Department of Biomedical Sciences

As medical providers, physician assistants perform physical examinations, order laboratory and diagnostic testing, make diagnoses and prescribe medicines to treat various diseases with the supervision of a physician.

The mission of the Quinnipiac University entry-level master's physician assistant program is to begin the education and preparation of masters-level physician assistants who practice with physicians and other members of the health care team. The program has been designed to benefit from faculty expertise in both the graduate and undergraduate divisions as well as practitioners from a variety of clinical specialties. These collaborative strategies are intended to prepare graduates to enter the physician assistant profession and ultimately become outstanding health care providers.

The program offers the qualified pre-physician assistant student the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree in the physician assistant program at Quinnipiac. The program is divided into a four-year pre-professional component and a 27-month professional component. To progress to the professional phase, all ELMPA courses must be completed within four years. Following successful completion of the pre-professional component, students receive a BS in health science studies.

This program is not available to undergraduate transfer students.

Watch a video about the ELMPA program on the University's YouTube Channel.

The program offers the qualified pre-physician assistant student the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree in the physician assistant program at Quinnipiac. The program is divided into a four-year pre-professional component and a 27-month professional component. Following successful completion of the pre-professional component, students receive a BS in health science studies.

The pre-professional component provides students with a well-rounded education and a strong focus in biological and health science studies. This very structured and organized undergraduate program not only prepares students for the rigors of the professional component of the program, but also introduces students to the role and responsibilities of physician assistants. The program addresses the need for medical experience by providing students with emergency medical technician (EMT) training as well as extensive time “shadowing” and “mentoring” with practicing physician assistants. EMT ride time and shadowing experiences take place at off-campus sites, generally within 50 miles of the Mount Carmel Campus. Students are responsible for transportation to and from all off-campus sites. In addition, students must meet specific program health requirements for participation in the shadowing experiences.

Initial evaluation of the pre-physician assistant student by the Review and Evaluation Committee takes place at the end of the spring semester of the second year. To continue in the program, students must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and a minimum cumulative science grade point average of 3.0. Following the initial evaluation, students are evaluated after completion of each semester. Failure to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and a minimum cumulative science grade point average of 3.0 results in dismissal from the program. In addition, a minimum GPA (both cumulative and science) is required for participation in clinical affiliations.

By the beginning of the fourth year, students are required to have accumulated at least 1,000 hours of documented direct patient contact through summer paid and/or volunteer experiences (e.g., certified nurse’s aide, phlebotomy technician, emergency room technician). While patient contact hours must be pre-approved by program faculty, students are responsible for making their own arrangements to obtain these clinical hours.

Admission to the Program
Candidates applying for admission to the entry-level master’s physician assistant program are required to have: a minimum of three years of high school mathematics including geometry, algebra and precalculus; one year of biology; one year of chemistry and one year of physics. In addition, advanced electives in the biological sciences are recommended. Related health care experience is highly desirable.

Prospective candidates must also satisfy the admission requirements of Quinnipiac. Transfer students are not admitted to the entry-level master’s physician assistant program. Admission into the pre-professional component of the program does not guarantee admission into the professional component of the program. Please see the physician assistant program curriculum in the Graduate Studies section of the catalog for information relative to the professional component of the program. Applicants to the program must be able to meet the technical standards set forth by the graduate physician assistant program.

Fall Semester, First Year
Course	Title	Credits
BIO 101	General Biology I (UC)	4
EN 101	Elements of Composition I (UC)	3
MA 141	Calculus of a Single Variable (UC)	3
CHE 110	General Chemistry I	4
QU 101	The Individual in the Community	3
		Total 17

Spring Semester, First Year
Course	Title	Credits
BIO 102	General Biology II (UC)	4
EN 102	Elements of Composition II (UC)	3
UC	Fine Arts, Humanities or Social Science	3
CHE 111	General Chemistry II	4
PY 104	Orientation to PA Seminar I	1
		Total 15

Summer I -- Clinical Hours

Fall Semester, Second Year
Course	Title	Credits
BIO 211	Anatomy & Physiology I	4
CHE 210	Organic Chemistry I	4
PHY 110	General Physics	4
PY 388	Clinical Training I (EMT)*	3
		Total 15

Spring Semester, Second Year
Course	Title	Credits
BIO 212	Anatomy & Physiology II	4
CHE 211	Organic Chemistry II	4
PY 397	Pre-Health Clinical Affiliation	3
PY 389	Clinical Training II (EMT)*	3
QU 201	Seminar on National Community	3
		Total 17

Summer II -- Clinical Hours

Fall Semester, Third Year
Course	Title	Credits
BIO/BMS	Core science elective	4
BMS 318	Pathophysiology	3
BMS 370	General Microbiology	4
UC	Fine Arts, Humanities or Social Science	3
UC	Fine Arts, Humanities or Social Science	3
		Total 17

Spring Semester, Third Year
Course	Title	Credits
BMS 203	Introduction to Medical Terminology	2
BMS 304 or CHE 315/L	Biological Chemistry	3-4
BIO/BMS	Core science elective	3-4
PY 400	Pre-Physician Assistant Clerkship	3
QU 301	Seminar on Global Community	3
		Total 14-16

Summer III -- Clinical Hours

Fall Semester, Fourth Year
Course	Title	Credits
BIO/BMS	Science elective	3-4
BIO/BMS	Core science elective	3-4
PY 401	Introduction to Clinical Problem Solving	3
BMS 200	UC Elective (Biology of Aging)	3
UC	Fine Arts, Humanities or Social Science (UC)	3
		Total 15-17

Spring Semester, Fourth Year
Course	Title	Credits
PY 204	Orientation to PA Seminar II	1
BMS 332	Histology	4
BIO/BMS	Science elective	3-4
UC	UC elective	3
UC	Fine Arts, Humanities or Social Science	3
		Total 14-15

Total number of credits required for completion of the preprofessional component: 122
* If student has current EMT licensure on admission to the program, two additional science electives are taken in place of PY 388 and PY 389.

Students who have earned Advanced Placement credit or other college credit in an introductory-level science course are encouraged to still take BIO 101/102 and CHE 110/111 at Quinnipiac. Students opting out of those courses are required to take the equivalent number of hours at a higher level in the same area of course work. Students with AP credits in non-science courses may elect to take only 14 credits in the fall semester of the first year.

Acceptable Core Science Electives (must take at least three of the following)
BIO 350 Cardiovascular Physiology
BMS 310 Neuroanatomy
BMS 320 Pharmacology
BMS 325 Toxicology
BMS 330 Endocrine Physiology
BMS 372 Pathogenic Microbiology
BMS 375 or HSC 375 Immunology

Additional Science Electives - take two courses (can choose from core science electives or from this list)
BIO 282 or BIO 471 Genetics
BIO 298 Research Methods in Biology
BIO 328 Human Clinical Parasitology
BIO 329 Neurobiology
BIO 346 Cell Physiology
BMS 378 Vaccines and Vaccine Preventable Diseases
BMS 473 Infections of Leisure or BMS 474 Power of Plagues
BMS 482 Independent Study
BMS 595 Transplantation Immunology

Acceptable UC/Social Sciences
PS 101 Introduction to Psychology
PS 232 The Concept of Personality and Its Development
PS 261 Social Psychology
PS 262 Psychology of Women
PS 272 Abnormal Psychology
SO 101 Introduction to Sociology
SO 280 Illness and Disability

Acceptable UC elective Outside Major
BMS 200 Biology of Aging