In this episode of Admissions Straight Talk, host Dr. Valerie Wherley speaks with Thomas O’Shea, PhD, MEd, director of administrative and student services for the University of Iowa Physician Assistant (PA) Program. Their conversation offers an inside look at Iowa’s 28-month program, including its small cohort, integrated PA and MD didactic curriculum, “triple helix” curriculum model, learning communities, alumni network, and admissions priorities.

Small PA Cohort Size

The University of Iowa PA Program admits 25 students each August. That small class size allows the program to know students well and provide support throughout the didactic and clinical phases. At the same time, PA students are part of the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine and benefit from the larger University of Iowa Health Care system.

Strong Faculty Support and Numerous Clinical Opportunities

Dr. O’Shea explains that the program has five full-time PA faculty members, but students also learn from faculty across the Carver College of Medicine. Clinical opportunities include the University of Iowa Health Care system, the nearby VA system, local partners, and more than 200 additional affiliated sites across Iowa, the Midwest, the United States, and international locations. During the clinical year, roughly 40% of student experiences are local or within about 45 minutes of Iowa City.

Preparation for Team-Based Care with an Integrated Curriculum

One of this PA program’s most distinctive features is its integration with the MD curriculum. During the didactic phase, PA students learn alongside MD and MD-PhD students. Dr. O’Shea explains the thinking behind this model simply: these future clinicians will work side by side after graduation, so their education should help them understand one another’s roles, reasoning, and perspectives early.

That team-based approach continues through interprofessional education. PA students work on case-based projects with students in medicine, physical therapy, pharmacy, nursing, public health, speech-language pathology, and dentistry. The goal is not for PA students to lose their professional identity but to understand what PAs bring to the table while also learning how other members of the care team think and contribute.

Curriculum Focus: Science, Skills, and the Human Side of Medicine

Iowa’s curriculum follows a three-strand, or “triple helix,” model: Mechanisms of Health and Disease, Clinical and Professional Skills, and Medicine and Society. 

The Medicine and Society strand gives students space to examine who they are, what they value, and how those values will shape their work as clinicians. Dr. O’Shea describes this strand as a humanistic approach to medicine. Students consider local, state, regional, national, and international populations while examining health through clinical science, social determinants of health, environment, genetics, life choices, and other factors. For applicants, this is a useful reminder: PA programs are not only asking whether you can master rigorous science. They are also asking whether you can see patients in context and provide compassionate care.

Qualities of Competitive Applicants: Self-Awareness, Academic Readiness, and Strong Experiences

Dr. O’Shea’s admissions advice starts with self-awareness. Before applying, make sure you meet the program’s minimum requirements, including GPA, science GPA, prerequisite, experience, and recommendation requirements. Submitting an application that does not meet the stated minimums wastes an applicant’s time and money.

Beyond the minimums, Iowa University’s Department of Physician Assistant Studies and Services looks for evidence of academic readiness, meaningful healthcare experience, engagement outside the classroom, and reflection. Dr. O’Shea encourages applicants to identify one or two experiences from academics, healthcare, and extracurricular involvement and then explain why those experiences matter, what they taught them, and how they will help them become stronger clinicians.

Dr. Wherley adds that building this kind of profile takes time. If a gap year or two gives you the experience, maturity, and reflection needed to submit a stronger application, that time can be worthwhile. Dr. O’Shea agrees: gap years can help applicants grow and learn more about themselves before entering PA school.

Related Resources

• University of Iowa Physician Assistant Program
• University of Iowa PA Program Admission Requirements
• University of Iowa PA Program Staff
• The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Physician Assistant, a free guide
• Accepted’s Physician Assistant Application Packages

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• From Military Service to PA School: Advice for Veteran Applicants [Episode 628]
• Inside Wake Forest’s PA Program: Inquiry-Based Learning, Service, and Leadership Training [Episode 627]
• From PA School Reapplicant to Future Provider: How Persistence Helped One Student Succeed [Episode 621]