Frequently Asked Questions
General Admissions
- Q: Does Yale require a supplementary application?
A: Yes. All students are required to submit a supplemental application by the September 1st deadline.
- Q: Does Yale offer a supplemental application fee waiver?
- A: Yes. Applicants who received a CASPA fee waiver are eligible for a supplemental application fee waiver. Visit the supplemental application portal and follow the steps to submit your fee waiver documentation.
- Q: When does the program begin?
A new class enters the Yale PA Program every August.
- Q: What is the deadline for application?
A: Applicants must e-submit their CASPA application by 11:59pm EST on September 1st. Applications must be verified (GPA calculated) and complete by October 1st.
- Q: Will I be subject to a background check?
A: Yes. All incoming students must consent to a background assessment prior to matriculation.
- Q: Does Yale rank applicants based on the university they attended?
- A: No. Each application is reviewed on its own merit and we do not maintain a university ranking system.
- Q: I am a history major at a local university. Do I need to get a second degree in the sciences in order to apply to your program?
A: No. We do not have a specified list of majors required for admission. However, we do have specific prerequisites that should be carefully reviewed prior to applying for the program.
- Q: I completed my undergraduate course work at a university outside the United States. How will you evaluate my transcripts?
A: You must submit your transcripts and credentials to the World Education Service for an official course-by-course evaluation and degree conferral authentication.
- Q: Do you accept undergraduate degrees from a foreign institution?
A: If your credentials have been deemed comparable to an undergraduate degree by World Education Service, we do accept the coursework. International students must complete one year of education in the United States, Great Britain or Canada prior to application.
- Q: Do I need to take the TOEFL?
A: Anyone whose first language is not English and has not completed a degree in the United States, Great Britain or Canada is required to take the TOEFL.
- Q: I am trained as a physician from a country outside the United States who has been unable to complete the USMLE examinations. How do I apply to your program?
A: Unfortunately, you are not eligible to apply. Yale does not accept applications from individuals who have completed their medical training as physicians.
- Q: I completed one year of medical school and would like to apply to your program. Am I eligible for matriculation?
A: While we do not accept applications from physicians who have completed their medical school training, we do accept applications from individuals who started medical school but for a variety of reasons did not complete their training.
- Q: Does Yale offer information sessions or open houses?
A: No. We do not run in-person information sessions. If you have questions relating your specific situation please email pa.program@yale.edu.
Admissions Process
- Q: When will I be notified that my application is complete and has been forwarded to the Admissions Committee?
A: You will receive an email when both your supplemental application and your verified CASPA application are received by Yale.
- Q: By what date will Yale inform me of the invitation to interview for the PA program?
A: It is our goal to extend interview invitations one month prior to the scheduled interview dates. Interviews typically occur in October and November during the admissions cycle.
- Q: Do you conduct virtual or in-person admissions interviews?
- A: We conduct virtual interviews.
Official GRE Test Scores
- Q: Do you require the GRE?
The Yale PA Program requires the GRE general test. Click here for information on how to register. We accept the at-home or test center option. When reporting scores, please use the CASPA code: 3983. We recommend applicants complete the GRE by August 15th to allow time for CASPA to receive the scores.
- How far back will Yale accept GRE Scores?
Five years
- Q:Will Yale accept the MCAT?
A: No. All applicants are expected to complete the GRE. The institution code is 3983.
- Q: The Educational Testing Service (ETS) keeps the scores for only five years. I took the GRE prior to that. Do I need to retake the GRE?
A: Yes. The GRE is a required component and the Program will only consider official test scores.
- Q: I have a graduate degree and would like an exemption from taking the GRE.
A: In an effort to ensure fair admissions practices, we do not waive GRE requirements for any applicant.
- Q: What is the minimum score required on the GRE?
A: We do not have a minimum score on any specific section of the GRE, however, to remain a competitive applicant we do recommend scores above the 50th percentile on each of the three sections.
- Q: What is the latest date for taking the Graduate Record Examination?
A: We recommend that all GRE examinations be scheduled by August 15th. Only fully verified and completed applications are reviewed by the Admissions Committee.
Prerequisites
- Q: Due to COVID-19 my institution is now mandating coursework be completed as pass/fail. Will you still accept the course?
Yes. We recognize some applicants may have science coursework (including prerequisites) that are now pass/fail. Although we strongly encourage applicants to complete a course and earn a traditional grade, we will accept pass/fail coursework for classes completed from spring 2020 – spring 2022.
This policy only applies to applicants studying at an institution requiring students to complete coursework as pass/fail. Please keep in mind pass/fail coursework does not factor into the science GPA or prerequisite GPA calculation.
For more information please email pa.program@yale.edu.
- Q: I have taken organic chemistry twice because my first grade was a "C." When calculating the GPA do you use the first grade or the second grade?
A: Since the science grade point average includes all science course work, it would use both organic chemistry grades in the calculation.
