Emory University PA Program
Emory is a top-ranked and passionate PA program. The school’s credentials led me to apply and my experience interviewing led me to choose this program. From my interview experience, I found that they have a very personable Director of Admission (Terry Mize) and genuine, helpful, and dedicated students.
An important aspect to know and understand about Emory’s PA program is their mission:
“Emory University’s Physician Assistant Program recruits, educates, and mentors a diverse group of students to become physician assistants providing quality health care. The Program emphasizes primary health care and preventive medicine and seeks to interest students in working in medically underserved areas. The program uses didactic and clinical training, promotes physician/PA team care, fosters an appreciation for research, leadership, and the need to be flexible in meeting the changing needs of the health care climate, empowers faculty and students to be advocates for the physician assistant profession and for the delivery of primary health care. “
The Emory PA Program is not only currently ranked #3 but is unique to all the other programs I have explored in the fact that the program itself is committed to serving the community.
The program is involved with:
1. The South Georgia Farmworkers Project - This is a service-learning program where a majority of the senior PA class travels to South Georgia in order to provide health care along with other physicians and faculty to about 1200-1600 farmworkers and farmworkers families in South Georgia over the course of about 10 days.
2. The PA school also partners with The Good Samaritan Health Center which is a faith-based clinic that provides affordable health care to the underserved and uninsured in metro Atlanta.
3. In a new student newsletter I received, on August 23rd during our orientation we will be providing a blood pressure and diabetes screening in addition school supplies for Children for the Pittsburgh Community Reunion.
How do I apply?
To apply to the Emory program you must fill out the CASPA and the supplemental application found on the website.
Deadlines:
Applications Available on CASPA : May 1, 2008
Early Application (including supplemental) Deadline: August 1, 2008
Final Application Deadline (including supplemental): Octobler 1, 2008
Are you qualified?
The following show a summary of my class entering in August 2008. The program says: “Please note that these are average results among the accepted class, however, we evaluate each applicant and completed application on its own merits. Admissions decisions are based not only on academic history and potential, but also on motivation, maturity, interpersonal skills, knowledge of the PA profession and the healthcare system and the mission of the Emory PA Program.”
Applications recieved: 801
Cadidates interviewed: 210
Overall undergraduated GPA: 3.4
Natural Science GPA: 3.3
GRE: Verbal : 513
GRE: Quantitative : 628
GRE: Analytical Writing : 4.6
Health Care Experience (hours) : around 5,000
Please see the Emory Website for additional details on prerequisite requirements and an explaination on what qualifies as Health Care Experience. It is important to note that activities such as shadowing a healthcare provider do not count.
I recommend attending one of the following open house opportunities at Emory if you are interested in their program:
Each open house is scheduled from 3pm to 5pm. Attendance is limited; please email emory at OpenHouse@emorypa.org in order to reserve space. The dates of the sessions are:
April 11, 2008
April 18, 2008
June 27, 2008
July 18, 2008
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Comment by Yirima Simon on 11 April 2008:
I am looking forward to going to the open house but the days and times in April coincide with lectures. I think I am going to have to wait to June or July. Is it too late by them for someone trying to enter the 2009 class?
Thanks
Comment by Elizabeth on 20 April 2008:
Hey there Yirima, I do not think that is too late for someone wanting to enter the 2009 class. I believe the open house does not have any pull or effect on rather or not you are admitted. It is simply an opportunity to decide if this is a school you would like to apply to. So I recommend the open house in June or July, if you get an interview you will get to see the school again!
Best,
Elizabeth
Comment by Stephanie on 23 June 2008:
I am looking into applying for a PA program, but am concerned about the experience that is required. I have a bachelor’s in Bio, a master’s in applied physiology, a yr towards a phd in neuroscience and have been working in marketing and sales for the past 5 years. The program I am looking at requires 1,000 hours of patient contact, but I’m not sure how to obtain that. I can quit my current job in order to take another job to fulfill this requirement, but I’m not sure where to go/what to do. Any suggestions?
Comment by admin on 24 June 2008:
My suggestion is to go to a basic EMT course at your community college. With that training you can volunteer at the ER and with a rural ambulance company. You could work the 12P Friday to 12P Sat and in 40 shifts have your hours. Even if you were short at the time of application, by the time you entered school, you would have the hours needed. Obviously you are a great candidate and can handle the academics. The PA Program is going to want to see you like patient care and that people who also like it think you are good at it.
That kind of commitment would allow you to work full time while you get your hours. The ER route would take longer (More separate shifts of 8-12 hours), but you could go anytime once you are oriented and trained, to get experience hours.
Whatever you do, be sure someone signs off all your hours so you can prove you got them.
Comment by Stephanie on 25 June 2008:
Thanks so much for the suggestion! I will definitely look into this.
Comment by Sara on 6 July 2008:
Hey Im 16 years old and a senior at Brooklyn Technical Highschool. Im really interested in becoming a physician assistant in neonatology and im applying to college this year. I was wondering what majors would be preferred in college if im seeking to become a physician assistant. i was also wondering about the prerequisites for the PA programs such as the 4 year or more work experience? does this apply to volunteering [ ive been volunteering at Columbia hospital with the nurses in the oncology dept.] what type of work experience is suggested? is an internship fine ?
Comment by admin on 10 July 2008:
Sara, my co-author on this blog graduated from UNC with a double major in Psych and Spanish. She had excellent grades and a good GRE. Her experience was as my Medical Assistant in our office for 18 months, 12 of it paid full-time work experience. Volunteer experience would count if you have some medical training to use. Getting certified as a CNA and then volunteering and doing actual patient care would be seen as great experience. Most top 10 schools want you to have 1000 hours of experience. You need references by (usually) an MD or a PA who has seen you perform those hours.
I also think it isn’t the major so much as having all the prereq’s which would be nearly a science minor. Consult the site of schools that interest you and see what they require. Elizabeth has some great tips about this in her booklet for sale here on our site. I recommend you invest $4.95 and buy one.