brown concrete structure near green leaved trees under blue sky

Connecticut PA Schools and What Makes Each One Amazing!

brown concrete structure near green leaved trees under blue sky
Posted on January 31, 2023 By katiebean84Comments Off on Connecticut PA Schools and What Makes Each One Amazing!
brown concrete structure near green leaved trees under blue sky

We are back again with a PA school by state feature! Below are Connecticut PA schools and what makes each one unique!

As you know, every PA school requires something just a little bit different in their application process. In the same way, each school has their own spin on how they teach their PA students. So not only are pre-PA requirements different, but teaching style, curriculum, clinical rotations, PA program values and mission statements, and what each school emphasizes completely varies from one PA school to the next. 

Which is why we want to show you PA schools that you may not have considered. Have a passion for serving the underserved? What about leadership? Rural medicine? Are you a hands-on or problem based learner? Dying for a cadaver lab?

You will be excited to know that PA schools are incredibly diverse and you can definitely find schools that match YOU and your interests and passions!

So here are the PA schools in Connecticut and what makes each one special:

First up, is Quinnipiac University PA Program in Hamden, CT. This school:

  • Emphasizes teaching cultural awareness so graduates are well-equipped to see and treat diverse populations. 
  • Strong value of diversity in applicants.
  • Higher than average minimum requirements for applicants, including minimum GPAs of 3.2 and at least 2,000 hours of patient care experience (PCE). So, if you shine in these categories, definitely take a look at this school.
  • Clinical immersions during your first year where you are paired with a licensed healthcare worker for half a day every week to start applying what you are learning in didactic
  • Volunteer opportunities throughout the program. This PA school has a Urban Service Track program that students can participate in and which provides medical services to underserved patients in the state.
  • Medical writing workshop and journal club class in didactic year
  • Ranked 15th best PA school by U.S. News & World Report and #1 in the stat of Connecticut
  • Students in collaboration with faculty host their own podcast called Short White Coat Syndrome: A PA Student Podcast 
  • Military friendly

Next up is Sacred Heart University PA Program in Fairfield, CT. They feature: 

  • Small class size of 42 students with a focus on in-person, hands-on learning.
  • Medical Spanish course in the didactic year.
  • Has an extended clinical phase of 15 months versus the traditional 12 months that most other PA schools have. Consists of ten 5-week rotations. One of the core rotations is an orthopedic rotation, which at many other programs is considered an elective.
  • Integrative curriculum style with an organ-based systems approach.
  • Have a Masters of Science in PA Studies Club for their PA students promoting student success and offering various activities that students can participate in. 
  • Offer a dual degree program – a Bachelor’s Masters of Science of PA Studies to obtain both your Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree

The University of Bridgeport Physician Assistant Institute in Bridgeport, CT is now up! This school:

  • Value diversity and a global perspective which we love! Students can participate in an annual global health trip to serve an underserved area in an international destination. Past cohorts have served in areas such as Peru and Guatemala. 
  • Offer a Bruce Fichandler scholarship to PA students who demonstrate leadership, community service, professionalism and extracurricular participation.
  • PA students participate in the Challenge Bowl at both the state and national level. If you haven’t heard of the PA Challenge Bowl, this is a high energy medical game show where teams of PA students from PA schools all around the country compete against each other to win the bowl!
  • This school welcomes a large number of first generation college students, so if you are the first in your family to attend upper education, look into this PA school.
  • On site cadaver lab.
  • Excellent first time PANCE pass rate 98%.
  • Small class size of 40 students.

University of Saint Joseph PA Program is the next CT PA school on the list. This program in West Hartford, CT has: 

  • Fantastic PANCE pass rate of 100%
  • Accept a combination of experience hours, a minimum of any combination of 250 hours in volunteering, paid or volunteer patient care experience (PCE), shadowing, and clinical research. So if you are a candidate with great volunteer hours, but not many PCE hours or you have a lot of research experience, but not as many hours in another category, this would be a great school to look into.
  • Preference for graduates with an undergrad degree from USJ – given guaranteed interview.
  • Brand new state-of-the-art facilities.

Yale University Physician Associate Program is located in New Haven, CT. This is the in-person program (the online/hybrid program is featured below).

  • Small class size of 40 PA students.
  • International rotation opportunities which is one of our favorite things! We love globally focused PA programs!
  • Interesting prerequisite of interpersonal skills. Besides all the other typical prereqs and recommendations like courses, shadowing, experience hours, etc., Yale PA Program also evaluates pre-PAs on their awareness of the PA role and commitment to the PA career.
  • Offer a joint PA/Master’s of Public Health degree in 39 months. If you have a passion for public health, this is a great school to see if you match with.
  • Students participate in Interprofessional Longitudinal Clinical Experience (ILCE) course during the didactic year. Lasting 7 months, this course includes first year students from Yale School of Medicine and Yale PA Program, where students collaborate and work together.
  • During the clinical year, students also participate in a Practice Enhancement course, which is a longitudinal course that continues to develop student knowledge and skills, such as hands-on skill training and simulations. Students also have the opportunity to earn additional certifications such as Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT training) for providing care to patients with opioid use disorder. 

Yale University Physician Assistant Online Program has one of the more unique curriculums of any PA school in the U.S.

  • Hybrid curriculum in which PA students participate in online courses in addition to three in-person immersions throughout the year. This allows students to learn in their own communities without having to relocate for PA school.
  • Applicants must have achieved B or higher in prerequisite coursework which is higher than the typical C’s that other PA schools require.
  • Organ system based curriculum and students have CEED, or clinical experiences in early didactic year to apply didactic learning and skills early.
  • Clinical rotations or near or in the students home community.
  • During clinicals, students have access to continuing medical education, or CME, courses.

There you have it! Connecticut has some incredible PA programs! 

Maybe one of these PA schools will make it on your CASPA application.

We can’t wait to hear where you end up applying to.

Make sure your PA school application stands out and catches the attention of PA schools. There is absolutely, definitely, without a doubt, a correct way and an incorrect way to apply to PA school. To land an interview, your PA school application must be competitive. Check out our CASPA App Editing and Zoom Feedback service and apply with confidence that you have your strongest, most competitive PA school application!