Retention, promotion, and graduation are not automatically granted to students in the PA Program. The progress of each student throughout the curriculum requires continuous, satisfactory academic and professional performance. At the end of each semester, the Academic Director, Program Director and the Committee on Student Progress, meet and review the performance of each student in order to determine progress to the next term.
Promotion from the academic to the clinical year is dependent upon various items during the first year. First, all academic year courses must be passed and the student must exhibit professional conduct throughout the academic year in order to be promoted to the clinical year. The Committee on Student Progress will formally review each student's professionalism at the end of each semester. Additionally, every student must demonstrate adequate performance of a complete head-to-toe physical examination, at the end of the didactic year, as well as problem-focused practical examinations and written comprehensive examination at the end of each academic year. Failure to complete and pass these items may lengthen the program, delay graduation, increase tuition, or result in dismissal from the program. Incomplete grades will not be granted for any academic courses to any student in the physician assistant program.
A student must maintain a grade of "C" or better in all courses in order to meet program requirements. Failure to maintain the required minimum average by failing one course will result in placing the student on academic probation. Student will be provided the opportunity to remediate one course during the academic year (Please review Student handbook section on remediation on page 20-21). Failure to pass the remediation exam will result in deceleration (See student handbook page 26) and eligibility to repeat the course the following year. Students on academic probation as a result of failing one course who fail another course within their tenure in the program will be automatically dismissed from the program.
No credit for experiential learning will be awarded to a student in the Miami Dade College Physician Assistant Program.
The Miami Dade College PA Program does not allow any PA students to work as instructional faculty or in any other capacity during their tenure in the program.
Due to the rigors of the PA program, students are strongly discouraged to seek or maintain employment during their tenure in the program.
To successfully graduate from the MDC PA Program, a student must meet the following requirements:
A student's poor academic standing, non-professional behavior, or non-compliance with the Miami-Dade College and/or clinical site policies and procedures may be cause for discipline by the Committee on Student Progress, the Program Director, and ultimately by the Dean of Health Sciences.
Miami Dade College Transfer of Credit Policy only applies to requirement or pre-professional courses required in the Physician Assistant program. The PA program uses the Miami Dade College policy as follows:
In January of 2020, the Miami Dade College(MDC) PA program established an affiliation with Nova Southeastern University (NSU) to confer a Master’s in Health Science (MHSc) degree to graduates of the program. As a result of this affiliation, the program recognizes that some students accepted may have previously earned the MHSc from NSU. As a result, the program decided to implement an advanced placement process to exempt students from needing to dually enroll in the NSU MHSc degree while they are completing the MDC PA program. The Advanced Placement policy and procedure has been approved by both NSU and MDC.
See information on how to receive advanced placement (PDF)