- Q: Is the science GPA calculated using only the courses that fulfill prerequisite requirements or from the entire transcript of science courses?
A: The science GPA is calculated using the entire transcript(s) of science courses.
- Q: I did poorly in my undergraduate science course work and have maintained a very high GPA in my post-baccalaureate studies. Can Yale consider only my post-baccalaureate studies GPA since the grades are more representative of my current knowledge base?
A: No. The science GPA is calculated using grades from the undergraduate and post-graduate periods.
- Q: If I took my biology and chemistry courses more than ten years ago, am I required to retake the science prerequisites?
A: No. We do not require that the science courses be taken within a certain timeframe relative to the application. When the admissions committee reviews the application, the members will assess the applicant's familiarity with the prerequisite subjects in general.
- Q: My last prerequisite for Yale's program will be completed this fall. Will this date disqualify me as an applicant?
A: No. A maximum of 1 prerequisite course may be "in progress" at the time you submit your application. That course must be completed by December 31st with a grade of "B" or better.
- Q: I am working this year, trying to fulfill the work experience hours required by many PA programs. How many hours do I need to complete prior to submitting my application?
A: While Yale does not require a set number of health care hours, having experience does make the applicant more competitive. Most individuals that apply to our program have on average 1900 patient care hours.
- Q: How does Yale define "direct patient care?"
A: Direct patient care means hands-on patient experience. Preference is given to applicants with more hands-on experience. Roles in this area include but are not limited to experience as an EMT, Paramedic, RN, Medical Assistant, CNA, ER Tech, and Physical Therapy Aide. Healthcare experience with underserved populations is highly valued.
- Q: Do you accept Advanced Placement (AP) credits?
- A: We do not accept AP credits for prerequisite coursework. AP credits for non-prerequisite coursework are accepted, however, they will not factor into your overall GPA or science GPA.
- Q: Do you accept courses taken online or at a community college?
- A: Yes. Coursework may be completed at community colleges, institutions from which the applicant has not received a degree, and regionally accredited online institutions.
Fin Aid & Community Service
- Is financial aid available to PA students?
Yes, student financial aid is based on demonstrated financial need.
- Are there mandatory community service requirements at Yale?
No, we encourage community volunteer opportunities but there is no specific requirement. Many students choose to volunteer with the HAVEN Free Clinic or the Community Health van.
Global Health
- Do Yale students travel abroad for clinical rotations?
Yes, we have clinical rotation sites in Peru, Uganda, and Spain. Students must apply and be selected for these rotation sites.
- What is the global health elective?
A joint project between the PA and medical students, the global health elective meets every other week in the evening. Experts in the field of health in resource challenged regions of the world provide the lecture content.
- What is the Downs Fellowship?
The Wilbur J. Downs Fellowship provides students at the medical center the opportunity to travel abroad to perform research. More information can be found at the YSPH website.
In the past three years, six PA students have been selected as Downs Fellows.
Curriculum
- Does the program curriculum follow a problem-based learning pedagogy?
The School of Medicine and thus the PA Program utilize traditional lectures to introduce topics relevant to medical practice. Seminar and laboratory sessions throughout the didactic phase enhance the comprehension and practical application of the basic and medical sciences.
- Does the cadaver laboratory offer prosected cadavers?
PA students, in the state-of-the-art anatomy laboratory, dissect a full cadaver as a part of the anatomy course. While this is time consuming, we find that the psychomotor skill development aids students during their surgery rotation.
- What simulation opportunities exist for the PA student training at Yale?
Prior to rotations, students participate in several procedure labs that serve to prepare them for their clinical rotation experience. New this year, students will learn surgical skills in the small animal laboratory. In the clinical phase several of the rotations use simulation cases to improve student learning.
- Can I do clinical rotations in any area of the country?
We believe the quality of the clinical rotation training is critically important for your development as a PA. Additionally, the ARC-PA requires adequate monitoring of the clinical rotation sites. We do have some rotations in states such as Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Kentucky and Texas but generally the students rotate in the State of Connecticut.
- What leadership opportunities exist at Yale?
For those interested in PA policy and legislation, we support student participation at the AAPA CORE Capitol Hill Day in Washington DC, the annual AAPA conference and the Connecticut Academy of Physician Assistants conference.
- Is the training at Yale more surgical or medicine focused?
- The training emphasizes a generalist approach. Students complete rotations in medicine as well as surgery.
- Are students required to complete a thesis project?
Yes, research is an integral part of our curriculum. In order to facilitate the project, students choose a School of Medicine faculty mentor and have access to a scientific writing tutor.
After Graduation
- How many students stay in the area upon graduation?
This statistic varies from year to year quite dramatically. Factors that influence the percentage of graduates who choose to practice in Connecticut relate to local hospital hiring trends, specialty interest of graduates, and social considerations related to family and personal life. Most of our graduates hail from other states so the decision to stay in Connecticut is often unexpected.