Overview

The physician assistant (PA) profession originated at Duke in 1965. Dr. Eugene A. Stead Jr., then-chairman of the Department of Medicine, believed that mid-level practitioners could increase consumer access to health services by extending the time and skills of the physician. Today, physician assistants are well-recognized and highly sought-after members of the health care team. Working interdependently with physicians, PAs provide diagnostic and therapeutic patient care in virtually all medical specialties and settings.  Currently, each incoming class is made up of 90 students with distinct backgrounds, experiences and personalities.  This diversity makes the learning experience extraordinary, but it also means each new class will have a personality as distinctive as the individual members who comprise it.

Admission

Admission to the Duke PA Program is very competitive. The following information describing recent candidates will allow prospective applicants to realistically assess their chances of admission, and to plan accordingly.

For the 2023 incoming PA class, approximately 4,618 CASPA applications were opened, and 3,069 were verified and went on to receive supplemental applications. Two hundred forty-five applicants were interviewed. Ninety applicants accepted the offer of admission for the Fall 2023 entering class. PA class size is typically 90 students per year.

The ranges of academic and experiential qualifications for the matriculating applicants for Fall 2023 are as follows:

Although this represents the range of qualifications among accepted candidates, each application is evaluated on its individual merits. Evidence of academic potential, knowledge of the health care system, motivation, personal maturity, self-assurance, and good interpersonal skills will weigh strongly in the admission decision.  The most competitive applicants strongly align to our program mission and values of academic excellence, diversity, leadership, life experience, and service.  

Applicants to the Duke PA Program should be aware that all courses within the curriculum are required, no transfer credit is accepted, no AP credit is accepted, and no credit is granted for pre-admission experiential learning. Only full-time students are admitted to the program.

Deadlines

Several of our deadlines have changed since last year.  Please plan accordingly.

• May 1:                 Minimum 1000 hours of Patient Care must be met
   
• September 1:       CASPA Application Deadline
   
• September 1, 2023:     GRE deadline - last day to sit for the exam
   
• September 15:           Supplemental application deadline
   

Prerequisites

All prerequisite courses should have been taken no earlier than 10 years prior to application.

A baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited by the Commission on Colleges of a Regional Accrediting Organization is required. The GRE Exam is required for ALL candidates. No other exam may be used in lieu of the GRE. Required Courses:

• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Microbiology
• 2 Additional Biology courses of choice
• 2 Chemistry courses with labs
• 1 Statistics course

You may only have TWO outstanding prerequisites at time of application. All courses must be completed by December 31 of the application year with a grade of “C” or better. Patient Care Requirement: A minimum of 1000 hours of hands-on patient care must be acquired by July 1 of the application year.  Patient care is a mandatory requirement.  While we do accept people with minimum PCE, more competitive applicants normally have at least twice the minimum.

Application Process

• Submit CASPA application
   
• Sit for the GRE
   
• Submit scores to code 0422
   
• Wait for CASPA status to say "verified"
   
• Look for your supplemental instructions in an e-mail from paadmission@mc.duke.edu AFTER your CASPA is verified (don't forget to check your spam folders)
   
• Complete supplemental and pay fee
• Wait 6-8 weeks for your application to be reviewed
• Receive status update and/or interview invitation via e-mail

**    Fee waivers are automatically granted to Veterans and those currently in the service.  If you noted your status on the application, then it will by-pass the payment screen. **

***  Please note that we also will grant fee waivers to anyone who qualifies for a CASPA fee waiver.  You must e-mail us a copy of your note from CASPA alerting you that you qualify.  IF CASPA runs out of funds, but you qualified, we will still waive your fee. ***