The Yale School of Medicine and Yale University fully support the Physician Assistant Online Program and are actively addressing the concerns raised by the ARC-PA. We have successfully responded to four of five areas of concern, and are confident the remaining issue will be resolved.

Yes. Accreditation-Probation is a temporary accreditation status initially of not less than two years.

The program will continue to admit students during its regular admissions cycle. The program may admit future cohorts under the current Accreditation-Probation status.

There is no change to didactic or clinical instruction under this status. The program will continue to deliver an innovative didactic and clinical rotation experience for every student in the program.

The program will continue to provide the resources necessary to our students, past and present.

There is no effect on your degree. You still will earn an MMSc degree once you meet the degree requirements and will be awarded your degree as scheduled.

Yes. The program is fully accredited, which allows all program graduates to take the PANCE.

Yes. The primary requirements for licensure are graduation from an accredited program and NCCPA certification. The program remains fully accredited

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA Website.

No. The Yale Physician Assistant Online Program and Yale Physician Associate Program are two separate programs.  The Yale Physician Associate Program’s current accreditation status is Accreditation-Continued.

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The Yale PA Online Program is the hybrid Master of Medical Science program from Yale School of Medicine. Yale PA Online prepares students to excel in the medical field as physician assistants (PAs).

Unlike many other online programs, Yale PA Online Program students meet in live classes each week to engage with faculty members and fellow students. Coursework is delivered through a multimedia format, and the curriculum takes an organ-systems approach to medicine.

Yale PA Online also has a dedicated clinical placement team that works in partnership with program faculty and staff to locate qualified clinical rotation sites in or near students’ communities. Students spend 16 months in these clinical trainings and also attend three on-campus immersions. Additionally, the Clinical Experience in Early Didactic (CEED) provides first-year students in the Yale PA Online Program with 120+ hours of direct patient care experience in the didactic year.

The mission statement of Yale University begins: “Yale is committed to improving the world today and for future generations through outstanding research and scholarship, education, preservation, and practice.” Yale School of Medicine believes creating the Yale PA Online Program aligns with this ideal. One reason is that we know the United States will need many more physician assistants. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that between 2020 and 2030, the country will need to grow its workforce by 31 percent, which represents roughly 40,100 jobs.¹

While we obviously will not solve this problem on our own, Yale School of Medicine is confident the students we educate in the Yale PA Online Program will grow to become leaders in this critical health care field and will have an impact nationally.

The didactic year curriculum is delivered online, and includes live weekly class sessions, opportunities to meet with faculty, assessments, and tests. The clinical year includes rotations in students’ home communities as well as supplemental material online.

The program is only available on a full-time basis. Due to the time-intensive nature of the program, students should expect to commit to the program full-time. While the asynchronous lectures may be completed at the student’s own schedule each week, there are synchronous components, class meetings, additional work outside of lectures, and clinical experiences that require availability during the week. Students have estimated that the program demands are 40–60 hours per week.

The program is structured to be completed in 28 consecutive months.

Due to the labor- and time-intensive nature of the program, students are strongly discouraged from working while enrolled. Any student who chooses to work while in the program is expected to attend scheduled classes and fulfill all stated activities of the program. A student who chooses to work may not switch classes, labs, or clinical rotations to accommodate their work schedule.

If the student’s academic or clinical performance falls below the minimum program standard, the Program Director may recommend a student’s termination of employment. This recommendation will be made in writing and placed in the student’s file.

Students are not at any time required to perform work duties for the PA Online Program or substitute for or function as instructional faculty.

Students are not permitted to substitute for clinical or administrative staff during supervised clinical practice experiences. Violation of these policies will result in a referral to the program for review and discussion with the clinical site.

Students are not permitted to receive compensation for work completed during CEED.

Yes, students must complete three immersion experiences. Immersions will allow students to develop hands-on clinical skills, work in small groups, meet classmates, be tested on training skills, and interact in person with faculty and staff. Students also work in the Yale Center for Healthcare Simulation. The first and second immersions are in person and occur in term one and term three of the didactic year. The third immersion is mainly remote but concludes with an in-person program graduation ceremony. Students are also welcome to participate in the University wide commencement ceremony in May. Travel, hotel, and food costs for immersions are the student’s responsibility and are included in the student budget.

Classes are kept small with only 12–15 students.

While the Yale PA Online Program does not have specializations, students take three elective clinical rotations to gain experience in additional areas of medicine.

We encourage applicants to research the requirements specific to their home state. Please visit the NCCPA website for more information about specific states.

First time pass rates are available on our Accreditation, Board Certification, and Attrition page.

Attrition and graduation rates are available on our Accreditation, Board Certification, and Attrition page.

Visit the PA on-campus program website for more information.

Yes, your records are safe. Yale PA Online follows the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which affords students certain rights with respect to their education records.

AAPA has information about each state’s licensing requirements. The Yale PA Online Program provides current students with membership to AAPA throughout their time in the program to research licensing requirements and stay up to date with changes.

While each student’s experience in PA school is different, roughly about half of our cohort each year is married and/or has children. The online didactic curriculum lends itself to flexibility and our scheduled curriculum demands about 6-10 hours a week for face-to-face learning experiences.  Also, in some instances, a one-time parental/medical leave may be available.  It is however important to note that while students are not attending classes all day, they are still expected to be available and free of distraction as needed from 8-5pm ET.  Our students report that the amount of dedicated weekly effort is about 40-60 hours per week outside of CEED and PBL.

