Physician Assistant - New Hampshire

Applications are accepted only through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). All applications must be verified by CASPA before November 1st and include 3 letters of recommendation to be considered for each cohort. All applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.  Transcripts should be submitted to CASPA. Please do not submit your transcripts to our program. 

The admissions cycle opens each year in late April (visit CASPA site for details) and closes November 1st. 

All prerequisite courses must be passed with a grade of "C" or better and be completed prior to matriculation.  Applicants must possess a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a science GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants may apply with up to two outstanding prerequisites.

Required (31 Semester credits): 

• Anatomy & Physiology I (4 credits with lab)
• Anatomy & Physiology 11 (4 credits with lab)
• Biology (4 credits with lab)
• Chemistry I (4 credits with lab)
• Chemistry II (4 credits with lab)
• Microbiology (4 credits with lab)
• Statistics (3 credits)
• Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry (4 credits with lab)

Recommended Courses (not required)

• Genetics
• Immunology
• Cell Biology
• Nutrition
• Psychology

For more helpful information, please visit our FAQ page.

Applicants are required to demonstrate at least 500 hours of patient care experience. We define ‘Patient Care Experience’ as experience in which you are involved in hands-on direct care of a patient that is not for academic credit. Examples of direct patient care experiences include, but is not limited to, employment or volunteer experiences as a nurse, EMT, paramedic, CNA, phlebotomist, respiratory therapist, etc.

A minimum of 20 hours shadowing a PA-C is required and, while a shadowing verification form is not mandatory, we do reserve the right to contact provider(s) to verify the shadowing experience.  Note that shadowing healthcare providers other than PA-Cs will not meet the requirement, nor will hours spent with PA co-workers. 

All applicants who were born outside of the United States and who did not graduate from a United States high school will be required to submit internet-based TOEFL (iBT) scores with their application.  A minimum total score of 100 (with at least 25 in each section) is required.  The Educational Testing Service (ETS) code for submitting your score to CASPA is 3709.

After verifying that the minimum requirements for admission are met (see above), the program will evaluate each candidate’s academic achievements, personal attributes and experiences. Factors given specific consideration are listed below. Please note that none of these factors, alone or in combination, guarantees admission. However, all else being equal, candidates who demonstrate a greater number of these factors will generally be in a better position for an interview and for admission.

• Overall GPA or Science GPA of 3.5 and above
• Research, publications or presentations
• Letter of recommendation from a healthcare provider and/or supervisor

• Overcoming significant life adversities and struggles
• Multi-lingual ability
• Work Experience
  • Military or government service (including spouse)
  • Voluntary service
  • Medical or healthcare experience
• Franklin Pierce University student or alumni
• Resident of Vermont or New Hampshire
• From an underserved or rural area or extensive experience with populations from underserved/rural areas

Learn more about the direct entry pathway.