Admissions
Selection Process
The program uses a rolling admissions process. Applications are reviewed as they are received once they are CASPA-verified and the CSU PA Supplemental Application is submitted. PA Admissions reviews and scores of completed, verified CASPA applications that meet the minimum admissions requirements. Scoring is based on cognitive and non-cognitive factors to provide a balanced, holistic evaluation. Cognitive factors include cumulative, overall science, and prerequisite GPAs. Points are awarded to applicants with the following non-cognitive qualities: CSU alumni, military service, secondary language fluency, additional medical training/licenses/certifications, completion of an advanced degree, first-generation college students, collegiate athlete experience, and leadership and volunteer experience. Finally, preference is given to candidates who have completed a greater number of patient care experience (PCE) hours.
Based upon these factors, the Admissions Coordinator will invite qualified individuals for interviews. These interviews will be conducted using a multiple mini interview approach to assess the following:
- Communication Skills (Written and Verbal)
- Compassion
- Cultural Awareness
- Ethics
- Leadership and Service
- Maturity
- Passion, Motivation, and Understanding of the Profession
- Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking Skills
- Teamwork
- Understanding of the Program’s Mission Statement
Interviewees will be notified of the admissions decision within one month of their interview. During each applicant review process, applicants will be placed in one of three categories: Accept, Waitlist*, or Decline.
*Waitlist: These candidates will initially be notified within one month of completing their interview. All candidates on this list will be reviewed during each subsequent interview selection process. At that time, their status will be updated to one of the following: Admit Now, Continue Waitlist, or Declined.
Admission Policies
Advanced Placement
Advanced placement is defined as a waiver of required coursework in the program curriculum. The CSU PA Program does not accept any advanced placement under any circumstances, and no course waivers will be provided for preadmission experiential learning or credit transfers from another university in lieu of completing the required curriculum. The program’s curriculum presents all the medical and clinical science content that students are expected to acquire to achieve the PA Program’s Program Competencies. Each student must attend the program full-time and complete mandatory course requirements.
Student Employment
The CSU PA Program will not allow students to work for the PA Program, in a paid or volunteer capacity, under any circumstances.
During clinical rotations, CSU PA students are prohibited from being used to replace or substitute for regular clinical or administrative staff under any circumstances. If a student is asked to do so, they must contact the Director of Clinical Education, who will collaborate with the Program Director to assess the suitability of continued use of the preceptor. In response, the program may initiate a site visit, communicate directly with the preceptor (and office manager, if appropriate), or remove the clinical site and preceptor from future student placements. Assignment of preceptors will be adjusted as necessary to ensure that each student meets the expected program learning competencies by program completion.
The PA Program strongly discourages any form of employment while enrolled as a PA student. This intensive graduate-level training requires full-time attendance during both the didactic and clinical years. Outside work obligations will not be considered an acceptable excuse for poor performance or absence from any scheduled course activities.
Special Accommodations
Students accepted into the CSU PA program who require accommodations should review the requirements and procedures outlined on the CSU Accessibility Services website. Only the CSU Office of Accessibility Services is authorized to approve accommodation requests. Students may contact the office at (843) 863-7159 or email awatson@csuniv.edu for assistance. Once approved, students must meet with each course director to notify and discuss their approved accommodations.
Clinical Rotation Experiences
Neither prospective nor enrolled students will be required to provide or solicit preceptors or clinical sites for the program-mandated clinical rotation experience component of the curriculum. Students may voluntarily submit to the Director of Clinical Education the name(s) of potential preceptors and/or clinical sites not already affiliated with the CSU PA Program by completing a Request for New Rotation Development Form. A student may request the development of a maximum of two new rotation sites. There is no direct or implied guarantee by the program that the student will be assigned a rotation with any requested clinical site or preceptor, including those already affiliated with the program. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the Director of Clinical Education to determine whether the clinical site and preceptor are deemed suitable for use in clinical rotations.
The CSU PA Program aims to maintain most clinical sites within a 60-mile radius of Charleston Southern University. However, students may be required to attend rotations at a site outside of this area and will be responsible for all expenses related to such assignments.
Technical Standards
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) requires all PA programs to publish technical standards, defined as the essential nonacademic requirements necessary for successful participation in an educational program. (ARC-PA Standard A3.12) These standards encompass the intellectual, ethical, physical, cognitive, and behavioral abilities required for the successful completion of the curriculum, for demonstrating competence for entry-level practice, and for achieving professional expectations. Their purpose is to ensure that applicants, students, and graduates possess the knowledge, skills, and attributes needed to provide safe and effective patient care, meet the demands of clinical practice, and uphold the expectations of the profession.
Candidates—defined as both applicants and enrolled students—must meet academic and nonacademic criteria, with or without reasonable accommodations, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Compliance with these standards will be evaluated throughout enrollment. By accepting an offer of admission, candidates affirm that they can meet these standards and must continue to do so during their time in the CSU PA Program. Candidates are responsible for promptly notifying the Program of any changes in their ability to fulfill the standards.
Failure to meet the minimum technical standards, to participate fully in all aspects of training, or to demonstrate competence for entry-level practice—with or without reasonable accommodation—may result in dismissal from the Program. The use of an intermediary, a person trained to perform essential skills on behalf of the candidate, is not permitted.
The following technical standards are adapted from AAMC guidelines and describe the essential nonacademic abilities required for admission to, progression within, and graduation from the CSU PA Program.
Observation and Sensory Function
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The use of corrective or assistive devices such as eyeglasses, contact lenses, hearing aids, or other adaptive technologies is acceptable to meet these standards, provided they enable the candidate to perform essential observational functions independently and safely in all educational and clinical settings.
