Northwest Georgia’s first physician associate (PA) program
The Berry College Physician Associate Program is a 127-credit hour, 24-month residential PA program in northwest Georgia. The plan is to open Morgan-Bailey Hall, our state-of-the-art health sciences building, in time to welcome the first PA class. We accept one cohort annually, which begins each August (the first cohort is anticipated in 2025). Upon successfully completing the program, students will earn a Master of Medical Science — Physician Associate degree. We will guide our students through a comprehensive and dynamic curriculum designed to equip them with the knowledge, skills and values necessary for a successful career as a Physician Associate. Our program fosters a collaborative learning environment that encourages curiosity, critical thinking and a commitment to excellence in patient care.
IMPORTANT: Should there be a difference between the College’s materials on other Berry web pages and the PA Program’s web pages, the PA Program will take precedence.
About the Program
Note from the Program Director
Victoria Galloway
"I am excited to contribute to Berry’s legacy of service. The Berry PA Program will actualize our motto, 'not to be ministered unto, but to minister,' first expressed by founder Martha Berry. I look forward to building the PA Program from the ground up, creating a curriculum that meets the needs of today’s healthcare industry and working with a dedicated team of faculty and staff to develop a culture of excellence."
Admission Requirements
Beginning in 2024, the Berry PA Program CASPA will open in late April with on-site interviews beginning September through Spring annually for an upcoming August matriculation - SEE FULL DETAILS. Please review all information on our site including the FAQ below, as many of your questions will be answered here.
General Requirements | Technical Standards | Tuition, Costs & Aid
The PA Program Team
Director of Clinical Education, Clinical Assistant Professor
Beth Gaines, MHS, PA-C
With 20 years in the field, Beth Gaines brings a wealth of clinical experience to her position, having worked in pediatrics, family medicine, asthma and allergy, and hematology/oncology. She has guided students through the clinical aspects of PA education, precepting or orienting new PAs in the hematology/oncology practice for more than a decade. Deeply committed to educating patients and their families, Professor Gaines believes that providing the best possible care for a patient entails not only treating the physical condition but also addressing emotional, social and cultural considerations.
Building Strong Foundations
The Berry PA Program policies apply to all students enrolled in the Berry Physician Associate (PA) Program and to its program director, principal faculty, and instructional faculty. Berry College reserves the right to make changes in any or all specifications contained herein at any time and to apply such revision to registered and accepted students as well as to new admissions. (A3.01)
Frequently Asked Questions
- AAPA Definition: PAs (physician associates/physician assistants) are licensed clinicians who practice medicine in every specialty and setting. For more information: https://www.aapa.org/about/what-is-a-pa/
- The Berry PA Program strongly encourages all potential applicants to review the below links to learn more about our profession and professional organizations.
- American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA): https://www.aapa.org/
- The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA): https://www.nccpa.net/
- PA History Society: https://pahx.org/who-are-we/
- Georgia Association of PAs: https://georgiapa.wildapricot.org/
- Health-care-related experience is required.
- Patient contact and/or clinical experiences may include health-related, patient care, research, shadowing and volunteer experiences as defined by CASPA Experiences (Liaisonedu.com).
- There is no minimum number of hours required. Generally, competitive applicants should have at least 500 accrued patient contact and/or clinical experience hours at the time of application submission. This requirement will be reviewed holistically with the candidate's application and compared to the applicant pool at the time of application.
Students are responsible for obtaining their own housing in the area during the didactic phase of the curriculum. Students should have access to a personal vehicle. Since some clinical rotation sites may be outside of Rome, students should expect to be assigned to these sites and should anticipate the need to find housing in these areas during the clinical portion of the program. The clinical team will work with AHEC about potential housing at these away sites; however, neither AHEC nor the program guarantees housing.
Prior to matriculation, students must hold current certification in American Heart Association Basic Life Support (AHA BLS).
No. Prerequisite courses have been selected in consideration of adequate preparation for the rigor of PA education and are in line with typical PA program prerequisites for US-based PA programs.
- Prerequisite Course Grade and GPA requirement - All prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of 'C' or higher, and all applicants must have a cumulative Prerequisite Course Grade Point Average (as calculated by CASPA) of 3.0 or higher. Must be taken within last 5 years.
- Cumulative Science GPA Requirement (Biology, Chemistry, Physics or BCP courses) - All applicants must have a cumulative overall BCP Course Grade Point Average (as calculated by CASPA) of 3.2 or higher.
- Cumulative Overall GPA Requirement - All applicants must have a cumulative overall Grade Point Average (calculated by CASPA) of 3.0 or higher for all undergraduate and graduate courses.
- NOTE: Higher GPA will result in higher weighting on the Berry PA Program admissions rubric.
- All candidates must submit unofficial GRE scores to CASPA at time of their application and official scores by time of interview.
- MCAT and PCAT scores are not accepted in place of GRE scores.
- There is no minimum score requirement. Scores will be reviewed holistically with the candidate's application and compared to the applicant pool.
- GRE must be taken within five years of date of application.
- Berry PA Program GRE Designated Institution (DI) Code 1269
To ensure that the Physician Associate student gets the most out of the student’s education, the program assesses each student’s engagement with the coursework, learning activities and outcomes. If attendance and participation expectations are not met, this may result in the inability of the student to meet the learning outcomes and require disciplinary measures (as per the student handbook). Excessive absences from the required in-person activities may result in failure of courses and dismissal from the program. This policy is designed to ensure that the student receives the training they need to be a successful PA.
Please contact Polly Evans-Thomas, Program Manager (admissions coordinator), at pevansthomas@berry.edu or 706.238.7889.