MEDEX

Department Overview

Suite 200, Roosevelt Commons

MEDEX Northwest, established in 1969, has the long-standing mission to train health care providers who will practice primary care in medically underserved and rural areas of the UW School of Medicine's service region (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho -- or WWAMI). MEDEX also has a formal agreement to train students from Nevada.

Undergraduate Program

Bachelor of Clinical Health Sciences

Admission Requirements

Candidates for the Bachelor of Clinical Health Services degree are admitted to the University of Washington at the junior-year level. They pursue an eight-quarter sequence of prescribed studies in the MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant Training Program. Admission to the professional training program is competitive, administered by MEDEX Northwest within the School of Medicine. Because of the program's emphasis on prior medical experience, the great majority of applicants are working adults who have completed their pre-professional undergraduate coursework at other colleges and universities.

MEDEX students must be admitted into the bachelor's option during the time of their physician assistant training in order for their MEDEX coursework to be considered as matriculated credits. Matriculation in the Bachelor of Clinical Health Services degree option is dependent upon both admission to the University and acceptance by MEDEX Northwest. For additional information, contact MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant Program, Box 354980, 206-616-4001.

General Education Requirements

1. Proficiency: English composition (5 credits);Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning (4/5 credits)
2. Areas of Knowledge (40 credits): At least 10 credits each in Visual, Literary, and Performing Arts (VLPA); Individuals and Societies (I & S); and Natural World (NW). No more than 5 of the remaining 10 credits may come from one of the three fields.
3. Additional credits, beyond the major requirements shown below, to bring the minimum total to 180 credits.

Major Requirement

129 credits as follows:

MEDEX 450 (6 credits), MEDEX 451 (6), MEDEX 452 (6), MEDEX 453 (5), MEDEX 454 (7), MEDEX 455 (7), MEDEX 456 (3), MEDEX 457 (2), MEDEX 458 (2), MEDEX 459 (2), MEDEX 460 (3), MEDEX 461 (3), MEDEX 462 (3), MEDEX 463 (19), MEDEX 465 (19), MEDEX 466 (19), MEDEX 467 (19), MEDEX 468 (2), MEDEX 469 (2), MEDEX 470 (1), MEDEX 471 (1), MEDEX 472 (1), MEDEX 473 (1), MEDEX 474 (1), MEDEX 475 (1). These courses are taken over eight quarters, not all in numerical order. (Although MEDEX 450 and MEDEX 451 must be taken the first summer quarter of the program, they do not count toward the 180 credits required for the Bachelor of Clinical Health Services degree. The remaining 129 credits shown in this paragraph constitute the major for this degree.)

Physician Assistant Training

Course Requirements

141 credits as follows:

MEDEX 450 (6), MEDEX 451 (6), MEDEX 452 (6), MEDEX 453 (5), MEDEX 454 (7), MEDEX 455 (7), MEDEX 456 (3), MEDEX 457 (2), MEDEX 458 (2), MEDEX 459 (2), MEDEX 460 (3), MEDEX 461 (3), MEDEX 462 (3), MEDEX 463 (19), MEDEX 465 (19), MEDEX 466 (19), MEDEX 467 (19), MEDEX 468 (2), MEDEX 469 (2), MEDEX 470 (1), MEDEX 471 (1), MEDEX 472 (1), MEDEX 473 (1), MEDEX 474 (1), MEDEX 475 (1). These courses are taken over a period of eight quarters, not all in numerical order.

Graduate Program

Master in Clinical Health Services

Offered through MEDEX Northwest and the UW School of Medicine, the Extended Master of Clinical Health Services (EMCHS) for physician assistants is designed for professionals who have worked as PAs for at least two years and hold a bachelor's degree. The EMCHS helps students assume leadership roles through the development of skills and techniques needed to manage the rapidly changing world of health care.

Admission Requirements

1. Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or equivalent foreign institution.
2. Minimum 3.00 GPA for the most recent two years of full-time equivalent coursework (90 quarter or 60 semester credits).
3. Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C) by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
4. An official transcript from the college or university of the highest degree obtained by the applicant.
5. An official letter of support from current employer.
6. International applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency.

Degree Requirements

42 credits, as follows:

1. Courses: MEDEX 510, MEDEX 511, MEDEX 512, MEDEX 513, MEDEX 521, MEDEX 522, MEDEX 523, MEDEX 524, MEDEX 525, MEDEX 528, MEDEX 531, MEDEX 532, MEDEX 533, MEDEX 536, MEDEX 537, MEDEX 538, focused study (5 credits)
2. Minimum grade of 2.7 in all required courses.
3. Minimum GPA of 3.00 in all required courses.