Admissions Requirements

Application Process Checklist

The Morehouse School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program Admissions Committee reviews applicants holistically taking into consideration academic history, leadership qualities, service to the community, and connectedness to the mission. The program awards preference to applicants who have a specific interest in meeting the primary healthcare needs of the underserved urban and rural populations, and/or are from disadvantaged medical backgrounds, and/or Georgia residents, and/or rural area, and/or veterans, and/or graduates from schools in the Atlanta University Center Consortium or MSM Graduate or Pipeline Programs. Those considered most competitive will be invited to an on-campus interview.

Applications will be accepted from April 27th to August 1st through the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA).

CASPA Application and Fees

Complete the electronic CASPA application form.

Official College Transcripts

Submit all official college transcripts to CASPA.

Official GRE Test Scores

GRE - The MSM PA Program requires applicants to submit official scores for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) taken within the past five years. Applicant scores must be directly reported from ETS to CASPA. Use GRE Institution Code 2552.

Please note applicants are required to submit scores for only one exam, either the GRE or PA-CAT. (not both) Additonally, there is no minimum score for these tests required for consideration of your application.

You may submit all GRE standardized tests scores through August 1st.

Official PA-CAT Test Scores

PA-CAT - Ensure Morehouse School of Medicine PA Program is selected as the institution to receive your score report in your PA-CAT Score Portal. To select Morehouse School of Medicine PA Program as a score receiving school, log into your PA-CAT Score Portal at pa-cat.com.

You may submit all PA-CAT standardized tests scores through August 1st.

Letters of Reference

Submit three letters of reference to CASPA. Recommended from PA or physician, academic professor, and former employer. Please note only completed files will be reviewed. This requires all three letters of reference to be submitted by the August 1 deadline.

Direct Patient Care Experience

Complete a minimum 500 hours of direct patient care experiences (e.g., EMT or paramedic, health educator, RN, patient care attendant or nurse’s aide, clinic assistant, Peace Corps or other cross-cultural health care experience, technologist, therapist, clinical research assistant, etc.). All direct patient care hours must be paid (compensated).

Advancing Rural Health Through Education and Innovation

Morehouse School of Medicine’s Physician Assistant (PA) Program is proud to lead three HRSA funded transformative initiatives— Physician Assistant Leadership Superstars (PALS), Georgia Rural Health Outreach Workforce (GROW), and Rural Mental-Behavioral Health Access in Primary Care Services (MAPS)—each designed to strengthen the rural and underserved healthcare workforce while advancing equity in access, education, and care delivery.

PALS (Physician Assistants Leadership Superstars)

Grant# D57HP35367
The PALS program prepares PA students to serve with compassion and cultural humility in medically underserved communities. Through community engagement, clinical training, and service-learning, PALS fosters leadership, resilience, and a deep commitment to health equity among future providers.

GROW (Georgia Rural-Health Outreach Workforce)

Grant# T9DHP45633
GROW expands the perspectives of PA students and preceptors by exploring how social determinants—such as culture, food insecurity, and limited access to care—shape health outcomes in Black, Brown, and rural populations. The program promotes a holistic understanding of conditions like eating disorders, empowering clinicians to identify and address them within the broader context of rural health disparities.

The purpose of the Georgia Rural Health Outreach Workforce (GROW) Training Program is to provide Morehouse School of Medicine PA students with an enhanced training experience in rural areas and increase the ability of rural primary care PAs to identify and address health disparities in rural communities. MSM PA students who are accepted into the Rural Healthcare Track (RHCT) will:

Gain hands-on experience as part of a rural health learning community.

Participate in experiential didactic learning and clinical training in rural communities nationwide.

Complete research projects on emergent and cutting-edge rural health issues.

Receive a stipend of $2,153 for every 4-week primary care (pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine) clinical rotation at an approved rural site (up to $10,000).

For more information: https://www.msm.edu/physicianassistantprogram/admissions.php

Rural MAPS (Mental-Behavioral Health Access in Primary Care Services)

Grant# T8RHP53143
Rural MAPS builds pathways for rural student engagement and mentorship while enhancing PA training through telehealth integration, community partnerships, and experiential learning. By connecting students, faculty, and local health systems, Rural MAPS strengthens the rural health pipeline and supports sustainable models of care delivery in resource-limited areas.

The purpose of the Rural Maps Training Program is to provide Morehouse School of Medicine PA students with an enhanced training experience in rural areas and increase the ability of rural primary care PAs to identify and address behavorial health disparities in rural communities. MSM PA students who are accepted into the Rural Healthcare Track (RHCT) will:

Gain hands-on experience as part of a rural health learning community.

Participate in experiential didactic learning and clinical training in rural communities nationwide.

Complete research projects on emergent and cutting-edge rural health issues.

Receive a stipend of $2,262 for every 4-week integrated behavioral health (pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine) clinical rotation at an approved rural site (up to $10,000).