FAQ

All applications must go through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). Applications sent directly to the college will not be accepted.

No.

Yes, fees are to paid to CASPA.

Responses are sent between September and December.

Yes, a bachelor’s degree is required for matriculation into the program. Applicants may apply during their senior year as long as they have completed all prerequisites and expect to complete their bachelor’s degree prior to entering the program the following July.

No, you are required to have a bachelor’s degree.

To view the admission criteria for our Physician Assistant program, please visit our admission requirements page.

We will not consider your application if your GPA does not meet our minimum requirements. It is recommended that you take additional courses in order to strengthen your knowledge and your GPA before you apply.

If you graduated from high school in a country where English is not the official language AND English is not your first language, you must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) OR the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) that are no more than two years old. In general, a TOEFL score of 570 (paper-based version) or 230 (computer-based version), 88/89 (internet-based version) or an IELTS score of 6.0 is sufficient to demonstrate the requisite proficiency in English for admission directly into Pace University’s academic programs.

No, we do not require the GRE for application to our program.

To view the minimum prerequisite course requirements for our Physician Assistant program, please visit our academic prerequisites page.

No, all prerequisites must be completed and the grade reflected on your transcript at the time of submission, otherwise your application would be flagged as “does not meet minimum requirements”.

This is a 26 month, full-time program.

The program starts annually in July.

It is strongly discouraged. This is an intense, full-time program. You should be prepared to be on campus all day Monday through Friday if you are accepted.

As one of the electives, an international clerkship is available and is coordinated through Child Family Health International (CFHI). Students are responsible for the extra costs incurred by electing to participate in an international rotation. Information addressing travel, housing and other expenses can be located on the CFHI website.

No, you are not guaranteed an interview if you meet the minimum requirements. Your chance of being invited to interview increases depending on how competitive your application is in comparison to the applicant pool that year.

Admitted and enrolling students are required to provide official, sealed transcripts for any coursework or degree that were in‐progress at the time of CASPA e‐submission. All other documents will be retrieved directly from CASPA by a member of the Admission Operations team. For reference, official transcripts can be submitted in one of the following ways:

• Electronically: Pace University participates with several electronic transcripts networks: Credentials, Parchment Exchange, National Student Clearing House, and eSCRIP‐SAFE. Whenever possible, Pace prefers to receive transcripts electronically. Confirm with the prior institution to determine if they participate in any of these networks. If a send‐to email address is required, please use graduateadmission@pace.edu.
• Via Mail: Hardcopy transcripts should be addressed to Pace University Graduate Admissions Office, One Pace Plaza, New York, NY 10038

If you used an Advanced Placement Exam Score to fulfill a prerequisite course requirement, you must also request for an official score report to be sent directly from the CollegeBoard.

No, all prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade prior to the e-submission of the CASPA application.

All prerequisite courses must have been completed within the past 10 years.

No, your application will be flagged as “does not meet minimum requirements” since all requirements including patient care experience hours must be completed before the application is submitted.

No, it does not. The program requires a minimum of 200 hours of direct, hands-on patient care experience for the application to be considered. Shadowing experience may be helpful for developing a better understanding of the PA profession, but it does not fulfill this requirement.

Direct patient care experience is a job, internship, or volunteer position that involves providing hands-on care to patients. Examples include but are not limited to: EMT/paramedic, patient care assistant, medical assistant, phlebotomist, home health aide, and medical scribe.

Seats in the PA program are limited. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee a seat in the PA program. The Physician Assistant Program Admissions Committee will admit candidates who meet the admission requirements, are granted an interview, and present the best overall profile evidenced in these areas.

Students should monitor their application status via their CASPA Dashboard until the program application deadline. For instructions, please reference the Checking Your CASPA Notifications and Status page. Should you have questions after the deadline, please contact the Office of Graduate Admission at graduateadmission@pace.edu or (212) 346-1531.

A notification will be sent using the email address you provided on CASPA. Please ensure this email address is updated and correct.

Interview spots are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. It is recommended that you select an interview date promptly after receiving an invite. Please keep in mind that interview dates cannot be changed once selected.

Responses indicating whether you are accepted, waitlisted, or rejected will be sent as soon as possible.

If you are on the waitlist, there is nothing else you can do to increase your chances of being offered a seat.

There is no set time as to if or when you will be removed from the waitlist. It is dependent on the number of seats that become available prior to the start of the program in July and where you are ranked on the list.

Pace University-Lenox Hill Hospital PA program (NYC) does not allow accepted students to defer their admission seat.

View tuition and other costs.

The Pace University-Lenox Hill Hospital Physician Assistant program (NYC) is fully accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). The program is a member of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA). The program is registered by the New York State Department of Education.

You are not required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors.

The first two months of the program, starting in July, are remote. Please keep in mind these are full-time and synchronous. Classes are held on-campus starting in September, after Labor Day.

Students who complete all requirements of the program will receive a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS) and a certificate of completion from Lenox Hill Hospital.

Graduates are eligible to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE). Successful completion of this exam awards graduates a Physician Assistant Certification. This certification is required for employment on a national level.

In addition to obtaining certification, students must register as a physician assistant on the state level. Each state has specific requirements for physician assistants and prospective candidates must fill out an application. PAs working in New York State need to complete an application through the New York State Department of Education.

Although the PA Program does not maintain a formal job placement service, the Program receives requests from prospective employers throughout the year and happily passes the information to our graduates. In addition, students make contacts during the clinical clerkships, which assist in their job search.

Physician Assistants must log 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years and take the recertification exam every 10 years in order to maintain their certification and licensure.