Program Overview
What is the mission of the Physician Assistant Studies Program? |
| The Le Moyne College Physician Assistant Program is dedicated to the education of students to become competent, caring, compassionate, and ethical providers of health care services with the supervision of a licensed physician. The program seeks to instill in each individual the desire to pursue a lifelong commitment to promote excellence in the delivery of patient care through continual self-assessment and advancement of one’s medical skills and knowledge.
The program prepares the student to work in a wide variety of settings under the supervision of licensed physicians, such as hospitals, private primary care facilities, nursing homes, and community centers. |
| Is the Le Moyne College PA program accredited? |
| The Le Moyne College Physician Assistant Program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) and the Education Department of the State of New York. |
| What makes the Le Moyne College PA program unique? |
| Le Moyne is one of only a handful of PA programs that presents medical humanities courses as an integral part of training. In conjunction with evidence-based medicine skill acquisition, self-directed learning and resource utilization, the Le Moyne graduate learns to care for the whole person.
Community-service learning moves the student from the classroom to the neighborhoods to facilitate an even greater, deeper understanding of the human condition in the “real world.”
Classes are taught by physicians, licensed health care providers and physician assistants (many are graduates of Le Moyne College), who bring their distinct knowledge and experience to the program. For over 10 years, we have used professional experts from the medical community to enhance both our didactic and clinical year experiences. We have placed our students at over 400 distinct clinical sites throughout Central New York since inception. |
| Upon completion of the program, what degree(s) will I receive? |
| Students completing the PA program will receive a Master of Science (MS). |
| Is there a part-time option for the PA program? |
| There is no part-time option currently available. |
| How much does it cost to attend the PA program? |
Tuition 2011 - 2013
| Fall 2011 |
$11,325 |
| Spring 2012 |
$11,325 |
| Summer 2012 |
$11,767(estimated) |
| Fall 2012 |
$11,767(estimated) |
| Spring 2013 |
$11,767(estimated) |
| Summer 2013 |
$12,226 (estimated) |
| Total Program Tuition |
$70,177 (estimated) |
Estimated First Year Budget 2011 - 2012
| Tuition (Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Summer 2012) |
$34,417 |
| Books and supplies |
$2,500 |
| Equipment (medical equipment, lab coat) |
$1,100 |
| Room & Board |
$14,000 |
| Personal Transportation |
$4,500 |
| Student Parking |
$50 |
| Technology Fee |
$225 |
| Health Insurance* |
$725 |
| Required fees (ACLS and PASS dues) |
$205 |
| Membership Dues (required) |
| NYSSPA 2 year Student Membership (state PA org) |
$60 |
| AAPA 2 year Students Membership (nat'l PA org) |
$75 |
| Total First Year Budget (3 semesters) |
$56,517 |
Estimated Second Year Budget 2012 - 2013
| Tuition (Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Summer 2013) |
$35,760 |
| Books and supplies |
$100 |
| Room & Board |
$14,000 |
| Transportation |
$9,000 |
| Health Insurance * |
$725 |
| Required Fees (Graduation) |
$65 |
| Technology Fee |
$225 |
| Student Parking |
$50 |
| PASS Dues |
$20 |
| Total Second Year Budget |
$59,945 |
*Students may waive enrollment in the Le Moyne student health plan by providing documentation supporting current medical coverage. Please see instructions enclosed with fall semester bill.
Registration, Licensure and Professional Fees
(Post Graduation: varies with location where the graduate chooses to practice. NYS is listed in this example.)
| PANCE (required) |
$475 |
| NY State license registration (required) |
$115 |
| DEA (employer payment possible) |
$551 |
| NYSSPA (Professional Society-optional) |
$150 |
| AAPA (Professional Society-optional) |
$275 |
| Total |
$1, 566 |
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| Is there housing for PA students? |
| Ther is limited campus housing for PA students. |
| What is the PA program's pass rate on the national boards? |
| 
As of 12/10 |
Admission Requirements
What are the prerequisites for the program? |
| Preference will be given to those applicants for the MS program who have completed at least four upper level science courses within the past five years; have fewer than four outstanding prerequisites at the time of application in the Fall with evidence that they will be completed by the end of the Spring semester; have a science GPA of greater than 3.0; and, who have more than 500 hours of patient experience completed at the time of application.
