Bachelor of Clinical Health Services Degree Prerequisites

Applicants applying for a Bachelors degree must apply for the didactic year of training at either Yakima, WA or Anchorage, AK. If you attend the first didactic year in Yakima or Anchorage you may still elect to have your clinical year arranged in clinical sites located throughout the WWAMI region.

Applicants interested in getting a first or second bachelors degree must first meet the specific MEDEX stated academic and clinical experience prerequisites.

The only site options for certificate and bachelors students are Yakima, WA. and Anchorage, AK. Students will be eligible for a University of Washington Bachelor of Clinical Health Services degree if you additionally meet the UW admissions requirement for matriculation into a degree pathway If you wish to attend the Anchorage site you can get a bachelors degree through either the UW or the University of Alaska Anchorage.

MEDEX Prerequisites for the Bachelors of Clinical Health Services option in
Yakima, WA and Anchorage, AK:

MEDEX Clinical Experience Requirement:

Minimum of two (2) years of paid, recent, full-time equivalent, hands-on experience in the direct delivery of medical care to patients (approximately 4,000 hours); examples might be LPN, RN, Paramedic, Corpsman, OR Current professional credentials and at least two (2) years of paid, recent full-time experience in an allied health field, such as medical technology, X-ray technology, pharmacy, etc. For more information on allied health fields please visit the American Medical Association / Careers in Health Care website.

Our strongest candidates are those with some experience in direct patient care. If you are considering a career in an allied health field, consider a profession that includes opportunities to work directly in patient care. If you are already in a field that does not have much direct patient care, volunteer experience is a great way to supplement your 4000+ paid experience hours.

Clinical experience can be calculated up to the October 1st application deadline date. You must have the minimum two years fulltime equivalent experience by that date to be eligible to apply in this admission cycle. Experience must be from paid position(s), not volunteer work with the exception of paramedic and EMT experience when the emergency services are only provided on a volunteer basis. Clinical experience gained through a training program as a student does not count toward satisfying the 4,000+ hour requirement.

We strongly encourage spending time as a volunteer and shadowing a PA as it is valuable experience and adds to an understanding of the PA role in healthcare and expands the understanding of primary care. Again, volunteer experience is a great way to supplement your experience but does not replace any clinical paid time.

Human Anatomy and Physiology:

Completion of college-level coursework in both human anatomy and physiology which, when combined, totals at least 10 quarter credit hours (or 6 semester credits). Courses must be in human A&P, and must cover both anatomy and physiology. Each course applying towards this prerequisite must have a minimum grade of B- (2.7-CASPA) or better. We recommend a cadaver/pro-section lab if available because the MEDEX A & P course does not include a lab. Current students have found the MEDEX online A & P course to be challenging and felt they would have benefited from a physiology course within the last 5 years.

One College-Level Science Course.

A minimum of 5 quarter credits or 3 semester credits in a course relevant to medicine, i.e. biology, chemistry, microbiology, etc., with a minimum grade of B- (2.7-CASPA) or better. We strongly recommend that, once you have satisfied the MEDEX science prerequisite, you continue to take basic science courses.

Two (2) College-Level English Courses

Both English courses must be 100 level or higher. At least one of these must be a composition course. Speech courses are not acceptable, and CLEP scores do not substitute for an actual English course with a satisfactory grade. AP credit will satisfy this requirement as long as it appears on an official college transcript. Each course applying towards this prerequisite must have a minimum grade of B- (2.7-CASPA) or better. English courses taken in foreign countries are considered as English as a Second Language (ESL) unless taken in Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United Kingdom.

In an attempt to fulfill the prerequisites for the MEDEX Northwest program many of you may be looking for on line or distance learning programs to satisfy the requirements. Click here for a list of some community colleges that may offer the program you need throughout their academic year. Please check with the school you are interested in to confirm that the courses you need are available.

Each of our perquisite courses must be taken as "stand alone" courses, separate from any prior training program.
Courses can be taken at any nationally accredited community college or university for a grade. This may include some college courses completed on-line but check the accreditation of the on-line institution before registering for course

Knowledge of, and Commitment to the PA Role in Health Care:

Your understanding of the PA role can be demonstrated through your work, volunteer and shadowing experiences, your personal statement and your references.