Physician Assistant (M.S.)

Our Physician Assistant (PA) Master of Science (M.S.) degree is a 24-month hybrid program of online and on-campus learning in year one, followed by full-time, supervised clinical practice at various sites in year two. Benefit from Nazareth’s health and human services strengths as you gain advanced medical training in the PA graduate program to prepare you well for rewarding work as a compassionate medical professional.

Mission:

Our mission at Nazareth University is to educate highly skilled, compassionate PAs who excel in interprofessional collaboration and are dedicated to serving diverse communities with a focus on underserved populations.

Vision:

Our vision at Nazareth University is to empower a new generation of healthcare leaders with a transformative approach to education. Through our innovative hybrid model, we envision a future where highly skilled and empathetic PAs serve as catalysts for change in healthcare. With a steadfast commitment to interprofessional collaboration, we aspire to bridge gaps in access, ensuring every community, especially those in underserved areas, receives equitable and exemplary care.

Program Goals:

1. Ensure that PA students acquire essential medical knowledge, skills, and clinical reasoning abilities necessary for providing exemplary, evidence-based, patient-centered care.
2. Offer PA students diverse healthcare exposure, emphasizing medically underserved communities, to expand access to high-quality healthcare.
3. Develop PA students who excel in interprofessional collaboration essential for delivering comprehensive and patient-centered care.
4. Instill in PA students the value of compassion to meet the holistic needs of their patients.
5. Promote PA student well-being by providing curriculum for self-care and resilience, to reduce burnout and enhance professional fulfillment.

Program Learning Outcomes/Student Competencies:

1. Medical Knowledge
   1.1. Recognize normal and abnormal health states across all organ systems
   1.2. Discern among acute, chronic and emergent disease states across the lifespan.
   1.3. Apply principles of basic and clinical science to identify, diagnose and provide patient care to healthy and ill patients.
2. Clinical Reasoning and Problem Solving
   2.1. Formulate a most likely diagnosis and differential diagnoses based on an appropriate history, and physical examination for a variety of acute, chronic, and emergent medical conditions for patients across the lifespan.
   2.2. Recommend appropriate diagnostic laboratory and imaging studies relevant to the history and physical and provide and obtain interpretations.
   2.3. Develop appropriate treatment plans based on the clinical assessment and findings that include pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions.
3. Clinical and Technical Skills
   3.1. Demonstrate the ability to obtain a medical history, perform a physical examination, and document patient information.
   3.2. Perform diagnostic and routine therapeutic procedures.
   3.3. Implement appropriate strategies for disease prevention and health care maintenance.
   3.4. Demonstrate the ability to provide appropriate patient education by utilizing evidence-based medicine to guide clinical decision-making.
4. Interpersonal and Communication Skills
   4.1. Demonstrate the ability to provide effective verbal and nonverbal communication with patients, families, and members of the health care team.
   4.2. Review medical records, complete documentation, and communicate diagnostic findings and management strategies in a timely manner.
   4.3. Demonstrate strong reading, writing, and presentation skills.
5. Professional Behaviors
   5.1. Uphold academic integrity and professionalism.
   5.2. Demonstrate cultural competencies affecting the health of the individual and the community being served.
   5.3. Apply the core principles of medical ethics to provide medical care that is patient centered, respectful, and equitable.
   5.4. Establish respectful and collaborative relationships with all members of academic and healthcare teams.
   5.5. Demonstrate understanding of professional responsibilities around regulatory and legal aspects of medical practice.

Program Director

Heather Grotke, MS, PA-C
585-389-2793
hgrotke3@naz.edu

Entry Requirements

Meet Standards

• Cumulative GPA: minimum 3.2, as noted in the “CASPA Overall GPA” calculation. This calculation considers all college-level coursework ever completed. Applicants with international coursework, please see the International Applicants section below.

• Prerequisite Science GPA (in the courses designated with an asterisk below): minimum 3.2. Complete all prerequisite courses.

• Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution in the United States or its equivalent from a foreign country, earned by December 20, 2025.

