Physician Assistant Admissions
The Florida State University PA program participates in the CASPA (Centralized Application System for Physician Assistants). To apply, all applicants must submit a completed CASPA application in addition to completing the FSU supplemental application. The CASPA application will be available May 1, 2024. The deadline for completed and verified CASPA applications, including supplemental application questions, and payment of supplemental application fee is October 1, 2024. Applications received after the deadline date will not be accepted. Rolling selection from the verified applications will begin as interviews are scheduled starting in August 2024.
**Please allow 2-3 weeks for CASPA to verify completed applications.**
All applicants applying to the Florida State University School of Physician Assistant Practice are required to complete an online suite of assessments (Altus Suite), to assist with our selection process for the 2024-2025 Application Cycle.
Altus Suite consists of a two-part online assessment of non-cognitive skills, interpersonal characteristics, and personal values and priorities that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program. Altus Suite will complement the other tools that we use for our applicant screening. In implementing Altus Suite, we are trying to further enhance fairness and objectivity in our selection process.
Altus Suite Consists of:
- Casper: a 60-90 minute online situational judgment test (SJT)
You will register for Altus Suite for the US Professional Health Sciences test (CSP-10101).
Access TakeAltus to create an account and for more information on important dates and requirements, and the Altus Suite assessments.
**Note, there are only a select number of CASPer testing dates available each year.**
Available Casper dates for 2024 FSU application cycle: *All times are EDT
| May 2nd | 8:00 pm |
| May 14th | 8:00 pm |
| May 30th | 6:00 pm |
| May 30th | 8:00 pm |
| June 11th | 6:00 pm |
| June 11th | 8:00 pm |
| June 27th | 6:00 pm |
| June 27th | 8:00 pm |
| July 9th | 6:00 pm |
| July 9th | 8:00 pm |
| July 21st | 1:00 pm |
| July 21st | 4:00 pm |
| July 31st | 6:00 pm |
| July 31st | 8:00 pm |
| August 13th | 6:00 pm |
| August 13th | 8:00 pm |
| August 27th | 6:00 pm |
| August 27th | 8:00 pm |
| September 17th | 6:00 pm |
| September 17th | 8:00 pm |
Applications will not be considered without the following:
- Verified CASPA application with supplemental questions
- Official GRE scores
- Payment of supplemental application fee
- Completed CASPer test
- Prerequisite and Direct Patient Care Hours Statement:
The FSU School of Physician Assistant Program (SPAP) will permit applicants to have up to two prerequisite courses outstanding at the time of application submission for the 2024 cycle, which begins May 1st, 2024. If accepted, all outstanding prerequisites must be completed by the end of the Spring 2025 semester, in order to matriculate into the program.
We have also extended the deadline for the Direct Patient Care hours. Applicants may apply to the FSU SPAP with outstanding Direct Patient Care hours with the expectation that the hours will be completed by the end of the Spring 2025 semester.
Bachelor's Degree: Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
GPA: Minimum cumulative GPA 3.0 and a minimum prerequisite math and science GPA of 3.0.
A candidate that has a completed graduate degree with at least 30 credit hours may submit a written request to the PA admissions coordinator to replace the undergraduate cumulative GPA with the higher graduate GPA if the cumulative graduate GPA is higher.
GRE: Applicants must submit GRE scores taken within 3 years of the date of matriculation. We do not accept the MCAT or other substitutes. There is no minimum score and students will be evaluated on a competitive basis. CASPA's GRE Code is 2122.
Applicants can go to https://www.ets.org/s/cv/gre/at-home/ for more information.
Transcripts: Transcripts are not required until an official offer of admission has been made. At that time applicants must submit an OFFICIAL copy of all transcripts from each University/College attended directly to the FSU College of Medicine Admissions Office.
