Policies & Procedures Physician Assistant Students

The following are policies that prospective and accepted students should be aware of prior to applying and/or enrolling in the program:

MUPAP NCAA Sports Policy

Due to the academic and time demands of the Methodist University Physician Assistant Program, student-athletes with remaining eligibility at the time of matriculation into the MU PA Program are prohibited from participating in a NCAA-organized sports team at Methodist University.

COVID-19 Vaccines

Completion of 11 four-week rotations is required of all MUPAP students to successfully complete the program. The program utilizes medical centers and private practices for clinical rotations, which are known to require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19. The opportunity to apply for medical or religious exemptions may or may not be available and/or approved at these sites. Although the COVID-19 vaccine is not required of students to enroll in Methodist University, the MUPAP will not make accommodations for the student if exemptions are denied at clinical facilities, which may result in failure to complete the program or a delayed graduation.

Additional policies are available via the Academic Catalog and Didactic and Clinical Manuals. Didactic and Clinical Manuals are only made available to enrolled students.

Dress Code for MU PA Students

Professional appearance and demeanor are an integral part of the conduct of physician assistant students.  These standards demonstrate self-respect and respect for the patient and the profession. Any question concerning the dress code should be brought to the attention of the Academic or Clinical Coordinator.

Didactic Phase

Students are expected to dress professionally in “business casual” attire when attending class and/or campus activities.  This includes slacks, khakis, dress shirts, polo shirts, sweaters, blouses, skirts, or dresses.  Skirts should not be more than 1 inch above the knee.  Business casual does not include jeans, t-shirts, gym clothes, sweatpants, shorts, cut-off tops, hoodies, tank tops, halter tops, off the shoulder or strapless tops or clothing with rips/tears.  No hats.

Only on days when labs are scheduled, students may wear scrubs of a particular brand and color purchased through Castle Uniforms.  These pre-selected options will be available for purchase year-round via a weblink provided by Castle Uniforms.  There will be a “Methodist Physician Assistant Program” logo on the left chest of the scrub tops so that students may wear these scrubs in the clinical year if acceptable by the clinical site.  Although scrubs will be allowed for class, there may be activities on campus that students participate in that scrubs will not be appropriate.

Note: There may be other specific clothing recommended by faculty during the didactic year when attending lab activities in Human Anatomy I and Human Anatomy II.  This may include clothing that could be soiled during handling of specimens in the lab setting. Clothing for these 2 courses may include t-shirts, scrubs, or other acceptable clothing that may become soiled and need to be discarded.

Clinical Phase

  • Students must wear a white lab jacket (unless specifically requested not to wear by preceptor, ex, Peds). The lab jacket must be clean and pressed, “jacket length”. These lab jackets should be purchased with a student discount from Castle Uniforms. Note: The program staff must approve any jacket purchased elsewhere.  The lab jacket purchased through Castle Uniforms will allow for students to be clearly identified in the clinical setting as Methodist University Physician Assistant Students.  Students should wear school issued name tag as well as any facility issued name tag necessary during clinical rotations to identify them as Methodist University Physician Assistant Students.
  • Hair must be well-groomed and neat.
  • Students may have mustaches and beards that are neatly trimmed.
  • Nails should be trimmed sufficiently to ensure efficient work and cleanliness. Per the CDC natural nail tips should be kept to ¼ inch in length.
  • Artificial nails are not to be worn during the clinical year; many surgical sites have restrictions for artificial nails in those areas. The wearing of artificial nails poses a significant infection control problem.
  • Proper attention to personal cleanliness and grooming must be maintained at all times.
  • Students may wear slacks and a dress shirt, dresses, or skirts/slacks with blouses and/or sweaters if appropriate for the rotation.
  • Dress and skirt lengths must be no more than one inch above the knee while standing for a dignified appearance.
  • Short skirts, plunging necklines, and midriff or transparent tops are not appropriate for the clinical site.
  • Jeans, shorts, T-shirts, tank tops, hats, exercise clothing, and sandals are not appropriate for the clinical site.
  • Shoes must be clean, and all clothing must be kept clean and in good repair.
  • All shoes must be closed-toed. Tennis or athletic shoes may be worn in situations where scrubs are required (i.e., surgical suites and emergency departments).
  • “Scrubs” are appropriate only in the emergency department or surgical areas or when prescribed by the clinical site.
  • All attempts should be made to cover any visible tattoos, and the student should abide by the policies at the facility that he/she is rotating.
  • The student should refrain from wearing any cologne, perfume or scented after-shave in the clinic, hospital, or medical institution, since other students, faculty, and patients may be very sensitive to these items.
  • Sites may require facial piercings to be removed; consider minimal discrete jewelry is allowed.