• Patient care experience: minimum of 500 hours of direct, hands-on patient care experience. This may be paid or volunteer. Eligible experiences include, but are not limited to, work as an RN, EMT, paramedic, medical assistant, PT or OT assistant, CNA, medical technician, social worker, medical scribe and pharmacy technician. Hours must be completed by the time of enrollment.

• Physician assistant shadowing: minimum of 40 hours of shadowing a physician assistant. Hours must be completed by the time of application.

• Ability to successfully pass a criminal background check, if admitted.

• Ability to meet the program immunization and health requirements, if admitted.

• Technical standards verification: Submit a signed form at the time of matriculation attesting to the ability to meet the technical standards with or without reasonable accommodation as described by the ADA.

Prerequisite Courses:

Coursework	Semester Credit Hours
Biology with Lab (designed for science majors*)	8
Chemistry with Lab (designed for science majors*)	8
Biochemistry*	3
Microbiology with Lab*	4
Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab*	8
Genetics*	3
Medical Terminology	1
English Composition (or equivalent)	3
General Psychology	3
Statistics	3

Applicants may apply with no more than two prerequisite courses in progress. All prerequisite courses must be completed with grades of “B-” or better within five years of enrollment. Exceptions to this timeline may be granted case-by-case, subject to faculty review. Online laboratory courses may be accepted case by case, subject to faculty review. Courses for which credit was awarded by examination, such as AP courses, are acceptable toward the general psychology or statistics prerequisite courses only.

Technical Standards:

The study of medical sciences is not purely an intellectual exercise. Candidates for the PA program must possess the ability to learn, integrate, analyze, and synthesize data. In general, students should have certain minimum physical, emotional, cognitive, and social capacities to complete all requirements of the PA program.

Students must possess all of the abilities described in the five categories below, with or without reasonable accommodations as determined by the Academic Success & Accessibility office. Fulfillment of the technical standards with reasonable accommodation does not guarantee a graduate of the program will be able to fulfill the technical standards for employment or residency. Candidates with disabilities are encouraged to contact the program and/or the Academic Success & Accessibility office early in the application process to discuss accommodation needs.

1. Observation: 

   Candidates must acquire information as presented through demonstrations and experiences in lectures and laboratories. Candidates must be able to evaluate patients accurately and assess their relevant health, behavioral, and medical information. Candidates must be able to obtain and interpret information through a comprehensive assessment of patients, correctly interpret clinical data, accurately evaluate patients’ conditions and responses, as well as develop a diagnostic and treatment plan. Vision, hearing, and touch or the functional equivalent is required.

2. Communication:
   Candidates must exhibit interpersonal skills to enable effective caregiving of patients, including the ability to communicate effectively and sensitively in English, with all members of a multidisciplinary health care team, patients, and those supporting patients, in person and in writing. Candidates must be able to clearly and accurately record information and accurately interpret verbal and nonverbal communications.

3. Motor & Sensory Functions:

   Candidates must have adequate physical endurance, motor function, and sensory ability to be able to provide and/or direct the:

   - Provision of general care and emergency treatment to patients.

   - Performance of routine physical examination and diagnostic maneuvers.

   - Performance of treatment maneuvers, which may include lifting, transferring of patients, and assisting during ambulation while assuring their own safety as well as the patient’s safety.

   - Elicitation of information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion, and movement of limbs.

   Candidates must meet applicable relevant safety standards for the environment and follow universal precaution procedures.

4. Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities:
   Candidates must effectively interpret, assimilate, and understand the complex information required to function within the PA program. Problem-solving is a critical skill that requires conceptual integrative and quantitative thinking abilities. Candidates must also be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships, the spatial and functional relationships of structures, and to analyze and apply this information for problem-solving and decision-making. Candidates must be able to effectively participate in educational activities both online and in person, individually and in small groups in all learning environments. They must have the ability to organize, prioritize, analyze, and evaluate detailed and complex information individually, in small groups, in clinical settings, both in person and via remote technology. Candidates must be able to learn, participate, collaborate, and contribute as part of a team.

