Physician assistants are health professionals licensed or, in the case of those employed by the Federal Government, credentialed to practice medicine with physician supervision. Physician assistants are qualified by graduation from an accredited physician assistant educational program and/or certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. Within the physician/PA relationship, physician assistants exercise autonomy in medical decision-making and provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services.

The clinical role of physician assistants includes primary and specialty care in medical and surgical practice settings in rural and urban areas. Physician assistant practice is centered on patient care and may include educational, research, and administrative activities.

Physician Assistant program applicants must have earned a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution at the time of matriculation into the graduate program. While any undergraduate major is acceptable, biology or chemistry majors will be the best prepared. Applicants from the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) are encouraged to apply.

Applicants must successfully complete all of the following program prerequisites, regardless of the undergraduate degree or major. No online courses for the chemistry or biology disciplines will meet the program's prerequisite requirements.

• Human Anatomy & Physiology - 8 semester hours
• General Chemistry - 8 semester hours
• General Psychology - 3 semester hours
• Microbiology - 4 semester hours
• Developmental Psychology - 3 semester hours

Applicants are expected to have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 and a science GPA of 3.25 on all undergraduate coursework. Applicants are required to complete the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and achieve a minimum score of 950 (combined verbal and quantitative). These scores are believed to indicate sufficient academic ability for successful completion of the program; however, under special circumstances GPAs of less than 3.25 and/or GREs of less than 950 may be considered. With large numbers of applicants, not all students meeting the minimum requirements will receive an interview. Because entering students in the last three years have significantly exceeded the minimum requirements, candidates should endeavor to get the highest GPA and GRE scores possible and, with grades lower than a B, retake courses that would reflect a grasp of the material and a capability of rigorous course work.

While evidence of clinical experience is not required for admission, it is highly recommended because such experience is believed to be an accurate indicator of an individual's desire and commitment to engage in health care service. In the opinion of the program faculty, past medical experience also provides a framework upon which students can build and can facilitate the expansion of the fund of medical knowledge.

Observation (shadowing) of physician assistants in preference to other health care professionals, to the extent of gaining sufficient insight as to the role and duties of practicing physician assistants, is also believed to be an accurate indicator of an individual's desire and commitment to the profession.

The PA Program utilizes the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). Students who wish to apply to the Graduate Physician Assistant Program must submit the application and documentation to the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA).

The CASPA application must be completed online at www.caspaonline.org.

Applications must be submitted to CASPA no later than November 1st and must include the following documentation:

• Official transcripts from all schools attended. DO NOT send any to the program.

• Official transcript indicating baccalaureate degree. DO NOT send any to the program.

• Applicants must submit three (3) letters of recommendation.

• Official copy of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score (this is submitted directly from GRE to Trevecca - our institution code is 1809) Under Department Code & Name, when applying for the exam, be sure and check either Allied Health or Health/Medical Sciences. If these are not checked, it will delay your scores being sent specifically to the PA program within the institution. Note: Because of a change to a new edition of the GRE, score reporting to institutions will be delayed after August 1st, 2011 by as much as 8 weeks. To have scores available for our interview selection, testing must take place before August 1st, 2011. After that date, no guarantee can be made that we will have all the data necessary to consider your application, which is still due by November 1st.

Transcripts and test scores issued to applicants will not be accepted. Any applications received from CASPA after December 1st will not be considered; material to complete documentation for applications already received before December 1st will continue your application process. DO NOT send transcripts to the program. If you are offered a position and accept, then official transcripts will be requested of you but not until then. Additionally, a health history, exam, immunizations, and background check will need to be submitted before orientation. Details will be sent to the matriculant at the appropriate time.

No advanced placement is given to any student regardless of academic background.

Three (3) different sources for recommendations are acceptable and ranked in descending order of preference as listed below:

1. A physician or physician assistant who is acquainted with the applicant's abilities and potential.
2. A college professor, preferably from the applicant's major, who is acquainted with the applicant's abilities and potential.
3. An employer who is acquainted with the applicant's abilities and potential.

Applicants may communicate with the PA Admissions Office by any of the following methods:

• Calling the PA Admissions Office at 615-248-1225
• Sending an e-mail to admissions_pa@trevecca.edu.
• Visiting the PA Admissions Office in person

For questions concerning the CASPA application process, please contact them directly at 240-497-1985 or e-mail apply@cascaonline.org.

Tuition (Class of 2011-2013)

Fees

Fees subject to change

*Clinical rotations are six weeks in duration with a minimum of forty hours per week.
**Elective rotations are six weeks in duration and are available in a variety of medical and surgical disciplines.

The Medics in Medicine Bridge Program is a degree completion program for honorably discharged service personnel who served their country as a corpsman or medic. The purpose is for the completion of a bachelor’s degree and admittance into the Physician Assistant Program at Trevecca Nazarene University in the spirit of a 3-2 bridge program.

