Physician Assistant

The Degree

The Physician Assistant Studies program at East Carolina University trains entry-level health-care professionals with a focus on primary care and rural medicine. Physician assistants (PAs) are highly skilled professionals who complete a rigorous academic and clinical curriculum to practice medicine under the supervision of licensed physicians. As integral members of the health-care team, PAs perform a wide range of medical diagnostic and patient management tasks traditionally handled by physicians in both office and institutional settings.

The PA profession is built on a commitment to cost-effective, high-quality, and compassionate patient care. By taking on certain responsibilities traditionally assigned to physicians, PAs allow supervising physicians to dedicate more time to patients with serious illnesses or complex medical conditions. PAs are trained to take medical histories, conduct physical examinations, order and interpret tests, diagnose conditions, develop and implement treatment plans, suture wounds, assist in surgery, and provide preventive health counseling. In most states, including North Carolina, PAs also have the authority to prescribe medications.

Work Settings

The PA profession is one of the fastest-growing health careers in North Carolina and across the United States. While most PAs work in family medicine and other primary care specialties, their role has expanded into every medical field and subspecialty. PAs have demonstrated their ability to deliver high-quality care in diverse settings, including remote rural areas, major urban medical centers, private practices, hospitals, public health clinics, managed care organizations, the uniformed services, and other federal agencies. Employers in research, administration, and other non-clinical fields also recognize and utilize the skills of PAs.

Contact ppac@ecu.edu for questions regarding PA Studies.

Application Process

Application to most Physician Assistant programs is a two-phase process. East Carolina University’s PA program participates in the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). The application opens mid-April each year.

Prospective students must submit their application via CASPA by September 1. ECU also requires that students apply to the ECU Graduate School. This deadline is also September 1, however students are strongly encouraged to have applications submitted as early as possible.

ECU conducts interviews as part of the admission process. Interviews take place between August and January.

Documents required for completed application:

  • Transcripts for all attended colleges and university
  • Three letters of reference (sent to CAPSA) from Physicians, PAs, or Nurse Practitioners, Professors, or supervisor during healthcare hours (paid or volunteer)
  • 1000 hours of documented patient contact hours completed by September 1st for early interview
  • ECU’s PA program does not currently require a standardized test for admission.

ECU PA program only accepts NC residents and residents from the bordering states (SC, VA, TN, GA, and Washington, DC).

Admission / Prerequisites

Applicants must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and earn at least a “C” in all prerequisite courses. The program accepts no more than two Cs, and grades of B or higher are recommended for each prerequisite. Ideally, applicants should complete all prerequisite courses within five years of applying. However, meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

The application window runs from May 1st to September 1st for enrollment in the following fall semester. Applicants must complete all prerequisite courses before submitting their application.

To apply for the MS in Physician Assistant Studies, students must hold an undergraduate degree in any field and fulfill the following prerequisites:

  • Principles of Human Anatomy & Physiology –
    BIOL 2140/2141 & Biol 2150/2151 (students must have TWO semesters of Human Anatomy & Physiology)
  • Principles of Microbiology with lab – BIOL 2110/2111 or 3220/3221
  • Statistics – BIOS 1500, MATH 2228, MATH 2283, or PSYC 2101
  • General Chemistry I & II with lab – CHEM 1150/1151 & 1160/1161
  • Psychology – PSYC 1000 or higher
  • Genetics – BIOL 2300
  • Biochemistry (pre-requisite requirement beginning 2026-2027 cycle) – CHEM 3770 (Biological Chemistry) or BIOL 4880 (Principles of Biochemistry)

*One semester of Biochemistry (minimum of 3 semester credit hours) will be a required prerequisite beginning the 2026-2027 admissions cycle. Until the 2026 cycle, we will  continue to give preference to applicants who have completed the course with a B or better. A survey or combined course will not meet this requirement.

AP Credit is only accepted for Psychology and Statistics.

Before COVID-19, applicants needed at least 1,000 hours of clinical experience. While this requirement is currently waived, competitive applicants typically have at least 1,000 hours of patient contact at the time of application submission.

Qualified patient contact hours must involve hands-on experience and direct patient care. Preferred positions include those in medical settings where applicants gain professional experience with a provider who has prescribing privileges. High-quality patient care experiences include roles such as medical scribe, EMT, paramedic, medical assistant, and surgical tech. Shadowing a medical provider (MD, DO, PA, or NP) is also acceptable. The program does not accept positions such as dental assistant, dental hygienist, optometry tech, chiropractor tech, or roles limited to administrative or transport duties. If you have a question regarding your patient care experience, please email paadmissions@ecu.edu.

Resources

Contact ppac@ecu.edu with questions regarding PA Studies.