Physician Assistant Pathway Year Two Requirements

By the end of year two, students pursuing the PA Pathway must complete the following requirements:

HPS Retention Requirements:
  • Achieve a cumulative GPA of at least a 3.5; GPA may not fall below a 3.25 in any semester
  • Accumulate a total of 150 hours of clinical observation, health-related volunteer experience, health-related internship experience, or direct patient care experience
  • Provide a positive clinical supervisor evaluation
  • Maintain membership in at least one student health-related organization (i.e. Pre-PA Society)
  • Provide evidence of endorsement of MSU Public Affairs Mission through completion of a minimum of 30 hours of community service (please note - hours completed as part of service learning or for the purposes of scholarship renewal will count)
PA Pathway-Specific Requirements:
  • Complete the following PA prerequisites with a "C" or better:
    • CHM 170: General Chemistry II AND CHM 171: General Chemistry II Lab
    • CHM 201: Essentials of Organic Chemistry AND CHM 202: Essentials of Organic Chemistry Lab
    • PSY 121: Introductory Psychology
  • Evidence of progress toward completion of paid, hands-on patient care requirement. Note: Only 50 of your 500 total clinical experience hours may come from clinical observation/shadowing. Students pursuing the PA Pathway must complete a minimum of 450 hours of direct (hands-on) patient care experience. This is typically achieved through a paid position or clinical internship. Examples of positions that result in hands-on patient care experience include: Athletic Trainer, Behavioral Health Technician, Case Manager, Certified Nurse's Aid (CNA), Dialysis Technician, Registered Dietitian, EKG Technician, EMT-Basic, ER Technician, Surgical Technician, Endoscopy Technician, Home Health Aid, Medical Assistant, Patient Care Assistant, Registered Nurse, Respiratory Therapist, Radiologic Technologist.
  • No less than a "C" required in all PA prerequisite coursework (with the exception of BMS 307 and BMS 308, which must be passed with a "B-" or better).
  • Failure to meet the above requirements may result in probation or dismissal from the HPS program.