Admissions — Frequently Asked Questions

Individual appointments by phone or in-person are not available due to the high number of inquiries we receive. The program does hold information sessions several times per year. Please review the prerequisites webpage, which includes a Prerequisite Worksheet. Additionally, there is a list of advisors at local institutions on the left column of the Prerequisite webpage. Feel free to email PA-info@cuanschutz.edu with any course questions after reviewing this information.

We do not review individual transcripts due to the high volume of requests. It is recommended to use the Prerequisite Worksheet on the prerequisites webpage to help you in analyzing your transcript and planning coursework. You may also wish to speak with your college advisor to help you in planning coursework. If you have additional questions after reviewing this information, feel free to email PA-info@cuanschutz.edu.

We do not offer individual campus tours of the Anschutz Medical Campus. You may tour the campus on your own using the Walking Tour Map. The CHA/PA Program only offers campus tours during information sessions. CHA/PA cannot accommodate individual meetings or tours due to the high volume of requests.

Yes, we do accept online and community college courses from an accepted accredited institution. You can see the list of accreditations we accept on the prerequisites webpage. Note that all community college courses cannot be applied to the upper division biology requirement.

We require 6 semester hours (or 9 quarter hours) of upper division biology taken within the last five years. Upper division courses are 300 or 3000 or above. Community colleges offer only lower division courses; therefore, community college courses cannot be applied to the upper division biology requirement. Course numbering systems may vary at some 4-year institutions. Check with your institution’s Registrar or academic advisor if you are unsure whether your courses are upper division.

The only time limit is on upper division biology courses. Upper division biology courses must be completed within the last five years. Coursework fulfilling other prerequisite requirements may be older than 5 years.

See the prerequisites webpage for details on which courses are required before applying and which courses are required before matriculation.

Students must request approval to use any of these courses toward the prerequisites. It is the student's responsibility to send in a course description for review.

Examples of courses that we do not accept towards the biology prerequisites, include but are not limited to, ecology, evolution, biology of fishes, medical terminology, epidemiology, ornithology, public health, pharmacology, ethics, and psychology.

Admissions is aware of many unusual course numbering systems. Yet, to ensure that your upper division courses are appropriately noted and applied to our requirement, email pa-info@cuanschutz.edu  with a link to the course catalog outlining the upper division policy at your university or college.

If you have 6 credits of anatomy and physiology courses, any additional upper-division anatomy and physiology courses can count toward your upper-division biology requirement. However, the same courses can't be used to fulfill both the initial anatomy and physiology credit requirement and the upper-division biology requirement simultaneously.

You must complete any prerequisite courses specified by your university before enrolling in an upper-division course. This ensures that you possess the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for success in more advanced coursework. If you haven't completed the necessary prerequisites, we encourage you to contact your academic advisor.

Please see the prerequisites webpage. See the "Coursework taken outside the U.S." tab for details on courses taken abroad including study abroad. All the science prerequisites must be completed at an accredited college or university in the United States. Foreign transcripts must be evaluated by World Education Services.

All prerequisites must be completed as prescribed on the website. All the science prerequisites must be completed at an accredited college or university in the United States. Foreign transcripts must be evaluated by World Education Services. For more details, see the “Coursework taken outside the U.S.” section (second tab) of the prerequisites webpage.

No, advanced placement refers to a waiver of required coursework in the PA curriculum that would allow a student to advance in the program without completing all required components at the sponsoring institution, for example starting in a later term. The CHA/PA Program does not grant advanced placement under any circumstances.
 
Students in the CHA/PA Program must complete all required courses in the sequence they are offered. No transfer of credit from other medical or PA programs will be accepted to complete or substitute for any required course in the CHA/PA Program curriculum. Furthermore, no advanced placement will be granted for any student to fulfill any course in the CHA/PA Program curriculum.

Completion of prerequisite coursework, strength of the academic record, essays, letters of recommendation and interviews are all strongly considered in the admissions process. Positions are offered to applicants who appear to be the most highly qualified to meet the mission and goals of the program in terms of academic potential and previous achievement, character, motivation and understanding of the profession, and life experience. While we do not require medical experience, exposure to the PA profession through shadowing or other experiences will give you a better understanding of the PA profession. It is also highly recommended to be involved in extracurricular, community service, and volunteer activities. Experiences in a medical clinic or hospital are especially beneficial. Additional upper division biology coursework is also helpful for students as our curriculum is quite rigorous.

CHA/PA does not require medical experience, but it will strengthen your application.  See the Admission Statistics webpage for average hours of accepted students.  You must classify your experiences according to CASPA's guidelines.  See CASPA's website for details. 

No, we do not require the GRE or PA-CAT. See the How to Apply webpage for required materials.

​​CHA/PA does not require a set number of patient hours.  You need to classify your experience according to CASPA's guidelines.  See CASPA's website for details.  All of your experiences will be noted upon file review.

