When you begin the 2018 - 2019 school year what will be your grade level?

• 1st year graduate/professional
• Continuing graduate/professional or beyond (for remaining 15 months)

How to answer FAFSA Question 29:
When you begin the 2018 - 2019 school year, what degree or certificate will you be working on?

• Graduate/professional

How to answer FAFSA Question 48:
At the beginning of the 2018 - 2019 school year, will you be working on a master's or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, or graduate certificate etc.)?

• Yes

Once your FAFSA has been reviewed and processed by the Office of Financial Aid at Lipscomb University, you may then accept the aid you are being offered.

• Head over to myLipscomb.
• Log into your account using your username and password.
• Look under the section called Student Links on the main myLipscomb page.
• Under the column labeled Financial Aid, select Financial Aid Awards.
• View the different options (General Information, Award Overview, Terms & Conditions, and Accept Award Offer).
• Select the "Terms & Conditions" tab to see the list of requirements for receiving aid.
• Once you have accepted your Terms & Conditions, you can then accept your aid by selecting the "Accept Award Offer" tab.

* All forms needed to make changes to loan amounts after they have been accepted can now be found in the student's myLipscomb account in the Financial Aid section.

Federal Stafford Loan

A borrower must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment for at least six semester hours and must be working toward a degree or certificate. Loans must be actively accepted in myLipscomb in order to be applied as an expected payment to the student bill. Stafford Loans will not pay until the student has completed both Entrance Counseling and the Master Promissory Note at studentloans.gov. Loans will not be credited to accounts until 30 days after classes begin or when a student begins the sixth credit hour, whichever comes last.

• Maximum of $20,500 in Unsubsidized Stafford Loans per academic year as a Physician Assistant student.
• Having a Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan means that interest accrues while you are in school.
• 5.41% interest rate.
• Payments begin six months after graduation or leaving school.
• Eligibility is determined by FAFSA.
• 1.073% origination fee at time of disbursement.

Grad Plus Loan

The Graduate PLUS Loan is available to independent graduate and professional students. This loan requires credit approval by the Department of Education, as well as a FAFSA submission. Learn more on how to apply.

• 6.41% interest rate (4.292% fee at time of disbursement).
• Can be deferred while in school.
• FAFSA is required.
• Non-need based loan, based on credit. Can use a co-signer.
• Must use all of Stafford before Grad Plus is applied to account.