Students must meet the minimum criteria established by the PA Program for successful entrance into the bridge program: Undergraduate application, discharge record, transcripts of all academic work, a recent (within the last 3 years) minimum ACT score of 23 or a SAT score of 960, and an interview with the Physician Assistant Admissions Committee. Applications and documents are due by January 15th of each calendar year.

When in the bridge program students must attain a cumulative GPA of 3.25, during the year for work done at Trevecca, to be eligible to enter the graduate Physician Assistant Program at Trevecca Nazarene University with the next entering class. Students may not defer enrollment into the Physician Assistant Program unless approved by the program faculty or a military deferment is required.

Applicants must have completed at least 21 semester hours of undergraduate instruction including English Composition 3 semester hours (required prerequisite) at an accredited institution of higher learning. Additionally, undergraduate credit could be given for military training, prior learning, CLEP, and DANTES as follows:

• CLEP and DANTES

  The maximum hours that can be earned toward a degree are 45 and may be applied to the hours needed to enter the undergraduate program.

• Prior Learning

  During the first semester, students would attend orientation on the options available for earning credit through prior learning. Credit in this area would follow approved university policies and would not be considered as unique for these applicants; up to 24 hours would be maximum. Military training: As a part of the prior learning, up to 24 hours would come from non-traditional credits: military experience (for Army, Navy, and Marines). Air Force is Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) approved and would apply towards regular college credit.

Thus, the student would have 45 hours minimally at this point. The next three semesters at TNU would provide 45 hours of preparation for the masters program and would give the student a minimum of 90 hours. Upon maintaining the minimum GPA of 3.25 and exhibiting professionalism as set forth in the program’s student handbook, admission into the masters program would ensue. After successful completion of the next 30 hours of the graduate program, the student would complete 120 hours for the undergraduate degree and would be awarded the Bachelor of Science – Medicine. The student would go on to complete the remaining graduate curriculum for the Masters of Science – Medicine.

Below is the application form.

• 

  Gerald Moredock

  Director, Physician Assistant Program

  615-248-7773

  mmoredock@trevecca.edu

• 

  Tasha Adams

  Instructor, Physician Assistant Program

  615-248-1628

  tadams1@trevecca.edu

• 

  Karen Frye

  Associate Professor, Graduate Physician Assistant Program

  615-248-1225

  kfrye@trevecca.edu

• 

  Catherine Gemmiti

  Clinical Coordinator, Graduate Physician Assistant Program

  615-248-1503

  cgemmiti@trevecca.edu

• 

  Larry Gerdom

  Associate Professor, Physician Assistant Program

  615-248-1781

  lgerdom@trevecca.edu

• 

  Joseph Gigante

  Adjunct Instructor, Graduate Physician Assistant Program

  615-248-1225

• 

  Katrina Gill

  Instructor, Graduate Physician Assistant Program

  615-248-1225

  kgill@trevecca.edu

• 

  Robin Jewett

  Assistant Professor, Physician Assistant Program

  615-248-1504

  rjewett@trevecca.edu

• 

  Donna Lynch

  Adjunct Instructor, Graduate Physician Assistant Program

  615-248-1225

• 

  Mega Purino

  Instructor, Graduate Physician Assistant Program

  615-248-1225

  mvandenburgpurino@trevecca.edu

• 

  Don Ragsdale

  Clinical Coordinator, Graduate Physician Assistant Program

  615-248-1334

  sragsdale@trevecca.edu

• 

  Wayne Wells

  Medical Director, Graduate Physicial Assistant Program

  615-248-1225

  wwells@trevecca.edu

Trevecca welcomes students from other countries. Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take an examination of their English language ability before official acceptance will be granted. The test required is the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOFEL), and a minimum score of 550 is required on the paper based test and 213 on the computer based test.

All regular admission requirements must be completed. 15 semester hours must be completed in a United States accredited institution. Nine (9) of the 15 hours must be prerequisite courses.   Trevecca's Certification of Financial Support must be on file at the time an I-20 is issued. International students will have the same financial policy applied to them as any other student does. Only international students with a valid immigration student status of F-1 will be permitted to register.

Program Lapel Pins

Trevecca PA Program lapel pins are available to any alumni in return for any donation amount to the Program's scholarship fund.  These are a 1 inch diameter pin with the Program's logo in color on a brass base.  Send your donations to the program office at Trevecca, your pin will be sent, and your tax deductible contribution will be credited to you.  Thank you for your help.

Time Share Available

A Gatlinburg time share has been donated to the school in honor of a PA alumnus.  Money from the sale will be placed in the Program's scholarship fund.  Contact the Trevecca Alumni Office or University Advancement Office for details, location, and pictures.