Physician Assistant Scholars

The Physician Assistant Scholars Program is an exclusive opportunity for outstanding high school students applying to Saint Louis University, to be guaranteed an interview with the graduate-level SLU PA program in senior year. It requires the PA scholar to be on track for graduation from Saint Louis University with a qualifying degree and ongoing compliance with the SLU PA scholars criteria and the PA program admission requirements.

The PA scholars program does not guarantee acceptance into the graduate-level PA program but successful PA scholars will be granted an interview with the SLU PA program in their senior year. It is a major accomplishment for any applicant to reach the interview stage of the PA program admissions process; PA scholars essentially bypass the entire first round of this process! And the interview step is a critical requirement for potential acceptance into the PA program.

Does the PA scholars program ...

• ... shorten the length of time I spend in school? No, the length of time does not change.
• ... allow current SLU students to apply? No, this program is for high school students applying for admission to SLU.
• ... allow a change in majors? Yes, as long as PA program admission requirements and pre-requisite courses are met and there is continued compliance with the scholars’ criteria as well.
• ... allow for various undergraduate majors and degrees? Yes, any SLU major will work as long as PA program admission requirements and pre-reqs are met and there is continued compliance with the Scholars’ criteria as well. A qualifying degree is typically a bachelor degree though sometimes a master’s degree or bachelor plus accredited internship aligns better in certain disciplines (for example, athletic training or nutrition and dietetics).
• ... offer guaranteed admission into the PA program? No, it offers a guaranteed interview in senior year to successful PA scholars who continue to meet scholars’ progression criteria and PA program admission requirements and pre-requisites.

Should PA scholars fail to meet any of the progression requirements (see below), they will not be allowed to maintain PA scholar status and will no longer have a guaranteed interview. However, students in this position are welcome to apply to the SLU PA program through the standard pathway (like other non-scholar applicants), if they meet the PA program prerequisite coursework and admission requirements.

Application Requirements for High School Students

As well as applying to Saint Louis University, requirements for high school students applying to the SLU PA scholars program include:

• 3.5 GPA, weighted or unweighted
• Application completed by Dec. 1 of senior year of high school
• PA scholars application essay (limit 300 words)
  • Describe the path that led you to your interest in the PA profession.
  • What do you know about yourself, and what have you learned, seen and done that confirms this choice?

Any SLU major is acceptable. Many PA scholars will earn a degree in a Doisy College of Health Sciences major or in biology or chemistry. However, any degree is acceptable as long as PA scholars criteria and PA program admission requirements and prerequisite coursework are completed successfully

Progression Requirements as a SLU Undergraduate Student

Each SLU PA scholar must:

• Enroll at Saint Louis University as a full-time undergraduate student and maintain continuous enrollment.
• Complete a bachelor’s degree within four years.
• Complete all PA program admission requirements and complete prerequisite coursework at Saint Louis University. (Medical Terminology is an exception and may be taken elsewhere.)
• Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and attain a 3.3 cumulative GPA by the end of junior year that is maintained through the end of your studies at SLU.
• Maintain a science GPA of 3.3 by the end of junior year that is maintained through the end of your studies at SLU.
• Submit an application through the Centralized Application Service for PAs (CASPA) by Aug. 1st before the start of senior year.
  • The CASPA application requires detail on courses and patient care hours, two essays and three letters of reference, at least one of which should be from a health care provider (PA, MD, DO, NP) who has worked with the applicant.
• Complete a minimum of 500 hours of patient care experience prior to submission of the CASPA application (by Aug. 1) before the start of senior year.
• Have no more than three outstanding prerequisite courses at the time of CASPA application.

View SLU PA Course Requirements

SLU PA Frequently Asked Questions