The Clery Reports on Campus Public Safety contain three years’ worth of campus crime statistics and certain security policy statements, fire safety information, and information about where students, faculty, and staff should go to report crimes. The report uses federally mandated definitions concerning the locations and types of crimes in order to allow for comparisons across campuses.

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Yes, applicants are required to have completed a minimum of 500 patient-care experience hours (paid). Hours worked in a health care environment but in an administrative capacity are not considered.

The Yale PA Online Program does not require applicants to submit any standardized test scores.

People who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents are not eligible for the program.

Due to the difficulty in locating appropriate placements internationally, U.S. citizens living abroad are ineligible for the program. Applicants who will be living in the United States (50 states or the District of Columbia) before their desired cohort begins are eligible to apply.

Qualified candidates will be invited to interview once the Admissions Committee has reviewed the completed application. These candidates will be notified with ample time to schedule the interview. Interviews are offered on a rolling basis and are conducted online.

In addition to CASPA fees, there is an additional $50 non-refundable supplemental fee paid to the Yale Physician Assistant Online Program. This fee must be paid through the supplemental fee portal. Additional information regarding CASPA application fees can be found in the CASPA portal.

Fee waivers for the CASPA application are available through CASPA.

Applicants who received a CASPA fee waiver also will receive a fee waiver for the supplemental application fee.

Applicants who graduated (or are expected to graduate) from a Historically Black College or University, Tribal College, or Hispanic-Serving Institution (as Defined by the Department of Education) will receive a supplemental fee waiver. 

The program’s values, which include JEDI, guide how the program’s mission is achieved. The program’s commitment to JEDI is elucidated in our climate, policy and curriculum. Learn more about our commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

Yes. You can see the full list of requirements on the Application Prerequisites page.

Applicants must have a cumulative undergraduate science GPA of at least 3.0 and a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 to be considered for the program.

The Yale PA Online Program will only consider transfer applications from students who have educational benefits through the Veterans Administration. Because of a limited number of available positions, the Yale Physician Assistant Online Program will only consider applications for transfer admissions under exceptional circumstances. Eligible transfer applicants will be evaluated by the Admissions Committee, with decisions based on academic credentials, supporting material, and the need to transfer. An interview may be warranted. 

Transfer into the second year and advanced standing is possible only from a physician assistant program with a didactic curriculum comparable with the Yale Physician Assistant Online Program curriculum.

Advanced standing for prior undergraduate graduate course work, including prerequisites, or clinical experience is not granted.

Our program is not intended for individuals who already possess a medical degree. We do not enroll students who have already completed a medical course of study in a foreign institution.

Applicants have until October 1st to complete their application, which includes letters of recommendation, transcripts, and all other requirements. Note that incomplete applications are not reviewed by the Admissions Committee.

Visit our Application Requirements page for a full breakdown of admissions requirements. Contact your Admissions Counselor with any additional questions you may have.

The Yale PA Online Program does not accept nor evaluate coursework taken at international institutions. Therefore, a WES evaluation is not required at the time of application. On a case-by-case basis we may require the course-by-course evaluation from WES upon matriculation.

If admitted to the program, students will need to submit a non-refundable enrollment deposit, complete a background check and drug screen, fulfill the university’s health and immunization requirements (compliant with CDC requirements), and meet the program’s technical standards with approved reasonable accommodation. 

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With activity and technology fees, we estimate the total cost of the 28-month Yale PA Online Program at $115,052. Note that this figure should only be used for estimation purposes as tuition rates are reassessed each academic year.

A moderate tuition increase can be expected in the fall of each year.

We encourage you to review the financial aid requirements at https://medicine.yale.edu/md-program/financialaid/paprogram/. If you have additional questions, contact ysmfinaid@yale.edu with questions about financial aid.

Scholarships are available from numerous organizations external to Yale School of Medicine.

You can see our tuition refund policy on the Tuition and Financial Aid page.

Yale PA Online does not currently offer need-based or merit-based scholarships. However, U.S. citizens and permanent residents can apply for financial aid, which is based on federal student loans, through Yale School of Medicine once they receive an offer of acceptance and have remitted the non-refundable seat deposit. In addition to applying for federal education loans, students may explore alternative scholarship opportunities. For more information about applying for financial aid and exploring alternative opportunities, go to the Tuition and Financial Aid page.

Yale’s FAFSA code is 001426.

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Students complete their rotations in health care settings such as inpatient hospitals, operating rooms, emergency rooms, private practice offices, nursing homes/long-term care facilities, and psychiatric facilities. Our specialists will attempt to place students near their home communities, however, students may need to travel to complete rotations if there are no sites available that meet Yale’s standards while allowing the student to remain in their community. Any costs related to travel, housing, or food for distant clinical sites are the responsibility of the student.

No. At no time are students required to identify or obtain clinical training sites for their education. Students may make recommendations to the program, but only the PA Online Program can assign students to a given site during a specific time frame.

Yale PA Online students can expect to dedicate 40 hours or more per week to each rotation.

Weekends and weeknight placements are not the norm, but certain rotations require the student to work nonstandard shifts and weekends as part of the clinical year experience.

The Yale PA Online field placement team will make every effort to find appropriate clinical rotation sites based on your needs, but the number of options for students who do not drive or cannot use public transportation is limited. A lack of transportation may delay your placement.

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¹U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Physician Assistants Job Outlookarrow_upwardReturn to footnote reference