Florida State University College of Medicine
Enrollment Coordinator - Attn: PA Program
1115 West Call Street
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4300
International Transfer Credit: International transfer credit is awarded for coursework completed at an accredited (recognized) institution of higher learning. No credit is awarded for technical, vocational, or below-college-level coursework, or courses completed with grades below "C." “C-“ will not be accepted. An official course-by-course evaluation is required for all academic records from non-U.S. institutions. We recommend the evaluation be done by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.
English Language Proficiency: Official English Language Proficiency results are required of all international applicants whose native language is not English. The following are the minimum scores required for admission to the Physician Assistant Program.
- Internet based TOEFL (IBTOEFL): 88
- Paper based TOEFL (TOEFL): 570
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS): 7.0
These scores are considered official only when they are sent directly to the Office of Admissions from the testing agency, and are not valid after two years.
Previous Healthcare Experience: A minimum of 500 hours of direct patient care experience is required with additional experience recommended. Direct care is defined as “hands on” patient contact that involves interaction with patients.
Examples of experience that qualify: nursing assistant, EMT, paramedic, nurse (LPN, RN, BSN, NP, CRNA), patient care attendant, athletic trainer, physical therapist, respiratory therapist, x-ray technician, medical assistant, military medical technician/corpsman, international medical graduates, chiropractor, licensed massage therapist, optometrist and pharmacist. Additional examples can be found in the FAQ section of the PA program website.
Examples of experiences that do not qualify for the purposes of admission to the FSU PA Program are: hours obtained by shadowing, experience obtained as student in a healthcare profession, pharmaceutical representative, lifeguard, police officer, firefighter, medical scribe, unit clerk or medical secretary.
Applicants must document experiences on the Direct Patient Care Experience Form. Experiences can be full-time, part-time or volunteer.
Applicants who do not believe they can achieve the minimum 500 hours prior to the time of application can take PA 2054 Introduction to the PA Profession at the FSU or UWF campuses. This course is an exploration of the PA profession. It satisfies the 500-hour requirement, but does not eliminate the need for some patient care experience. For more information, please see the FAQ section of the PA program website.
Professional Recommendations: Applicants must submit at least 3 (three) letters of recommendation and no more than 5 (five). It is suggested that at least one reference should be from a healthcare provider and one should be from a science faculty member who taught the applicant. These letters should be from people who have worked with and know the applicant. References from family members or friends will not be accepted.
Citizenship: All applicants must be US citizens or Permanent Resident Aliens in possession of a “green card.” Those applying as Permanent Resident must submit appropriate documentation to:
Florida State University College of Medicine
ATTN: PA Admissions
1115 W. Call St.
Tallahassee, Florida 32306-4300
Competitive Candidate / Admissions Preference
The Florida State University is an equal opportunity employer and education provider committed to a policy of non-discrimination for any member of the University's community on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, relation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identify, gender expression or any other protected group status. This policy applies to faculty, staff, students, visitors, applicants, contractors and any others who are affiliated with the University in a manner consistent with applicable federal and state laws, regulations, ordinances, orders and rules and University's policies and procedures.
The competitive applicant will have:
- A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited university.
- Greater than a 3.00 cumulative and Math/Science GPA.
- A competitive GRE score.
- Demonstration of excellent critical thinking and interpersonal skills.
- Ability for self-guided learning.
- Prior healthcare experience involving direct patient contact.
- A demonstrated commitment to service.
In addition to the above considerations for admissions and in keeping with the mission of the FSU College of Medicine and the FSU PA Program, the program gives preference to applicants who meet the following criteria.
- Florida Residents. As defined by the FSU Office of Admissions
- Residents of South Georgia and South Alabama whose county border is contiguous with the State of Florida.
- US Military Veterans. US Military Veterans must be a current honorably discharged, or be an Active Duty, National Guard or Reserve member. Proof of service includes a notarized copy of the DD-Form 214, retirement orders or current retiree ID card. Candidates in current active military status must provide a letter from their commander or supervisor attesting for the current active status of the military member and an active ID card.
*ALL INTERESTED APPLICANTS WHO MEET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS REGARDLESS OF RESIDENCY OR MILITARY STATUS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.