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Entering Year 2021Table of ContentsVision, Mission, Goals . 2Graduate Outcomes . 3Admission Requirements and Policies . 4Prerequisites . 6GPA . 7Patient Contact Experience . 7Letters of Recommendation . 7GRE . 7Recommended Courses . 8Foreign Medical Graduates and International Students . 9Selection Criteria . 11Criminal Background Check and Drug Screening . 12Technical Standard Requirement . 13CPR, ACLS, PALS . 13Health Insurance . 13Immigration Documentation . 13General Information . 14Americans with Disabilities Policy . 15Prerequisite Coursework Descriptions . 17Physician Assistant Class Profiles . 20Course Sequence . 21Program Costs . 23Am I a Qualified and Competitive Applicant?. 24CASPA Application Checklist . 28CASPA Application Process . 28Patient Contact Experience Positions . 29Advising Process Chart . 30Campus Directions . 31Important Phone Numbers . 32Frequently Asked Questions . 331
Entering Year 2021VISIONWe aspire to be a leader in physician assistant (PA) education whose diverse graduates provide superiorhealthcare within the communities they serve.MISSIONOur mission is to empower aspiring physician assistants (PAs) to become leaders in health care bycultivating the values of compassion, inclusion, integrity, and dedication to lifelong learning.GOALS Educate physician assistant students to provide delegated services in an ethical, safe, legal, andcompetent manner under the supervision of a licensed physician.Provide educational and clinical experiences that prepare the physician assistant student to workcollaboratively and lead interprofessional teams.Provide an educational experience that stresses the importance of furthering education throughadvanced study and continuing education, applying the concepts of evidence-based, patientcentered medicine.Provide students with educational opportunities and a wide variety of clinical experiences that willenable them to recognize social determinants of health and work effectively in all primary caresettings including underserved and diverse communities.Prepare students to become effective communicators, educators, and responsible members of thecommunity who utilize critical thinking skills in the clinical setting and base their practice onevidence-based, patient-centered medicine and sound ethical values.Enable students to meet the eligibility requirements and successfully pass the National Commissionon Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) certifying examination upon graduation.2
Entering Year 2021GRADUATE OUTCOMESPrimary care physician assistants contribute to the care of patients throughout all stages of life.Traditionally, they work with a Family Medicine Physician, Internal Medicine Physician or Pediatrician todeliver medical care while integrating all that addresses the physical, mental, emotional and spiritualcomponents. They provide reliable care within the context of a team and they work in multiple healthcaresettings. The University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) PA Program works to teach its graduates thenecessary attitudes, knowledge and skills to serve communities in a compassionate, caring and ethicalmanner. The program has adopted the NCCPA PA Competencies as our graduate outcomes, and hasfurther defined milestones that students will work toward as they enter into the profession and continue intheir lifelong learning journey as healthcare professionals.System-Based PracticeSBP-1 Provides cost conscious careSBP-2 Emphasizes patient safetySBP-3 Advocates for individual and community healthSBP-4 Coordinates team based carePractice-Based Learning and ImprovementPBLI-1 Locates, appraises and assimilates evidence from scientific studies related to their patient’shealth problemsPBLI-2 Demonstrates self-directed learningPBLI-3 Improves systems in which the physician assistant provides carePatient CarePC-1 Cares for acutely ill or injured patients in urgent and emergency situations and in all settingsPC-2 Cares for patients with chronic illnessesPC-3 Partners with the patient, family and community to improve health through disease preventionand health promotionPC-4 Partners with the patient to address issues of ongoing signs and symptoms or healthconcerns that remain overtime without clear diagnosis despite evaluation and treatment in a patientcentered cost effective mannerPC-5 Perform specialty appropriate procedures to meet the healthcare needs of individual patients,families and community and is knowledgeable about procedures performed by other specialists toguide patient care and referral.Medical KnowledgeMK-1 Demonstrates medical knowledge of sufficient breadth and depth to practice primary careMK-2 Applies critical thinking skills to patient careProfessionalismProf-1 Completes a process of professionalizationProf-2 Demonstrates professional conduct and accountabilityProf-3 Demonstrates humanism and cultural proficiencyProf-4 Maintains emotional, physical and mental health and pursues continual personal andprofessional growthCommunicationIC-1 Develops meaningful, therapeutic relationships with patients and their familiesIC-2 Communicates effectively with patients and their familiesIC-3 Develops relationships and effectively communicates with members of the healthcare teamIC-4 Utilizes technology to optimize communication3