Policy on Soliciting Sites/Preceptors

Methodist University PA students are not required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors. Students may make suggestions or requests to the clinical department for sites and preceptors but are not required to do so. If the student wishes to rotate at a site or with a preceptor with which the program does not currently have an affiliation agreement, the student can submit a Preceptor Interest Form that includes the desired clinical site name or preceptor name to the clinical team. The clinical team will contact the clinical site and/or preceptor for further evaluation.

Policy on Student Employment While Enrolled

The program strongly discourages students from having outside employment while enrolled in the program. Program expectations, assignments, deadlines and responsibilities will not be altered or adjusted to accommodate working students. Any student work outside of that arranged by the program is not covered under the student malpractice insurance policy.

Student Access & Accommodation Services Policy

It is the responsibility of students to contact the Office of Student Access & Accommodation Services to discuss possible testing accommodations. Students must be aware that if they decide not to reach out to discuss accommodations until after matriculation, any approved accommodations are not retroactive.

Academic Progression & Completion

Graduation Requirements

  • Completion of all requirements for the specified professional phase of the program (didactic and clinical rotations) with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and no grades below a C (70%)
  • The professional phase (didactic and clinical rotation years) completed in residency
  • Good standing in character, conduct, and financial obligation to the University.
  • Recommended by the faculty for graduation
  • Has met all other graduation requirements for the M.M.S. Degree

Exam Remediation

It is essential that students adopt and exhibit self-directed responsibility for their mastery of knowledge and skills. It is the policy of the Methodist University PA Program that a student maintains a minimum score of 70% on each examination within a course.  It is the student’s responsibility to maintain the required academic standards and to initiate the necessary interventions to remediate deficiencies in any area of study.

Any student that scores below a 70% on an examination during the didactic phase of the program should follow the procedures listed below.  For information related to clinical year examinations please see the MUPAP Clinical Manual.

  • Contact the course instructor within 24 hours of the failed examination by email, phone, or in person to schedule a time to discuss the areas in which the student was deficient
  • Complete and sign the Assessment Remediation Form outlining the plan for remediation
  • Schedule appointment with any referrals for student resources recommended by faculty
  • Upload remediation assignment to Canvas by the due date

Remediations should be completed no later than 7 days from the date the failed examination was administered.  Students should seek guidance from program faculty and course instructors as necessary to complete this process.  Failure to complete this process would result in a referral to the PASC.

This process applies to any examination within a course.  It does not apply to a final course grade below 70%.

Course Failure & Course Remediation

All courses in the program must be completed with 70% or higher in order to meet graduation requirements.  Students are allowed to remediate no more than two (2) courses throughout the program.  The process for course remediation during the didactic phase of the program requires a written comprehensive examination and should follow the procedures listed below.  For information related to clinical year course remediation please see the MUPAP Clinical Manual.

  • Student must meet with the course instructor to review the deficiencies.
  • Student should request this meeting in writing by email within 24 hours of the final course grade being posted to Canvas.
  • Once the meeting with the course instructor occurs, students will have 7 days or prior to the start of the next semester, whichever occurs first, to complete the written comprehensive examination.
  • Student must score 70% or higher on the remediation exam to continue in the program.
  • If the student is successful, the final course grade will be entered as 70% and student will be allowed to progress to the next semester.
  • Students are only allowed to remediate up to two (2) courses throughout the program.  Any subsequent course failure will result in dismissal from the program.

Good Academic Standing (Satisfactory Academic Progress)

  • A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher calculated after each semester
  • Students must achieve a grade of C (70.00%) or above in all didactic and clinical courses.
  • Does not meet any criteria for academic probation or dismissal

Academic Warning

This is an internal program status that is not reflected on student’s official transcript.  A student who is placed on Academic Warning is still considered in Good Academic Standing.  Academic Warning alerts the program faculty that a student may be at risk of dropping below good academic standing.  A student who is placed on Academic Warning would be required to meet with their Faculty Advisor more frequently than once a semester to ensure that student is utilizing all available resources for success.

A student may be placed on Academic Warning for any of the criteria listed below:

  • A student’s cumulative GPA falls below 3.15 but above 3.0, calculated at the completion of each semester.
  • A student fails 2 or more examinations in a single didactic semester.
  • A student requires one remediated final course grade(s) throughout the curriculum.
  • A student receives more than one final course grade below 80.000 in a single semester.
  • A student fails one EOR exam during the clinical phase of the program.
  • A student fails one Preceptor Evaluation during the clinical phase of the program.

A student that is placed on Academic Warning will remain on Academic Warning throughout the remainder of the program.

Academic Probation

This status is reflected on the student’s official transcript. A student may be placed on Academic Probation for any of the criteria below:

  • A student’s cumulative GPA falls below 3.0, calculated at the completion of each semester.  A student must bring their cumulative GPA to above 3.0 by the end of the following semester.
  • A student requires two remediated final course grade(s) throughout the curriculum.
  • A student fails two EOR exams during the clinical phase of the program.
  • A student fails a course during the clinical phase of the program, regardless of whether they have failed any previous courses.