Prerequisites
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.
- GPA of 3.0 or better in science courses, prerequisite courses, and overall.
- Completion of the following courses:
- 2 semesters biology for science majors, with lab
- 4 additional upper level biology courses for science majors, two of which must include lab (Highly recommended courses include cell and molecular biology, microbiology, embryology, and genetics. Recommended courses include mammalian anatomy, mammalian physiology, developmental biology, neurobiology, endocrinology, toxicology, advanced molecular biology, and environmental biology.)
- 2 semesters general chemistry for science majors, with lab
- 1 semester organic chemistry or biochemistry
- 2 semesters selected from one or more of the following: statistics, calculus or physics
- 2 semesters social science (Examples include general psychology, abnormal psychology, lifespan development, environmental psychology, personality, aging and adult development, cross-cultural psychology, health psychology, human sexuality, counseling and psychotherapy, sociology, anthropology)
- 1 semester English composition or technical writing
- Health care experience: 750 hours of paid, or volunteer, or combination direct hands-on care.
- In addition, at least four science courses are to be completed within the past five years.
Accelerated BA/MS or BS/MS Program
The accelerated BA/MS or BS/MS program option offers Le Moyne students the opportunity to complete both bachelor’s and master’s degrees within five years. Students may apply to the master’s program in their junior year. In order to be competitive for this program, an applicant should have minimum overall and science GPAs of 3.2 or better, have completed at least half of the patient contact hours, and have fewer than four science prerequisites to complete at the time of application.
Because of its compressed nature, there is little time for taking elective courses. Therefore, a student with a mature attitude toward learning and life experience will be more competitive.
The BA or BS degree will be granted upon successful completion of Clinical Medicine I, Pharmacology I and II, and Medical Humanities I and II. The MS degree will be granted upon completion of the remainder of the PA program required courses.
Prerequisites
Completion of at least 103 undergraduate credits, including all core and major requirements except the following:
- Senior humanities (6 credits from the PA Program – Medical Humanities Seminars I & II – will be applied to the BA/BS degree)
- 2 biology electives (8 credits from the PA Program – Human Anatomy & Physiology I & II will be applied to the BA/BS degree)
- 4 general electives toward the BS (13 credits from the PA Program – Pharmacology I & II and Clinical Medicine I – will be applied to the BA/BS degree)
Completion of all other requirements (except the baccalaureate degree) listed above. |
| Are all international students required to take TOEFL? |
| TOEFL score of 213 (computer-based exam) or 550 (paper-based exam) or 79 (internet-based exam) is required of all applicants whose native language is not English, with the following exceptions:
- Graduation from an accredited American high school - OR-
- Graduation from an American two- or four-year college or university - OR-
- Completion of 15 graduate credits at an American college or university - OR-
- Completion of 60 undergraduate credits including 6 transferable credits of English at an American college or university
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| When must I complete the prerequisites? |
| An applicant could be considered competitive with fewer than four academic course prerequisites remaining at the time of application. An applicant should also have at least 500 of the 750 required direct patient contact hours completed at the time of application. If an applicant is admitted conditionally with the completion of the prerequisites as the condition, all prerequisites must be finished before the program begins or the applicant must forfeit his/her place in the program. |
| Is the GRE required? |
| No entrance exams are required. |
| Is prior healthcare experience required? |
| Yes. An applicant must have at least 750 hours of direct patient contact experience. Both number of hours and quality of that experience are weighed when considering an application. The more “hands-on” activities are considered higher quality (such as patient care assistant, nursing assistant, EMT, etc.) than less “hands-on” activities (pharmacy tech, receptionist, medical records). Experience may be paid or volunteer. It is extremely important to provide a detailed description on your CASPA application to assure that you are given appropriate credit.
