Application Deadline is October 15th
New Rolling Selection Process begins June 30th.
Selection will consist of 3 rounds. First round will be chosen by July 30th. Students are urged to request a milestone review early! For more information and eligibility see MDC PA Rolling Admissions.
Apply to Miami Dade College for admission or readmission. Students who have not enrolled in a class at MDC in the last 12 months must apply for re-admission.
If you live out of state and are unable to visit in person, please use our contact form.
For more information about submitting transcripts to the College visit the MDC Transcripts website. FMG's must send translated transcripts and TOEFL to the above address as well.
Introduction to Healthcare (HSC 0003) Waiver Process
If you believe you are eligible for HSC 0003 course waiver, apply for an exemption here.
All students interested in requesting a milestone review to determine eligibility. The PA-CAT is a specialized test designed to measure student knowledge in key requirement science subjects typically required for PA school. For information about the PA-CAT, visit the PA-CAT website.
The MDC PA program must receive your PA-CAT scores from the test sponsor no later than the target review date of October 15th. It is highly recommended you take the PA-CAT no later than September 15th to ensure receipt of your scores on time. (Note: It can take up to 4-5 weeks for your scores to be sent to the college.)
Students whose PA-CAT scores arrive late may roll over their scores and milestone review for the next target review date.
Study for the PA-CAT with resources provided on their website: www.PA-CAT.com
PA-CAT Study materials provided by Exam Master include:
PA-CAT Covered Subjects: Anatomy, Physiology, General Biology, Biochemistry, General and Organic Chemistry, Microbiology, Behavioral Sciences, Genetics, Statistics.
You May wish to look for additional resources that will help you learn about the topics covered on the PA-CAT.
For questions related to the information provided, contact:mdcpaprogram@mdc.edu.
The ideal student has the academic ability, prior health care experience, and personal maturity to successfully complete the program and to ensure a productive career as a physician assistant. Ability to relate to people, capacity for calm and reasoned judgment in encountering emergencies, and a demonstrated commitment to patients are qualities essential for a physician assistant.
The program's selections committee is seeking students who:
Note: Preference is given to military veterans and Miami-Dade County residents however, all students are considered.
Students must be enrolled in or have successfully completed HSC 0003 – Introduction to Health Care (2.5 credits) and HSC 0003L – Introduction to Health Care Lab (.5 credits). Introduction to Healthcare course (HSC003/Lab) is an institutional requirement. For more information about this course please call (305) 237-4103
Please note: All students meeting minimum program requirements are encouraged to request a milestone review. However, meeting criteria for selection does not guarantee progression to discipline courses and not all students will progress to this milestone. Final selection will be based on the student pool.
All students will be required to take the PA-CAT as part of the selection process. To learn more about the PA-CAT, visit the Physician Assistant College Admissions Test (PA-CAT) website.
For information about program requirement for the PA-CAT, please see Step 4 under the Apply to MDC tab on this page.
There is financial aid available to cover some of the cost of the PA-CAT for qualifying students. Please contact the test sponsor for more information.
All students who submitted a request for a milestone review by the target review date and have met all the minimum program requirements are eligible to take the Selection Written Essay test.
Students will write a short essay on an assigned topic utilizing paper/pencil. Students will be given 30 minutes to complete the short essay portion of the examination. This essay will be evaluated by an external review committee based on proper grammar, spelling, and sentence structure. The essay should include an introductory statement and thesis statement, a body, and a conclusion. Essays are graded using a program-generated rubric. The topic of the essay is chosen by the program administrators.
The following criteria is used to determine which students will be selected for the Oral Interview phase of the selection process:
PA-CAT Score
Admissions Essay score
Overall GPA
Natural Science GPA
Medical training and background
Degrees earned
Based on the above criteria, students ranking 1 to 100 will be invited to an oral interview. The MDC PA selection interview is designed to help the program learn more about the student while allowing the student an opportunity to demonstrate their level of readiness for the PA Program. All students are asked the same questions (with occasional variations to maintain the integrity of questions). Some questions are single and direct in format while others are multipart, layered, or scenario based in nature. Students are expected to answer all questions. The interview evaluates several aspects of the student including but not limited to Professionalism, Knowledge of the PA profession and Sciences, character, and communication skills. This is measured through observation of the student’s behavior, attitude, and response to the interview questions. Notice of students selected for an interview will be sent via email between November and January.
Fifty-five students may be chosen for entry into the discipline phase of the program each year.**
** Students from current class who are decelerated may affect total amount of seats available for the incoming class.
*Baccalaureate degree must include 2 levels of math & must include College algebra or higher & Statistics.
NOTE:
View the complete course list (PDF).
Students should review the College Catalog for specific course descriptions, including pre and co-requisite course requirements.
In Program Course Sequence
This course sequence document outlines all the courses a student will take (By Term) throughout their tenure in the PA program.