Academic Probation status is assessed and reported to the Registrar’s office at the completion of each semester.  The PASC will review the progress of students that are on Academic Probation at the completion of each semester and students will receive a letter from the Program Director of the PASC’s decision regarding whether a student will remain on Academic Probation or will return to Academic Warning as well as any progression criteria that must be met specific to the student’s situation.

Academic Dismissal

A student may be dismissed from the program for any of the following reasons:

  • A student’s failure to notify the program of intended return following voluntary leave of absence.
  • A student’s failure to satisfactorily complete any course remediation requirements.
  • A student’s cumulative GPA is below 3.0 for two (2) consecutive semesters.
  • A student fails a third course in the program after two previous failures that was successfully remediated.

Non-Academic Warning

  • A student exhibits a breach in program Standards of Conduct or fails to adhere to safety standards.

Non-Academic Probation

  • A student exhibits a second breach in program Standards of Conduct or fails to adhere to safety standards for a second offense.

 Non-Academic Dismissal

  • Engaging in the following acts of misconduct, regardless of whether such misconduct is engaged in, on or off, University-owned or controlled property:
    • Commission of an offense classified as a felony by Federal criminal statutes.
    • Unlawful use, possession, or sale of drugs or narcotics, whether or not felonious.
    • Falsification of records, or other acts which impugns the integrity of the student.
    • HIPAA and FERPA violations.
    • Repeated or egregious discriminatory, biased, or harassment behavior towards classmates, faculty, staff, clients, or other university community members; to include, but not limited to threats, retaliation, and/or hate crimes.
    • Actions which would substantially reduce or eliminate the student’s ability to effectively pursue a degree at Methodist University due to alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness, or other physically or psychologically incapacitating condition.

Leave of Absence

A student is eligible for a leave of absence if he/she/they:

  1. Is facing a personal or family difficulty.
  2. Is in good standing with the University and the PA Program.
  3. Meets with the offices of Student Financial Services and Financial Aid prior to or in the process of requesting a leave of absence and fully understands any additional financial obligations that will occur due to the leave of absence which could include increase in tuition and fees based on the timing of reentry or expenses related to a possible delay in graduation.
  4. Understands that rotations that are outstanding due to the leave of absence will be made up at the beginning of the calendar year following the class graduation date. Clinical sites (not courses) may differ from those that were originally scheduled, and the rotation dates will coincide with the current clinical year cohort’s rotation schedule.
  5. Notifies the Program Director in writing of the requested leave to include the tentative dates for the leave and plan for return, leave of absence must last no longer than 1 year.
  6. Meets with the Program Director and either the Academic Coordinator and Clinical Coordinator as well as the Director of Admissions & Alumni Development for the program prior to approval.
  7. Before granting permission to return, the program reserves the right to: require an assessment to confirm that program competencies (cognitive and skill) are met, request additional evaluations that would support the student’s eligibility to reenter the program and confirm that the student is able to meet the program required technical standards.
  8. Program Completion Timeline: Leave of absence must last no longer than one year.

Withdrawal

Students who withdraw from the program for any reason must:

  • conduct a meeting with the program director to discuss his/her intent to withdraw prior to withdrawing
  • submit a written statement to the program director before withdrawing from the program
  • students must be in good academic standing to withdraw from the program

Students who seek to reenter the program at a later date must receive permission from the program prior to reentering.  The program reserves the right to deny any request to reenter the program.

Deceleration

The program does not have a deceleration policy.  Students will not be allowed to repeat any courses in the program due to course failure.

Dismissal

Students who are dismissed from the program for academic or non-academic reasons are not permitted to reenter the program and are not eligible for admission should he/she reapply. Dismissal from the program will be reflected on the student’s academic transcript.

Probations and dismissals of students are executed by the Dean of the College of Health Sciences and Human Services and are reflected on transcripts.

Dismissals are final and cannot be appealed.

Student Grievances & Appeals

Visit Student Affairs Policies to refer to the “Appeal Process” section and “How to Report a Grievance” form.

Official University Withdrawal/Refund Policy

Students withdrawing from the University during the first week of classes (during the drop/add period) will receive a refund of the refundable amount paid. Students withdrawing from the University will be refunded the following percentages of tuition and room expenses:

  • Week 1: 100%
  • Week 2: 80%
  • Week 3: 60%
  • Week 4: 40%
  • Week 5: 20%
  • After Week 5: No Refund

Students withdrawing from the University or those reducing their course load below a certain level will be subject to a reduction or cancellation of their financial aid. Withdrawing students are subject to refunding of financial aid monies to the sources from which the funding was received, according to the provisions of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 for calculating the return of unearned Title IV funds. Any remaining funds are returned to the student. For details, contact the Office of Financial Aid. This policy may be found in the Methodist University Graduate Academic Catalog.

Dismissal Refund Policy

Students who are dismissed from the MUPAP for any reason are not eligible to receive a refund of the amount(s) that have been paid to the University.