5. Behavioral and Social Skills:
   Candidates must exercise good judgment and promptly complete all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients. A candidate must have the emotional health to fully use their intellectual ability, exercise good judgment, and complete all responsibilities attendant to the evaluation and treatment of patients. They must be honest, able to self-assess mistakes, respond constructively to feedback, and assume responsibility for maintaining professional behavior. The skills required include the ability to effectively handle and manage heavy workloads, function effectively under stress, adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, and learn to function in the face of the uncertainties inherent in the practice of their profession.

   Candidates must be able to develop mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with faculty, patients, families, caregivers, and colleagues. Candidates must be able to tolerate physical and emotional stress, maintain alertness and wakefulness, and continue to function effectively. They must have a high level of compassion for others, motivation to serve, and integrity. They must behave in an ethical and moral manner consistent with professional values and standards. A candidate must possess sufficient interpersonal skills to interact positively and sensitively with all people.

   Candidates must be able to satisfy the above requirements with or without reasonable accommodations. For questions about reasonable accommodations, see the Nazareth Academic Success & Accessibility website.

Complete Steps

1. Apply online via CASPA, including:

• Two personal statements: Complete two personal statements, 250 words or less.
• The CASPA application personal statement describes why you want to be a PA.
• A program-specific statement should reflect the mission of the Nazareth PA program and your commitment to serving diverse communities.
• Two letters of recommendation: Include one from a former college/university instructor and one from a supervisor of your required patient care experience.
• PA Shadowing Form: Complete one for each physician assistant you’ve shadowed.
• Patient Care Experience Form: Upload this along with a letter from your supervisor on their office stationery.

2. Complete the Physician Assistant College Admissions Test (PA-CAT) and designate Nazareth University to receive your official score report, before the application deadline. Your application will not be reviewed until your scores are received.

International Applicants

Given the nature of the online format for the didactic year, all applicants and matriculants need to identify as U.S. citizens, have documentation of permanent residency, or have dual citizenship status. While an F-1 Academic Student Visa is permissible for in-person courses, this Visa only deems such students eligible for one online course per term, hence excluding participation in this hybrid format.

All applicants who have earned a degree from a non-US institution must meet all of the above admission requirements for the PA program as well as admission requirements for international students at Nazareth University at the time of application.

Preference

The Nazareth PA program extends preference in the form of a guaranteed interview to any student who meets all application requirements and either:

• has earned a degree from and completed 60 credits or more at Nazareth University. No points will be added to the applicant’s file scoring.
• or was raised in a rural or medically underserved area as defined by HRSA. No points will be added to the applicant’s file scoring.

If a preferential candidate is not granted admission, they will not be offered preference in subsequent application cycles.

The Nazareth PA program uses rolling admissions. As such, there is a competitive advantage to submitting a verified application as early as possible in the application cycle.

Application Deadlines

Applications due October 1st

Rolling admissions

Accreditation

Nazareth University has applied for Accreditation - Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). Nazareth University anticipates matriculating its first class in January 2026, pending achieving Accreditation - Provisional status at the September 2025 ARC-PA meeting.

Accreditation - Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding accreditation-provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students.

The M.S. in Physician Assistant program is currently pending approval of the New York State Education Department.

Program Academic Standards

This is a professional program with high expectations of its students. The academic performance of all students is closely monitored. At the time of matriculation, all students are in good academic standing. Students are required to maintain the academic standards throughout the duration of the program, which includes the following:

• Academic performance
  • Final course grade of ≥ C
  • Maintaining a term GPA ≥ 3.0
  • Maintaining a cumulative GPA ≥ 3.0
  • Meeting the minimum established score for all remediation-eligible assessments (as noted by * on the course syllabi) and summative evaluations/examinations
• Demonstration of professionalism
  • Passing grade for the professionalism component of each course
  • No outstanding incidents of professionalism concerns

If a student’s academic performance or professionalism does not meet the standards and/or requirements of the Naz PA Program, their performance is reviewed by the Student Progress Committee. Detailed information on all phases of Student Progression is outlined in the Physician Assistant Program Student Handbook.