A smiling UMR student with curly hair, in a lab coat, a blue shirt, and a red stethoscope against a neutral background.

Physician Assistant

The 3+2 degree program is offered in educational collaboration with Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.

About the Program

The 3+2 Physician Assistant program is now an accelerated pathway designed to save students time and money as they prepare for a career as a Physician Assistant. The program is open only to University of Minnesota Rochester (UMR) students applying during their junior year.

Students submit a letter of interest during their first year at UMR, then apply to the 3+2 program in the fall of their junior year. Those admitted begin taking PA coursework at Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences (MCSHS), which also fulfills their senior capstone requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences.

During the fifth year, students complete the Master of Health Sciences in PA Studies through MCSHS.

Learn more about the MCSHS PA Program and take the first steps toward becoming a PA.

**In partnership with Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences, this program is open to U.S. workers in the four categories below. Therefore, visa sponsorship is not available.

  • U.S. citizens
  • U.S. nationals
  • Lawful permanent residents
  • Asylees and refugees

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Ideal Candidate

  • Applicants must complete all PA-required prerequisite courses with a grade of “B” or better. 
  • Science GPA in Biology/Chemistry courses at or above 3.5 GPA by the end of the spring semester in year 3 (before matriculation).
  • Cumulative GPA at or above 3.5 GPA by the end of the spring semester in year 3 (before matriculation).
  • Strong knowledge of and passion for the PA profession.
  • Preference given to students who can demonstrate the following:
    • Maturity
    • Compassion and service
    • Resilience
    • Leadership
    • Commitment to practice locally
    • Military service

Application questions

Applications to the 3+2 PA program require supplemental questions. The following questions were required for the 2025-2026 application year*:

  • Tell us what motivated you to choose a career as a physician assistant and how this major aligns with your long-term career aspirations.
  • Describe a specific experience where you demonstrated compassion, resilience or integrity? How did you handle the situation and what was the outcome?
  • Describe an instance where your skills or expertise influenced a team’s decision. What steps did you take, and what was the result?
 
*Questions are subject to change annually

Accreditation Notice

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences Physician Assistant Studies Program sponsored by the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.

Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be September 2034. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.

Learn more about the program’s accreditation history.