Admissions Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does my CASPA application, references and transcripts ALL have to be received by CASPA
by the earliest designated program’s deadline or will documents be added whenever they arrive
at CASPA?

All required documents must be received by CASPA before verification of your application will begin.
The CASPA verification process will take approximately 4-6 weeks and perhaps longer during peak application
deadline times. Once an applicant’s file is complete and has been verified it will be forwarded to the designated programs. If all documents are submitted by the earliest program deadline that you are applying to, ALL programs
that you have applied to will get your application 30 days after the first deadline. Anything added at a later date will
be forwarded in January to each designated program as a revision or addition to the original application file.

Q: What if I’m taking classes this spring or summer quarter but want to submit my application
before the quarter is over to meet a specific program deadline?

On the CASPA application, please enter any course work you are currently completing in the PLANNED OR IN PROGRESS section of the application. Once your current CASPA application documents have all arrived and been verified your file will be sent to your designated program(s). When you have completed this quarter’s courses you
should submit an official transcript to CASPA and MEDEX documenting this. CASPA updates may not happen until the end of the admissions cycle so it’s best to always send a copy to the individual programs you have applied to. It is up
to each individual program to decide how these updates effect the selection and admission of their new students.

Q: I applied last year through CASPA do I need to start over completely to reapply? Can’t they just pull up my old applicant file?

At this point, applicants must apply with a new applicant file for 2009. Although CASPA is exploring an updated application process, CASPA does not carry applicant information from one cycle to the next. You will be required to complete a new application and pay the application fee for the 2008/2009 cycle. All references and academic transcripts
must be re-submitted directly to CASPA. The format of the CASPA application is now web based. References and the applicant’s personal statement may be different from the previous year. As inconvenient as this may be for the applicant it does ensure accuracy and verification of all information submitted for a particular application year.

Q: Am I able to complete the MEDEX Supplemental application online and submit it electronically?

Yes, the MEDEX supplemental application is available on line for electronic submission. Please remember to print and save a copy of your on line application before you submit it. We will have a supplemental application specific to the degree option you will be applying for. You will not be able to fill out both.

Q: Is it to my advantage as an applicant to apply early to MEDEX (before the Oct. 1st deadline)?

Yes, MEDEX has an early application deadline and applicants applying to any of the three sites should submit their CASPA application by September 1st and their MEDEX supplemental application by September 1st. We may invite qualified applicants who have all their materials in early to one of the earlier interview dates thus facilitating early acceptance for the most qualified applicants.

Please note: early interviews are dependent on the number of qualified applicants interested in a particular site and
have both the CASPA and MEDEX applications in prior to the early admissions deadlines.

Another advantage to applying to both CASPA and MEDEX early is to provide an opportunity to correct any errors on
the applications or request any documentation needed to clarify any of the information provided in either application.

Q: What if I don’t have a site preference? I can go anywhere.

Applicants will select a first and perhaps a second choice of sites based on the degree option offered and whether they satisfy the prerequisites for that site. For example: You cannot select Spokane if you do not have a prior bachelors degree and meet the Masters prerequisites. If you are applying for the bachelors degree then your site choices are Yakima or Anchorage and you would have to meet the prerequisites for the bachelors program.

Q: I already have a Bachelors degree but I want to go to Yakima or Anchorage, can I go there and
just get a second Bachelors?

Yes, this is certainly an option for those with a prior bachelors degree and they would just receive a second bachelors. No student who applied to the bachelor’s sites and admitted as a bachelors student will be allowed to transfer into the Master’s degree option at a later date.

Q: If I go to Yakima or Anchorage do I have to stay the second year for my clinical training?

No matter which didactic training site you attend (Seattle, Spokane, Yakima or Anchorage) your clinical year placements are open to sites throughout the WWAMI region. We do expect that applicants from Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho and Nevada would desire to be closer to home their second year but, clinical placements are made on an individual basis in collaboration with the MEDEX Clinical Team. The ultimate goal is to provide students with the best clinical training opportunities to become a solid primary care practitioner.

Q: Why would I go for a Masters degree if I can be a PA with a Bachelors? What is the difference?

The current standard for Physician Assistant practice is the National Certifying Exam which allows PA to call
themselves PA-C (certified). All states recognize this credential and it is based on a competency model of education. Allowing for variability among PA Programs regarding the degree/certificate awarded was a critical element of early
PA education. Very few states require a specific degree in order to practice but it would be good for anyone interested
in being a P.A. to know what the state that you reside in requires. For example: Idaho requires PAs to have a bachelor’s degree (in anything) in order to practice there.

In 2005, the AAPA, APAP. ARC-PA and NCCPA approved a jointly developed document, “Competence for the
Physician Assistant Profession”, which includes the kind of analysis, integration, evaluation and information
management skills that have traditionally been considered “graduate level”.(1) Currently the majority of accredited
P.A. Programs are offering a Masters degree.

(1) The Journal of Physician Assistant Education, 40th Anniversary Issue, “Physician Assistant Education: An Abbreviated History”, James F. Cawley, MPH, PA-C.

Q: Where do I find someone to shadow?

Most applicants are already connected to the medical community through their job experience and we encourage you
to start networking. Ask around, get someone to recommend someone they know. All states have a PA professional organization that can often refer you to practicing PAs that are willing to speak with potential applicants. The PA organizations also hold annual meetings and continuing medical educational seminars – another good place to meet
and network.

Q: How recent does my clinical experience have to be?

The MEDEX Program has a very competitive applicant pool of individuals with recent clinical experience. We usually think of recent as being within the last 2 years. There are a few exceptions, i.e. if you have left clinical practice to become a full-time student. The strongest applicants are currently involved in health care.

Q: Does Peace Corps experience qualify?

Peace Corps experience does count as long as you were involved in some form of clinical role. If your experience
was as a teacher or construction manager the experience would not count as clinical experience.