Biology, B.S., Pre-Physician Associate

The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the Alvernia University Physician Associate Program sponsored by Alvernia University.

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.

Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class.

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at https://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-alvernia-university/.

 

Physician associates are licensed clinicians who practice medicine in every specialty and setting. Trusted, rigorously educated and trained healthcare professionals, PAs are dedicated to expanding access to care and transforming health and wellness through patient-centered, team-based medical practice.  

Alvernia will offer two pathways to obtain a Master of Medical Science in Physician Associate Studies: a Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track and a traditional post-baccalaureate program. The Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track is a fast-paced course of study which allows focused students to obtain both a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Master of Medical Science degree within five years. At this time, the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track is only available for first-year students. We invite transfer students to complete another major and apply for the Master of Medical Science in Physician Associate Studies after completion of their baccalaureate degree.  

Alvernia’s Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track is a fast-paced course of study which allows focused students to obtain both a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Biology and a Master of Medical Science in Physician Associate Studies degree within five years. Students will first complete three years of undergraduate coursework towards their Biology degree and then enter the physician associate program if all assured criteria are met. The physician associate program is twenty-four months in length and spans six semesters, including two summer semesters, beginning in August (fall semester) of the fourth year of undergraduate study for students on the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track. The first three semesters will consist of didactic phase instruction, and the last three semesters will consist of clinical phase instruction. The curriculum is based on the most recent ARC-PA standards and NCCPA PANCE blueprint and aligns with the University and Program’s mission and goals.  

Admission Requirements: Step One-Undergraduate  

• Decisions regarding admission into the biology portion of the program will be made by the Office of Admissions in accordance with the University undergraduate admissions policies. The Physician Associate Program Director will be consulted as needed.  
• Admission into the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track will be available to students who meet the criteria of 3.5 high school GPA. This is a hard cut-off and there will be no rounding. The SAT is optional with a desired score of 1170 to be considered competitive. 
• All students must take a math competency examination with results indicating a proficiency level for pre-calculus or higher. Those students who are required to take pre-calculus must do so during the summer semester prior to the fall of their first undergraduate year.
• AP credit will be accepted with a score of 4 or higher for Biology and Chemistry courses.
• AP credit will be accepted with a score of 3 or higher for all other non-science courses.
• AP credit for Statistics will not satisfy the biology degree requirement for Statistics (MAT 209). All students on the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track must take Statistics (MAT 209).  
• AP credit for Statistics may be applied to overall credit requirements for degree conferral.  
• AP credit for Statistics will not satisfy the biology degree requirement for Statistics Lab (MAT 220). All students on the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track must take Statistics Lab (MAT 220).  
• All students on the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track who use AP credit to satisfy a Biology or Chemistry course must take a higher-level course in the same content area of Biology or Chemistry.  
• All students on the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track who use AP credit to satisfy non-science course may pursue academic enhancement with any course of their choice.  
• Transfer credit will be accepted with a score of 3.0 or higher for Biology and Chemistry courses.  
• Transfer credit will be accepted with a score of 3.0 or higher for all other non-science courses.  
• Transfer credit for Statistics will not satisfy the biology degree requirement for Statistics (MAT 209). All students on the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track must take Statistics (MAT 209).  
• Transfer credit for Statistics may be applied to overall credit requirements for degree conferral.  
• Transfer credit for Statistics will not satisfy the biology degree requirement for Statistics Lab (MAT 220). All students on the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track must take Statistics Lab (MAT 220).  
• All students on the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track who use Transfer credit to satisfy a Biology or Chemistry course must take a higher-level course in the same content area.  
• All students on the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track who use Transfer credit to satisfy non-science course may pursue academic enhancement with any course of their choice.
• Dual-enrollment credit will be accepted with a score of 3.0 or higher for Biology and Chemistry courses. 
• Dual-enrollment credit will be accepted with a score of 3.0 or higher for all other non-science courses. 
• Dual-enrollment credit for Statistics will not satisfy the biology degree requirement for Statistics (MAT 209). All students on the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track must take Statistics (MAT 209). 
• Dual-enrollment credit for Statistics may be applied to overall credit requirements for degree conferral. 
• Dual-enrollment credit for Statistics will not satisfy the biology degree requirement for Statistics Lab (MAT 220). All students on the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track must take Statistics Lab (MAT 220). 
• All students on the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track who use dual-enrollment credit to satisfy a Biology or Chemistry course must take a higher-level course in the same content area. 
• All students on the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track who use dual-enrollment credit to satisfy non-science course may pursue academic enhancement with any course of their choice.

Acceptance into the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track is conditional pending verification of final high school transcripts. Upon timely completion of ALL admission criteria, applicants will be offered admission into the accelerated program and a conditional guaranteed admission into the graduate PA program as determined by each student’s ability to meet all PA program admission criteria for the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track. Students within the accelerated (3+2) format will follow a modified curricular plan in biology labeled “Bio-PA”. For more information about the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track contact us at admissions@alvernia.edu.  

Admission Requirements: Step Two-Graduate - see Physician Associate section of the graduate catalog. 

 

Bio-PA (3+2) Accelerated Track Undergraduate Academic Progression Requirements

• All courses must be taken as outlined in the Biology-Physician Associate Eight Semester Plan.
• All science and prerequisite courses outlined in the Biology-Physician Associate Eight Semester Plan must be taken at Alvernia University during the designated fall or spring semester.
• Achievement of “C” or higher on all science and prerequisite courses. Any student who achieves less than a C on any science or prerequisite will decelerate to the traditional four-year track to achieve their Bachelor of Science Degree.
• Minimum overall cumulative GPA of 3.2 at the end of each semester during year one of undergraduate study.
• Minimum overall cumulative GPA of 3.4 at the end of each semester during years two and three of undergraduate study.
• Any student not earning the minimum overall cumulative GPAs listed above will be place on academic notice.
• Any student on academic notice will have one semester in which to raise their overall cumulative GPA to 3.2 (during year one of undergraduate study) or 3.4 (during years two and three of undergraduate study). Students who fail to achieve this benchmark will decelerate to the traditional four-year track to achieve their Bachelor of Science Degree. Review of the GPA occurs twice a year at the end of the fall and spring academic semesters.
• Students who decelerate to the traditional four-year degree track no longer qualify for assured admission to the physician associate program. However, all are welcome to apply via the post-baccalaureate route.
• The University repeat/delete option cannot be used for admission to the graduate physician associate program. All grades are factored into GPA calculations in the CASPA portal.
• Students on the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track of study must apply to the graduate physician associate program via CASPA by October 1st of their junior year of study (during semester five of the eight semester plan).
• Students with documented violation (s) of the Alvernia University student code of citizenship or the Alvernia University Honor Code will not qualify for assured admissions into the PA program.
• Students who meet all academic progression requirements during semesters one-four of the eight semester plan and who meet all assured admission requirements outlined below will be granted conditional acceptance to the PA program.
• Student academic performance must be reviewed after successful completion of semesters five and six of the eight semester plan to ensure that students have met all assured admission requirements outlined below to be granted full acceptance to the PA program.