Yes. The GRE exam is required of each applicant.

Yes. FMGs and graduates of foreign institutions may apply through the same on-line CASPA application process as US graduates. However, transcripts MUST be evaluated and a US equivalency must be determined. This evaluation may be performed by any of the services listed in our Admissions Section. This evaluation of the foreign transcript must be sent to CASPA prior to completing the online CASPA application to ensure it is sent with the initial CASPA-generated profile to the MSHS PA Program.

While it is not required, we strongly recommend that the prerequisite coursework be completed at a US college or university.

The preclinical phase is approximately 10 months in duration. It is comprised of three semesters. There is a one-week break between each semester and several holidays.

Classes start during the last week of March. This begins with an orientation week with a white coat ceremony.

The course of study at the WCMC PA Program is extremely demanding and requires a significant amount of time and attention, therefore we do not encourage employment during your matriculation in the MSHS PA Program.

Classes are scheduled Monday through Friday generally between 8:00am-6:00pm. There may be some classes that extend until 8:00pm. This intensive schedule provides opportunity to cover a significant amount of material in a short period of time. The coursework is intense and requires that students come prepared having read for the lecture in advance. Lectures are often given with the support of PowerPoint presentation formats and procedural videos. All students have access to a student website (Blackboard.com) where lecture material is posted for downloading. Learning is also facilitated through lab experience and Problem Based Learning (PBL) sessions.
Students are also exposed to various clinical settings through a process called Clinical Exposure and Experiences (CEEs). During the CEEs sessions, students are introduced to specialty practice settings as well as meet with various PA's and healthcare providers in clinical practice. Throughout the preclinical phase, students have regularly scheduled patient encounters where they practice history-taking and physical examination skills.
When not in class, many students take advantage of all the unique opportunities to be found in New York City: the theater, amazing parks, museums, unique restaurants, recreation, and more. Some of the more exciting attractions include: Radio City Music Hall, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museums, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The American Museum of Natural History, Madison Square Garden, Yankee Stadium, and Citi Field. Many restaurants and shops of every kind are also just blocks away.

A highlight of the preclinical year is the cadaver dissection. Here, small groups of PA students learn anatomy by dissection under the tutelage of the Anatomy department faculty. There are also clinical skills labs where bedside procedures are taught, including wound care, venous access, bladder catheters, etc. Students learn Physical Diagnosis skills using a PA student partner as well as professional models and simulators.

Within the first two months of starting PA school, students spend time, almost every week, rotating on the wards (performing histories and physicals), in the operating room (observing, then participating as appropriate) or observing specialty care in affiliate institutions including NewYork Hospital. Students greatly appreciate the ability to apply their new skills in a real environment. Students are observed and receive faculty feedback to improve their skills.

Most of your instructors will be the core faculty of the MSHS PA Program as well as faculty of the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences and Weill Cornell Medical College. PA's who are experts in their field are also invited to give select lectures to current students. As a PA Program with more than 30 years of experience, the teaching base is strong, committed, and well respected.

No. All Students must successfully complete and pass all preclinical courses to be considered for promotion to the clinical phase of the Program.

Just some of the strengths of the preclinical coursework include active and innovative hands on learning (a wide variety of different laboratory sessions), well established base of faculty and instructors (supporting more than a 30 year track record of success), and early patient contact. This is all supported by the amazing resources of the Weill Cornell Medical College and its affiliates, which include the New York Presbyterian Hospital, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and The Hospital for Special Surgery. Weill Cornell Medical College is among the top-ranked clinical and medical research centers in the country.

The clinical phase is 16 months in duration. (Total duration includes rotations, vacation time and holiday breaks).

Each clinical rotation is 4 (four) weeks in duration. There are 15 (fifteen) clinical rotations.

Yes. These “external rotations” may be approved on an individual basis.

Yes. The MSHS PA Program has affiliations with other institutions throughout the NYC area as well as in several other states. Students are assigned to these rotations regularly. External rotations may be approved on an individual basis, based on availability, and agreements between the MSHS Program and said institutions.

There are 10 (ten) required clinical rotations. They include the following: Internal Medicine (x2), Surgery (x2), Pediatrics, Primary Care, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine and an equally divided rotation in Psychiatry/Geriatrics (2 weeks each).

There are 5 (five) elective rotations in a variety of medical and surgical environments and specialties.

Some examples of elective rotations include: Orthopedic surgery, Trauma, Burn Center, Breast Surgery, Cardiothoracic (CT) Surgery, Neurosurgery, Plastic Surgery, Transplant Surgery, Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU), Interventional Cardiology and Oncological Surgery. Some students have completed elective rotations in Forensic Medicine and HIV/Infectious Disease.

Yes. At the end of each clinical rotation there are meetings at the MSHS PA Program classroom. A course in directed and applied research is offered throughout the clinical phase at End of Rotation (EOR) meetings as well as through an on line format. This coursework supports each student as they develop and complete the research project. These meetings also include student and faculty presentations on a variety of topics. Boards review sessions are scheduled as well.