Candidates must possess the physical and mental abilities required to accurately perceive and interpret information in educational and clinical settings. Observation requires clear vision at near and far distances, as well as functional auditory, tactile (including touch, pressure, pain, motion, and temperature), and olfactory senses. These abilities are necessary to assess patients, identify signs of disease, distinguish normal from abnormal findings, and interpret nonverbal cues such as posture, facial expressions, and body language.
Candidates must actively observe and participate in all didactic and clinical components of the Program, including lectures, laboratories, demonstrations, basic science experiments, technical skills training, simulations, diagnostic and microbiologic testing, and patient encounters. Learning is achieved through multiple instructional methods, including auditory instruction, written materials, visual aids, hands-on and kinesthetic activities, microscopic and diagnostic imaging, and physical examination. Accurate observation at both close range and from a distance is required for competency across all aspects of the curriculum and clinical practice.
Communication
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Effective communication is essential in all aspects of healthcare, including interactions with patients, families, faculty, and members of the interprofessional healthcare team.
Candidates must be able to:
Communicate effectively in English across verbal, nonverbal, written, reading, and electronic formats.
Receive, understand, express, and exchange information accurately and efficiently, including the ability to speak clearly, compassionately, and professionally; listen attentively; detect subtle auditory cues during assessments; and interpret nonverbal communication.
Acquire accurate and timely medical histories, establish therapeutic rapport with patients, document encounters clearly and sensitively in written and electronic records, present information effectively in didactic and clinical settings, and collaborate with healthcare professionals.
Demonstrate professionalism, clarity, and sensitivity in all communication to ensure safe, effective, and ethical patient care.
Motor Function and Coordination
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Candidates must possess intact gross and fine motor function, coordination, tactile sensation, and equilibrium necessary for successful completion of the PA curriculum and for safe, effective patient care. These abilities are required to execute coordinated movements, manipulate medical equipment and instrumentation, perform medical procedures, and participate in diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.
All motor and procedural activities must be performed in a manner that prioritizes patient safety, minimizes the risk of harm, and reflects awareness of appropriate infection control and safety protocols.
Candidates must be able to conduct thorough physical examinations, including palpation, percussion, and auscultation, and assist patients with safe movement and transfers. They must also demonstrate the dexterity, coordination, and tactile sensitivity required to perform basic clinical procedures, diagnostic testing, and therapeutic interventions accurately and efficiently. These motor and coordination skills are essential for competency in both didactic and clinical training.
Clinical training and testing are designed to reflect real-world clinical practice, which requires timely performance. Therefore, extended time accommodations do not apply to hands-on clinical skills training, performance-based assessments, or testing situations where patient safety, clinical accuracy, and efficiency are being evaluated. Candidates must be able to complete clinical skills within the allotted time to demonstrate readiness for clinical practice.
Intellectual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities
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Candidates must demonstrate strong intellectual and conceptual abilities to comprehend, interpret, analyze, synthesize, and apply complex medical knowledge acquired through lectures, small-group learning, independent study, and clinical experiences. They must be able to assimilate large volumes of information, retrieve and organize it efficiently, and integrate knowledge across modalities to reason critically and solve problems effectively.
Candidates must demonstrate the ability to apply evidence-based decision-making, integrating current clinical guidelines, research findings, and best practices into diagnostic reasoning and treatment planning.
Candidates must be able to problem-solve under time constraints, using written, verbal, and visual information. They must synthesize findings from medical histories, physical examinations, and diagnostic tests to formulate accurate diagnoses and treatment plans. Quantitative and spatial reasoning, including accurate measurement, calculation, three-dimensional perception, and understanding of anatomical and physiological relationships, are required.
Critical thinking, including the ability to combine knowledge and reasoning to analyze, implement, assess, and reassess patient information and care plans, is essential for safe, competent, and effective patient care during training and professional practice.
Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Attributes
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Candidates must demonstrate the behavioral, emotional, and social attributes necessary for professional practice as a PA. They are expected to conduct themselves with professionalism, compassion, and emotional maturity, consistently showing respect toward classmates, faculty, staff, healthcare team members, patients, and caregivers.
Emotional maturity includes the ability to accept constructive feedback and modify behavior, exercise sound judgment and integrity, and manage stress effectively in educational and clinical settings. Candidates must be adaptable and flexible, able to function in dynamic or uncertain environments, and capable of managing physically and mentally demanding workloads.
Candidates must consistently demonstrate compassion, empathy, integrity, collegiality, self-motivation, and concern for others. They must also recognize how personal beliefs and biases may influence interactions and commit to cultural competency, self-awareness, and lifelong learning.
Appropriate physical contact with patients, as required during examinations and clinical procedures, must be performed professionally, with sensitivity, and with consent. From admission onward, candidates are expected to demonstrate truthfulness, respect, and strong interpersonal skills while functioning effectively as members of an interprofessional healthcare team.
Ethical and Legal Standards
Candidates must adhere to high ethical principles and comply with all legal regulations governing healthcare practice. They are expected to demonstrate honesty, integrity, and accountability in all academic and clinical activities.
Candidates must maintain full compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and all other confidentiality standards that govern the protection of patient information.
Candidates must comply with program, institutional, and clinical site policies, as well as state and federal laws. Any history of illegal activity, substance misuse, or professional misconduct may raise concerns about a candidate’s ability to meet licensing and credentialing requirements.
Candidates must accept responsibility for their actions and decisions, maintain patient confidentiality, and uphold the ethical principles of the PA profession in all educational and clinical settings.