You can submit your supplemental application and fee, CASPA application, and CASPer scores in any order. You can check the supplemental application portal to check which items we have received.

No, you do not need to wait for us to receive your CASPA application or CASPer scores. Submit the supplemental application as soon as you have finished it. The supplemental application is not considered complete until we receive the supplemental application fee.

You will receive an email from CHA/PA once we receive your CASPA application. You can check the supplemental application portal for the status of your CASPA application, supplemental application, test scores, and fee. Once we have received a completed application, you will receive an email confirmation. All interview invitations and application updates are sent through email. Please be sure to make the following emails safe to receive in your email account:bethany.coulter@cuanschutz.edu, michele.martinez@cuanschutz.edu, PA-Info@cuanschutz.edu, and support@caspa.myliaison.com . You should also check your Spam or Junk mail folders periodically to be sure that emails from CHA/PA and CASPA are received.

We review your application once your application is complete with your verified CASPA application. We do not note updates to experience hours after the initial review.

​Yes, we have rolling admissions.  We commonly start receiving completed applications in June and give out a small number of accepted decisions after each Interview Day.

In most cases, no. Applicants submit transcripts through CASPA as part of the application process and should not send official transcripts directly to the CHA/PA Program.

The Chemistry, Anatomy & Physiology, and Upper Division Biology prerequisite coursework must be completed prior to application and included in the CASPA-verified application in order to satisfy these requirements. Coursework that is not verified by CASPA cannot be used to fulfill these requirements.

Official transcripts are generally only requested after an offer of admission has been made. Accepted applicants may be required to submit official transcripts to verify degree conferral and/or completion of any remaining Statistics or Psychology coursework required prior to matriculation.

If the program requires an official transcript, applicants will be contacted directly with instructions.

You are considered a reapplicant if you have submitted a complete application in a prior admission year, which includes the supplemental application and fee and the CASPA application. You will need to submit a new supplemental application and supplemental application fee. See the CASPA website, FAQ section for details on transferring your CASPA application.

It generally takes 5 business days for payments to be reflected on the application.

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We use the cumulative and science GPA as calculated by CASPA. CASPA will calculate both grades into the GPA equally. See the FAQ section of the CASPA website for details on GPA calculation.

We do not recalculate GPAs. We utilize the GPA as calculated by CASPA. Therefore, your GPA’s will be calculated based on the courses you have completed at the time you complete your CASPA application.

We only accept the letters of recommendation submitted through CASPA. We do not accept any letters of recommendation sent by mail.

We require three letters of recommendation submitted through CASPA. We do not have a requirement for specific people to submit these on your behalf. We do suggest that you obtain letters of recommendation from various areas of your life (school, work, volunteering, etc.) and from people who know you well and can attest to who you are and your desire to become a PA. These letters tell us more about you and help us get to know who you are in the various aspects of your life.

We only accept the electronic CASPA application that we receive, as well as your supplemental application filled out online. Be sure to list all relevant experiences you want included in your CASPA application. Additional items submitted will not be considered.

CHA/PA offers additional training in pediatrics, but graduates pursue numerous specialties after graduation. Program graduates are employed in all areas of primary and subspecialty areas of practice including pediatrics, family medicine, orthopedics, surgery, emergency medicine, urgent care, otolaryngology, allergy and asthma, neurology, neonatology, child protection and advocacy, and many more. See the Graduate Statistics webpage for details.

Shadowing is a great way to learn more about the PA Profession. We do not require shadowing experience and do not provide shadowing opportunities. You may consider contacting private medical offices, community clinics, or hospitals to inquire about available opportunities.

In addition to the pediatric curriculum, the three-year curriculum is the result of a focus on clinical experience. Unlike other programs, the CHA/PA program includes clinical experience in both the 1st & 2nd years, as well as a full third year of clinical rotations. Therefore, our students are well prepared to work with a variety of patients in numerous settings.

The 36-month, full-time program starts in the summer semester each year. Orientation and the first week of classes take place in early July. The academic calendar is posted on the website every spring. For more information on the curriculum, see the Program Overview section of the website.

The CHA/PA program is a full-time program. CHA/PA students rarely work during the three-year program due to the demands of coursework and didactic and clinical schedules. If a student does choose to work part-time, employment must not interfere with class or clinical rotations. It is challenging, if not impossible, for a third-year student to work based on clinical rotation scheduling. Classes are generally scheduled between 8 AM and 5 PM, Monday through Friday; however, students may be required to attend early morning, evening, and/or weekend classes and clinical rotations. Clinical rotations may be located anywhere in the extended Denver Metro/Front Range area during the first and second year when didactic classes are in session, and anywhere in Colorado the 3rd year. Students must complete a one-month rural rotation during the third year which may require relocation. Some rotations, especially during third year, may also require you to take night call, work until the "day's patients" are completed, make hospital rounds, and work Saturdays, Sundays or Holidays.