Current Applicant Characteristics

617 people applied to the MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant Training Program in 2008, which is an increase of slightly more than 9.5% over those who applied in 2007. People applying to the MEDEX program tend to be older (31) than that of the National average (27). We continue to see nearly equal numbers of men and women apply to our program. This is significantly different than what is reflected in the national statistics in which women make up the majority of applicants.

The diversity of applicants who apply to MEDEX is similar to that of the students we select. We consistently see applicants from many ethnic backgrounds in numbers similar to that of the national average. Both MEDEX applicants and applicants to other program across the nation have self- identified as belonging to ethnicities under-represented in medicine. The applicant pool for the entering class of 2008 was widely diverse in terms education and health care experience. Almost 30% of MEDEX applicants reported having over ten years of experience in the direct delivery of health care as compared to the 9% reported as the national average. The average clinical experience of those accepted to the MEDEX program in 2008 was 7.5 years. Many of the applicants reported having more than an associate’s degree and 36.25% reported having a prior bachelor’s degree.