PROSPECTIVE STUDENT INFORMATION

Reasons to Select Touro University California for your PA Student Journey

Choosing the right PA school can be a daunting process. Here are a few reasons to choose Touro University California's Joint Program:

Our Mission

• Central to our identity as a program is our commitment to our mission. We seek to bring primary care to medically underserved populations. We actively seek students who will focus on this in their career
• Many of our rotations are in medically underserved communities (MUCs), and all students have at least one rotation in an MUC. In fact, in the 2019-2020 academic year, 43% of all our clinical training sites were in MUCs, and accounted for 45% of all student training hours. In addition, 10% of our training sites are in rural areas, accounting for 8% of student rotation hours
• Half of each student's rotations are in primary care, and some students choose primary care as their elective as well. 58% of the hours students spent on rotation in 2019-2020 were at primary care sites
• The literature shows a strong link between primary care/MUC practice and student background. Those who are from medically underserved and under-represented populations are more likely to practice in these areas. Therefore, we actively recruit students from these groups: Nearly four in five of our students are from these populations
• As part of our mission to recruit from underrepresented groups, we work hard to remove barriers from the admissions process that are unrelated to the quality of the future clinician. For this reason, we do not require the GRE; we accept classes from all accredited schools, whether online or in-person; and our GPA requirement is set to a level where we can evaluate for academic ability, without excluding applicants who will otherwise make excellent clinicians
• Throughout the curriculum and in both PA and public health classes, the social determinants of health are discussed and examined; public service loan programs are presented to all classes; and the Program continually searches for and applies for grants that will help our students financially
• As part of our mission to be in service to all patients, all students complete Safe Zone training (LGBTQI+), complete the CDC Diabetes Prevention Program and become certified lifestyle coaches, and graduate X-Waiver eligible allowing them to participate in Medication-Assisted Treatment for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD)
• Our graduates demonstrate both our success: 57% of our graduates work in MUCs, and 52% in primary care. Over three in four work in one or the other, or both!

Our Public Health (PH) Degree

• Earn two degrees in 33 months. Less time spent in school means more time as a practicing PA. Use your time efficiently, and graduate with two masters degrees in just under three years
• Our PH and PA curricula are integrated, and always have been. Credits from the PA Program are applied towards your PH degree, and vice versa
• Job candidates with a public health background are at an advantage. Public health is an increasing focus of PA work. As healthcare transitions due to the increase of patients with chronic conditions, a focus on public health is becoming more and more valued with clinicians
• Interprofessional education: While PA classes consist entirely of PA students, your fellow students in public health courses are from multiple disciplines. They will include people earning their doctor of osteopathy degree, doctor of pharmacology degree, or independent MPH students who may already be working in their field
• While most MPH courses are specified, there are three concentrations you can choose among, allowing you to acquire specialized knowledge. These are Community Action for Health, Global Health, and Health Equity & Criminal Justice. Ours is the only PH program with a concentration in criminal justice  
  

 

Admissions Process

Maximize your chances to be one of our matriculants, and future professional peers!

• Please read the main Program page from Admissions
• Review the Admissions Process and Deadlines
• Review the requirements for entry into the Program
• Check your own application against the FAQ and the applicant self-assessment to maximize your understanding of your fit with the Program

 

Tuition and Fees

We have prepared an approximate cost of attendance. This is an estimate only, and is subject to change. The office of Financial Aid also has estimates for all Touro University California programs. 

 

Application Timeline

	Mid-April: CASPA opens; prospective students can start working on their applications. The exact date may vary by year. Note: even though CASPA closes for applications the following March, this deadline is independent of TUC deadlines. Our deadline takes precedence when applying for our program.
	Mid-May: Joint Program begins accepting applications via CASPA. Remember: all required coursework, clinical hours, and the Bachelor's degree must be completed at the time that you apply. If there are any prerequisites that have not been completed, your application will be rejected. In other words, in-process coursework and projected clinical hours do not count.
	November 1: Deadline to submit your CASPA application to the TUC Joint Program. Starting with the 2021-2022 application season, there is no supplemental application to complete.
	Once we have verified that you meet our requirements, our faculty will evaluate your application. Meeting the requirements is no guarantee of an interview.
	Interviews are held online. If you are invited to an interview, read over the tips in this article. TUC Assistant Professor Paul Gonzales is one of the professors interviewed.
	Some points to remember: Each year, 10-15% of those who apply are invited to interview, 20-35% of those who interview are offered admission, and 48 will matriculate. Admission is offered on a rolling basis - in other words, the class starts filling from the very first interview. HOWEVER experience is important to us, and your initial assessment will be on the patient care and healthcare hours in the application as you submitted it. When deciding when to apply, weigh these two factors against each other in your own case.  Offers of admission can be given within a few weeks of the interview, or months later. This is because some people are offered admission immediately, and some are placed on the waitlist. In most years, some people are offered admission off the waitlist, but not everyone who is on the waitlist gets offered admission.