Healthcare experience must be verified by a letter from the supervisor, preferably on letterhead from the office, institution, or organization. A simple statement of the position, number of hours completed, and dates of service should be included. The letter should be addressed to the Office of Graduate Admission, ATTN: PA Program, Le Moyne College, 1419 Salt Springs Road, Syracuse, NY 13214.
Applicants frequently ask what will count toward the patient contact hours. The following is intended as a guide only and is not all-inclusive.
Highest Quality
These experiences require a high level of decision making and intensive hands-on responsibility for which 100% of the total hours will count toward the prerequisite hours.
Examples include, but are not limited to the following:
- Licensed or certified health care professional
- Physical therapist
- Athletic trainer
- Mental health worker; counselor
- Dentist
- Paramedic or EMT
- Corpsman
- Nurse/Nursing Assistant/Nurse’s Aid
- Home health aid
- Peace Corps volunteer, (in a health care related assignment),or other cross-cultural health care experience
Moderate Quality
These experiences require a moderate level of decision making and moderate hands-on responsibility for which 50% of the total hours will count toward the prerequisite hours.
Examples include, but are not limited to the following:
- Health care related internship or training
- Bench research with a medical component
- Orderly
Low Quality
These experiences require a low level of decision making and minimal hands-on responsibility for which 10% of the total hours will count toward the prerequisite hours.
Examples include, but are not limited to the following:
- Shadowing physician, PA, or nurse practitioner
- Medical records
- Lifeguard
Related Humanitarian Experiences
These experiences are evaluated on case-by-case basis.
Examples include:
- Shelters (Homeless, Halfway, Battered women, etc.)
- Volunteer experiences (Soup kitchens, crisis hotlines, food pantry)
- Literacy volunteer
- Red Cross volunteer
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| Why does Le Moyne require health care experience as an admission requirement? |
| Applicants need to be sure they like working with sick or special-needs populations. |
Can I transfer into your program?
|
| The Le Moyne College Physician Assistant Studies Program does not grant advance placement, give credit for PAS courses or accept transfer of credit for PA courses. Previous health care experience is required, but no credit will be awarded for that experience. |
| Do you give preference to New York State residents? |
| New York State residents are not given admission preference. Le Moyne College is a private educational institution. Tuition costs are the same for all graduate students in the Physician Assistant Program. |
| Can I apply to the program if I do not have a bachelor’s degree? |
| An applicant could have already earned a bachelor’s degree or will earn one by the time the program begins in August.
In addition, we offer an accelerated bachelor’s/master’s degree program where an exceptional Le Moyne College junior working towards a bachelor’s degree in biology may apply to the master’s program without an earned bachelor’s degree. If admitted, the student completes the bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years. |
Application Process
What is the application deadline? |
Application must be electronically submitted to the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) by October 1st. You should complete your CASPA application approximately 2-4 weeks prior to the program’s deadline so that there is time for CASPA to forward the materials to Le Moyne College and for Le Moyne College to send and receive back the supplemental application.
Click for link to addition admission information.
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| How many students are enrolled each fall? |
| An average of 35-40 students. |
| How do I apply? |
| You must apply to the program through the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). *** LINK TO CASPA. **** |
| Is there a supplemental application? |
| Le Moyne College has an online supplemental application. There is no additional fee for the supplemental application. We will send you the link to the supplemental application once we receive your completed and verified application from CASPA. |
| When are interviews? |
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| What does the interview include? |
| The interview day begins with an orientation to the program followed by a group interview, individual interview and a written essay. A campus and facilities tour along with time to meet with current students is also scheduled. |
| What are the selection factors? |
| The program seeks to admit dedicated learners who have an understanding of the PA profession, a demonstrated commitment to learning, a mature attitude, a willingness to embrace cultural diversity, strong communication skills, and an enthusiasm for caring for the ill. These factors are evaluated through the CASPA application, academic performance, letters of reference, patient contact experience and on-campus interview. |
Program Format
When does the PA program start? |
| PA Program classes begin near the end of August each year. However, we do require completion of a summer Medical Terminology workbook and some reading assignments to prepare for fall coursework. |
| Does the PA program offer a part-time or distance learning program? |
| We do not offer a part-time option or distance learning courses. |
| Will I be able to work while I am a student? |
| Employment while a student is in the Le Moyne College Physician Assistant Studies Program is strongly discouraged due to the intensity of the program and the time constraints of the curriculum. |
| Do I need to declare a specialty before entering the program? After the program? |
| PA Students do not declare a medical specialty at any time nor need to enroll in a post-graduate internship or residency (although post-graduate residencies are available). The intense training students undergo helps prepare them to work in any number of medical specialties. |
What is problem-based learning (PBL)?