Entering Year 2021ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND POLICIES FOR THE 2020-2021 ADMISSIONCYCLE FOR THE UNIVERSITYOF MARYLAND BALTIMORE PA PROGRAMThe completed CASPA application deadline for the University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) PhysicianAssistant Program class entering 2021 is September 1, 2020. Applicants are encouraged to submit theirCASPA applications by July 1, 2020 to ensure the application is completed by the September 1, 2020deadline. Only applications that reflect all of the completed program requirements will be reviewed.Applications that do not reflect all of the listed program requirements will be considered incomplete;applicants still working on the listed program requirements are encouraged to wait until the next admissionscycle to apply. Please review the applicant checklist prior to clicking “submit” on your CASPA applicationto be sure it is a complete application.Applications are considered complete when the following criteria have been met: A completed CASPA application has been received by UMB’s Graduate School AdmissionsOffice. A complete application includes all three letters of recommendation, Patient ContactExperience, test scores and all official transcripts confirming degree and all prerequisite coursesreceived on the CASPA application. Bachelor’s degree or higher from a nationally recognized institution. Official GRE scores sent to CASPA from ETS using the code (0517) for the University ofMaryland Baltimore Graduate School Physician Assistant Program (do not send official scoresdirectly to the program). Scores must be within five (5) years of the date the CASPA application issubmitted and noted as received on the CASPA application. All six (6) prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of 3.0 (B) or higher and reflectedon the completed CASPA application. The Anatomy & Physiology 1 and 2 prerequisites mustbe completed within the last seven (7) years of the date the CASPA application is submitted. Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher as calculated on the CASPA application. Foreign Medical Graduates and International Students: ECE or WES official course-by-courseevaluation for all higher level institutions attended submitted to CASPA by deadline date (UMB mayrequest official evaluation later in admission process), and English requirement (TOEFL) met (seethe section on Foreign Medical Graduates and International Students).A supplemental application is NOT required at the time that the CASPA application is submitted.Applicants will receive notification regarding application status after a completed CASPA application isreviewed. If all the program requirements have been met, applicants will receive a request to complete theUMB Physician Assistant Supplemental Application via email. There is no fee associated with thesupplemental application.The Physician Assistant curriculum is a 25-month full-time program. Students should plan their personalmatters and financial resources accordingly. Employment while enrolled in the Physician Assistant programis not recommended.4
Entering Year 2021CASPA APPLICATIONAll applicants must apply online through CASPA. The 2020-2021 portal will open April 2020. CASPA is aconvenient, Web-based application service that allows applicants to submit an application to AACC/UMBCollaborative Physician Assistant Program and is received by UMB’s Graduate School Admissions Office.Please ensure you have the following reflected on your CASPA application: Official transcripts/evaluations that verify all for-credit coursework, all prerequisites and conferreddegree.Official GRE scores within the last 5 years sent from ETS with the designated code for Universityof Maryland Baltimore Physician Assistant Program*Listed patient contact experience. UMB admissions staff may randomly contact listed supervisorsto verify hours reported on CASPA application.Three letters of recommendation.The UMB Physician Assistant Program must receive a complete electronic CASPA application bythe September 1, 2020 deadline. You are encouraged to submit all application materials toCASPA by July 1, 2020 to ensure meeting this deadline.TOEFL score within 2 years of the date of application submission if your native language is notEnglish.*It is the applicant’s responsibility to follow up with CASPA to ensure that the application is complete,accurate and reflects the listed program requirements by the application deadline.If you have any questions or need assistance, you can call CASPA at (617) 612-2080. CASPA's CustomerService Representatives are available M-F, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST, or you may email CASPA atCaspaInfo@caspaonline.org.* Official GRE and official TOEFL scores must be submitted to CASPA by the application deadline.FOLLOWING THE REVIEW OF CASPA APPLICATIONSAll completed CASPA applications will be reviewed and notification regarding application status will be sentvia email.Applicants are responsible for contacting the UMB Graduate School Admissions Office if they have notreceived an email response from the program one month after the date the application was completed byCASPA.DEGREEApplicants to the UMB PA program must have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a nationallyrecognized institution (please see the section on Foreign Medical Graduates and International Students formore information).5
Entering Year 2021PREREQUISITESCASPA applications must reflect course equivalency for the following prerequisites with a minimum gradeof B in each course. (B minus grades will not be accepted.)CourseCreditsGeneral Microbiology(with lab)4Anatomy and Physiology 1(with lab)4Anatomy and Physiology 2(with lab)4General Chemistry 1 or(with lab)General Chemistry 2 or(with lab)Organic Chemistry orBiochemistryIntroduction to Psychology or(with lab)}Developmental Psychology orHuman Growth and DevelopmentElementary Statistics orStatistics in Social and Behavioral Sciences orBiostatistics}}}433}PLEASE NOTE: Applicants are responsible for reviewing the listed prerequisites to ensure equivalency prior tosubmitting the CASPA application. Transcript evaluation services are not available. All prerequisite science courses must include a lab component. The anatomy and physiology courses are required to have been completed within the last seven (7)years of the date the CASPA application is submitted. Only prerequisites that are on the completed CASPA application will be considered. NO exceptions.Please review the applicant checklist prior to clicking “submit” to be sure it is complete. We can accept AP scores (must be official scores from College Board) for Psychology, Statistics andGeneral Chemistry. A score of 4 or 5 is acceptable. Scores under 4 are not accepted.o If a prerequisite will be satisfied by using an AP score, official scores must be submittedto UMB Graduate School Admissions Office when application is completed throughCASPA. Please be prepared. Order official scores and submit them early to UMB toprevent a delay in your CASPA application review process.CLEP scores are not accepted; no exceptions.6
