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Applicant Self-Assessment and Class Profiles

If you are a current or future applicant, the questions below can serve as a guide to help you prepare your application. If you are an applicant who has been denied admission, the checklist may also be helpful for evaluating the strength of your application and thinking about how to improve your application for a future admission cycle.

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Applicant Self-Assessment

Whether you are gearing up to apply or contemplating a future application, the questions outlined below are crafted to assist you in preparing a robust application. For those who have faced setbacks in admission, this checklist serves as a valuable tool for introspection, offering a pathway to enhance your application for subsequent cycles. It is essential to acknowledge the highly competitive nature of our program. Given the number of applications we receive, we cannot offer personalized feedback to each candidate. 

The self-assessment checklist is designed as a supportive resource to gauge your application’s competitiveness. It should not be viewed as a definitive guide or a guarantee of acceptance into this or any other PA program. However, a candid assessment using these questions can offer meaningful insights into your application’s strengths. 

Requirements 
      1. Was my application in “Complete” status by the application deadline? 
      2.  Do I have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited United States institution?
      3. Did I complete the standardized test (GRE) by the application deadline?
      4. Did I submit three letters of recommendation directly to PBA via the PA Medicine online application? Was one of those letters from a PA? Were these references people who know me well and can speak directly and specifically about my potential as a PA and/or my potential to complete graduate-level academic work? Am I reasonably sure these people have a good impression of me?
      5. Did I complete the recommended preparatory coursework and include it accurately in my application? 
      6. Did I complete at least 500 hours of clinical experience?  
      7. Did I complete the personal statement and the additional PBA-specific essay questions? 
Recommendations 
      1. Do my transcript(s) and test scores demonstrate my potential to complete rigorous academic work, particularly in biosciences? If there are gaps or “warning signs” in my coursework, grades, or test scores, have I addressed them in my statement? 
      2. Does my clinical, research, and/or volunteer experience show depth and breadth of interest in a career as a PA?  
      3. Does my experience align with PA Medicine goals? If there are gaps or “warning signs” in my experience, have I addressed them in my statement? Have I excelled in other areas of my application? 
      4. Was the length of my personal statement and additional essay within the maximum character limit? 
      5. Did my statement and additional essay offer the admission committee a clear sense of who I am, why I want to be a PA, and how I contribute to the mission and goals of PA Medicine? Did I answer the essay questions clearly and concisely? Were my essays free of spelling and grammatical errors? 
Program Fit 
      1. Am I familiar with PA Medicine’s mission and goals? How well do I align with the program’s mission and goals? Did I demonstrate this alignment in my application materials, particularly my essays? 
      2. Am I familiar with the PA profession? Do I understand the role of a PA in different settings and specialties? How did I demonstrate this in my application materials, particularly my essays? 
      3. How many of the recommended preparatory courses have I taken? How did I perform in those courses? (Please note completion of the recommended preparatory courses with strong grades helps make your application more competitive by showing the admission committee that you can undertake this type and level of coursework successfully.) 
      4. PBA complies with all applicable federal and state nondiscrimination laws and does not engage in unlawful discrimination based on age, gender, disability, veteran status, race, color, or national origin in any employment practice, admissions, education program, or educational activity. This nondiscrimination policy covers admissions, employment, and access to and treatment in university programs, services, and activities. 
      5. How direct (i.e., involving sustained, hands-on interaction with patients in a medical setting) are my clinical hours? Does my clinical experience involve critical thinking? How active (versus passive) is it? Did I communicate the scope of my clinical experience in my application materials? 
      6. How did I demonstrate my potential as a future PA leader in my application materials? 

For additional information on nondiscrimination policies, contact:

Student Accountability- Lassiter Student Center 
Palm Beach Atlantic University 
561-803-2663 
Student_accountability@91ciba.com 

Class of 2027 Profile

  Total

Applicants 

 Number

Interviewed 

 Number

Accepted for PA Program 
Number of Applicants   

 

Information to be posted once students have matriculated

  All Matriculated Students  
Number of New Students   
Average Age   
Underrepresented in Medicine   
First Generation   
Economically Disadvantaged   
Military   
In-state/Out-of-state   
Average Total GPA   
Average Science GPA   
Average Verbal GRE score   
Average Quantitative GRE Score   
Average Clinical Hours

(at time of application) 

  

Student Attrition (A3.12i)

Learn more about the program’s Student-Attrition.  

*The PA program is currently undergoing the accreditation process and has not begun to enroll students. Therefore, these results are not yet available. 

NCCPA PANCE first-time pass rate (A3.12c)

View PBA PA Medicine NCCPA Exam Pass Rates for more information on the graduate’s PANCE performance.  

*The PA program is currently undergoing the accreditation process and has not begun to enroll students. Therefore, these results are not yet available. 

Accreditation (A3.12a, D1.02c)

PBA will begin interviewing for the inaugural class in the Spring of 2025, and pending ARC-PA approval, the first class will matriculate on October 1, 2025.

Palm Beach Atlantic University has applied for Accreditation – Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). The PA Program anticipates matriculating its first class in October 2025, pending achieving Accreditation – Provisional status at the June 2025 ARC-PA meeting. Accreditation – Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding accreditation-provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students.
In the event that the Palm Beach Atlantic University’s PA Medicine Program does not achieve Accreditation-Provisional status as planned, selected students will not matriculate and will receive a full refund of deposits.