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| PBL is designed to help our students develop clinical reasoning skills using patient scenarios. Le Moyne combines traditional lecture-based classes with student-oriented medical provider facilitated group learning along with self-study. This is to help students develop proficiency in conducting histories and physicals as well as applying their medical knowledge to patient scenarios. |
| What is the didactic year like? |
| The didactic curriculum consists of several learning formats. However, the overarching philosophy of the entire program is the bio-psycho-social approach to patient care.
One aspect of our active learning is referred to as “problem-based.” This specific component emphasizes student-centered, rather than teacher-centered education. Case review and analysis sharpens clinical skills in a safe learning environment.
Lectures, seminars and discussion groups are blended with laboratory exercises and “hands-on” physical examination skills to round out the first-year experience. |
| What does a typical week in the didactic year look like? |
| Students are usually on campus 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. They spend their days in a mixture of traditional lectures in classes such as Clinical Medicine, Pharmacology, Anatomy and Physiology, and Research Seminar, as well as hands-on classes such as the laboratory portion of Clinical Medicine or Anatomy & Physiology, or group-involved courses, such as Problem-Based Learning or their Service Learning Activity. Time out of class is used for studying or practicing skills learned during the day. |
What is the clinical year like?
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| In the second year, emphasis is placed on developing a solid, pragmatic foundation for day-to-day practice by providing patient care under the close supervision of a board-certified (or eligible) physician and licensed health care providers.
Multiple sites are utilized and multiple specialties are represented. Le Moyne strives to ensure students have exposure to a variety of sites including those in public, private, urban, suburban and rural locations. Each rotation examines the concepts of “health and wellness” in various settings and in ways that uniquely sensitive to the prevailing cultural climate.
In addition, students continue working on their Master’s Project and Professional Skills coursework.
Our program prepares students to become lifelong learners and helps promote a more just society. |
| What are the clinical rotations like in the PA program? |
Students complete eight rotations: Adult, Pediatric, Women’s Health, Surgery, (General, and Elective), Emergency Medicine, Behavioral Medicine, (Psychiatry and Gerontology/Long-term care) and a Medicine Elective. Students will generally be assigned to sites located within a 75 mile radius from Syracuse but may also be assigned to sites at a distance. The PA program strives to maintain sites that give the best clinical educational experiences. Students may be allowed to develop their own elective sites, and may request specific sites. The Clinical Coordinator works with students to develop individualized rotation schedules to meet the student’s needs and to fulfill the requirements of the program. Students are responsible for all costs associated with transportation and housing.
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| Are there any international training sites? |
| There are currently no students participating in an international training site, but the program is investigating the potential. If a student has a special interest in international medicine, the program will work with the student to develop an appropriate rotation. |
Financing your Education
Is financial aid available? |
| Most students in the PA program finance their education through loans. There are a variety of grants, loans, and scholarships available to PA students. Please contact the Financial Aid Office at 445-4400 or financialaid@lemoyne.edu for further details. |
| Where can I get information about financial aid? |
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Pre and Post Graduation
When can a student sit for the board exam? |
| A student is eligible to take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) after graduating from a PA program that is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). The earliest a student can take the PANCE is seven days after completing the PA program assuming that the program has certified the student to graduate. |
| What kind of salary can a PA graduate expect? |
| According to the 2008 AAPA Physician Assistant Census Survey, the mean salary for a PA with less than one year of experience is $76,232. The average for PA’s with experience who work at least 32 hours per week is $89,987. These salaries will vary by state and region. |