Entering Year 2021CUMULATIVE GPAA minimum cumulative (total) GPA of 3.0 is required. The cumulative GPA, as calculated by CASPA, willbe used for screening all applications. If CASPA’s calculated cumulative GPA is lower than 3.0, theapplicant will not be eligible for consideration (the GPA will not be rounded up).All repeated course grades are counted in the CASPA GPA calculation. For information on how CASPAcalculates GPAs, please go to their Frequently Asked Questions Web page equently-asked-questions/.PATIENT CONTACT EXPERIENCEA minimum of 1400 hours of Patient Contact Experience is recommended but not required. The UMB PAProgram defines Patient Contact Experience as follows:Provision of services or care by a health care worker in a clinical setting, or an assignedhome-based setting, that has a direct influence/benefit on the outcome of the patient.Examples of duties in this role would include: evaluation/assessment/management of apatient, patient education and implementation of a care plan.Patient Contact Experience must be reported on the CASPA application and may be randomly checkedfor verification of hours. Patient Contact Experience cannot be updated once the CASPA application hasbeen completed.LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATIONLetters of recommendation provided to CASPA should be from individuals who can objectively commenton the applicant’s performance in an academic and/or professional setting. It is recommended to requestreferences from those who have known the applicant for a minimum of 6 months.The applicant should advise the writers of the letters of recommendation to return the completed forms toCASPA as soon as possible. Letters from personal or family friends are considered inappropriate and aredetrimental to the application.It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all three letters of recommendation are received byCASPA or the application will be considered incomplete and ineligible for consideration.GREThe GRE must be taken within five years from the date the CASPA application is submitted. Officialscores must be submitted and be noted by CASPA no later than the application deadline. Exam can betaken through the Educational Testing Service (ETS) at www.ets.org/gre. Existing master’s degree orhigher does not waive the GRE requirement. There is no minimum score required; however, a score of40% or higher in both the quantitative and the verbal portion of the GRE is recommended and will begiven preference when evaluating applications.Official GRE Scores are submitted electronically to CASPA directly from ETS using a specialCASPA GRE code. The code for the UMB Graduate School is 0517.Official GRE scores from ETS can be received by CASPA at any point during the application cycle, evenafter an application is submitted or verified; however, the UMB Graduate School requires scores to besubmitted to CASPA by the application deadline. Once Official GRE scores are attached to theapplication, they cannot be removed.To submit official GRE scores to CASPA:1. Provide the UMB Graduate School code to ETS and request that scores be released. Check withETS about their turnaround and processing times.7
Entering Year 20212. After ETS processing, scores are sent to CASPA in batches and then posted to applicationsevery 2-3 days. Only scores that are requested using CASPA codes will post to applications.Scores attached to the application in the Standardized Tests section can be viewed with theCheck Status tab.It is the applicant’s responsibility to follow up on any missing GRE scores in a timely manner. If scores arenot posted within ETS's processing period, contact ETS and ask which Batch # your scores were sent in.Then, contact CASPA customer service to provide them with this Batch #.Note: If an applicant’s name or date of birth appears differently on the GRE than it does on the CASPAapplication, scores will not automatically post to their account. This often happens with applicants withhyphens, apostrophes, etc., in their names. Wait until ETS processes the scores, then contact customerservice so they can manually connect the scores to the application.RECOMMENDED COURSESWe strongly recommend for your success in the program that you take Biochemistry, MedicalTerminology, and Developmental Psychology, and earn a B or better in each. Only recommended courses that are on the completed CASPA application will be considered. NOexceptions.8
Entering Year 2021FOREIGN MEDICAL GRADUATES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENTSAll foreign-educated applicants must have transcripts of all higher education institutions attended evaluatedby World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators
The University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) PA Program works to teach its graduates the necessary attitudes, knowledge and skills to serve communities in a compassionate, caring and ethical manner. The program has adopted the NCCPA PA Competencies as our graduate outcomes, and has further defi
