MEDEX Northwest Master's Degree Prerequisite Information:

Applicants applying for the Master's program in 2010 must have a prior bachelors degree or be able to verify completion of a Bachelors degree by Dec. 2009. Please refer to the following list of prerequisites to assist in your planning for MCHS option.

Although the academic prerequisites have changed for applicants interested in the Masters degree option MEDEX continues to focus on recruiting and educating experienced health personnel from diverse backgrounds.

MEDEX Prerequisites for the Masters of Clinical Health Services option in
Seattle and Spokane, WA:

• Clinical Experience: 2 Years (4000 hours) minimum
• Baccalaureate Degree (no major preference)
• 10 quarter (6 semester) credits in human Anatomy and Physiology (prefered with in the last 5 years).
  Minimum GPA 2.7 (B-) per class.
• 15 quarter (9 semester) credits in other medically related sciences, i.e. biology, microbiology, chemistry.
  Minimum GPA 2.7 (B-) per class.

Applicants must meet the MEDEX Masters prerequisites to proceed to the next stage of the admissions process. Please do not apply to the UW Graduate School at this time. We will provide details about how and when to apply through Graduate Admissions during the interview and selection process.

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 direcly 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.

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

Additional Graduate School Requirements:

• If invited to interview you will need to apply to the UW Graduate School
• Overall minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher for the last 2 years (90 quarter or 60 semester credits) coursework
• GRE (required by UW Graduate School) within the last 5 years

  • UW Institution code 4854. Please complete the GRE by mid - September or mid - October.
• TOEFL required by UW Graduate School for foreign applicants who did not complete a bachelor's degree at an institution in the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or Canada.

Master of Clinical Health Services Areas of Focus:

All students will continue to participate in the core curriculum, which focuses on primary care and improving health care access for the medically underserved. Specific graduate level assignments will be woven throughout the regular P.A. curriculum.  In addition, students entering the master's-level program will select a specific Areas of Focus offering advanced skills and knowledge in their chosen focus area. Students will declare their pathway choice during the didactic phase of training. The four Focus Areas are:

Program timing:

With the addition of the Master's specific coursework the MEDEX Masters program will be a total of nine (9) quarters. The additional quarter will be the summer quarter between the didactic and clinical year with required courses being mostly on-line.