PA Program Policies

The MSHS Physician Assistant Program curriculum represents the academic standards students are required to achieve. To obtain a certificate of program completion, a student must successfully complete all of the preclinical and clinical course work before a certificate of completion or degree will be granted.     

The curriculum of the MSHS PA Program is divided into three phases. The first phase consists of eleven months of classroom education (“preclinical”), which is comprised of three academic semesters. Each semester’s coursework builds upon the subject matter and experiences in the preceding semester. The second phase involves sixteen months of clinical training (“clinical”), which is comprised of 15 four-week clinical rotations over three academic semesters. A research project occurs during the clinical phase which is designed to prepare a student in writing and defending a thesis.  

A student is expected to exhibit mastery of course objectives set by the faculty, and to complete the required courses, rotations, and summative elements as determined by the faculty. A student’s progress is assessed and monitored on an on-going basis. If a student does not demonstrate an acceptable level of proficiency or has not made timely progress toward the satisfactory completion of the curricular requirements, the Committee on Promotion and Graduation will determine whether a student may continue in the MSHS PA Program. In the event the Committee on Promotion and Graduation determines a student does not satisfy these academic standards, including suitability to practice medicine the Committee may recommend that student be dismissed and may no longer participate in any educational activities of the MSHS PA Program.  

Upon the completion of each semester, a student's performance is evaluated and recorded by the Program faculty. The Committee on Promotion and Graduation will review the ongoing progress of each student at the conclusion of each semester of the curriculum. Meetings of the Committee on Promotions and Graduation will be scheduled as needed to address any academic or professional/ethical concerns.  

The purpose of the Guidelines for Promotion and Graduation is to detail as clearly as possible the requirements necessary to successfully complete the MSHS PA Program. Course work, attendance, and class participation are all considered when arriving at a final grade. In the event of a pattern of “at academic risk” performance or failure or if there is a breach in professionalism during the preclinical or clinical phases of the MSHS PA Program, the following general principles will be applicable: 

1. Any student who, in the judgment of the faculty, lacks suitability to enter the medical profession, may, pursuant to the Standards of Conduct and/or the Guidelines for Promotion and Graduation, be dismissed from the MSHS PA Program.  
2. A student who exhibits unsatisfactory performance during either the preclinical, clinical phase, or research phase  is subject to dismissal from the MSHS PA Program and the student’s performance will be reviewed by the Committee on Promotion and Graduation. The Committee will make a recommendation to the Program Director, which may include dismissal, academic probation, or deceleration to a subsequent cohort of the Program (with a leave of absence until the start date of the next offering of the relevant coursework) so that the student may demonstrate satisfactory performance in any previously failed course. In the case of deceleration, in addition to repeating failed courses, the Committee on Promotion and Graduation may require the student to audit any course in which they received a marginally passing grade.   
3. A student must successfully complete all of the course work of one semester before he or she can be approved by the Committee on Promotions and Graduation for promotion to the next semester or phase of the program.  
4. A student will have access to a process of appeal in cases where a denial of academic advancement or dismissal is in question (See Appeals Process).  

Preclinical Phase

1. A student must successfully complete all components of every course in the preclinical phase of the MSHS PA Program before he or she can be approved for promotion to the clinical phase of the MSHS PA Program by the Committee on Promotion and Graduation.  
2. An academic risk improvement plan individualized for the student in need or re-examination may be offered, at the discretion of course leadership, to a student who fails a course. Further details are described in the syllabus of each individual course.  
3. A student cannot remediate more than two preclinical courses. If a student fails a course remediation, is grounds for dismissal from the MSHS PA Program. No remediation will be offered to students who fails a third course as this is grounds for dismissal from the MSHS PA Program.  
4. A student must pass each Fundamentals of Medicine module. A student may not remediate more than three modules. Failure of the fourth module is grounds for dismissal from the program.  
5. A student must pass the End of Preclinical Summative Evaluation multiple choice examination and the End of Preclinical Summative OSCE (OSCE 2). If the student fails either of these evaluations they will be offered a remediation exam. Failure of the remediation exam is grounds for dismissal from the MSHS PA program.   

Clinical Phase

1. During the clinical phase of the MSHS PA Program, a student must successfully pass (or remediate, when applicable) all components of each rotation and all additional clinical-year coursework and requirements.  Successful completion of all rotations is necessary for graduation from the MSHS PA Program.  
2. If a student fails the preceptor evaluation, the student fails the rotation and may necessitate that the student repeat (remediate) the entire rotation. The determination of a failing grade in a rotation is delineated in the Clinical Year Guidelines and Syllabus.  
3. A failing grade in any rotation may necessitate that the student repeat (remediate) the entire rotation.  The determination of a failing grade in a rotation is delineated in the Clinical Year Guidelines and Syllabus.  
4. A student may not remediate more than three (3) EOR exams. Failure of the fourth EOR exam is grounds for dismissal from the MSHS PA Program.   
5. A student may not fail and repeat (remediate) more than two rotations during the clinical phase.  A failure of a repeated (remediated) rotation will be considered unsatisfactory overall performance and is grounds for dismissal from the MSHS PA Program. No remediation will be offered to students who fails a third rotation, as this is grounds for dismissal from the MSHS PA Program.

Research Phase

1. Successful completion of all the requirements for the master’s thesis research, including a successful oral defense and submission of a final thesis document in an acceptable format, is necessary for graduation from the MSHS PA Program.   
2. A failed remediation is considered unsatisfactory performance in the PAS 8000 Research Methodology and Application course and grounds for dismissal.   

Summative Examination

• Three (3) Preclinical Course failures 
• A student may successfully remediate a maximum of two (2) failed Preclinical courses. If they fail a third (3rd) course, they may not remediate and are subject to dismissal.   
• Three (3) Clinical Course (SCPE) failures  
• A student may successfully remediate a maximum of two (2) failed Clinical courses. If they fail a third (3rd) course, they may not remediate and are subject to dismissal.   
• Four (4) EOR Exam Failures   
• A student may successfully remediate a maximum of three (3) End-of-Rotation Exams (EOR). If a student fails a fourth (4th) EOR exam, they may not remediate and are subject to dismissal.   
• Four (4) Fundamentals of Medicine Module Failures OR two (2) Fundamentals of Medicine Module Failures in one semester   
• A student may successfully remediate a maximum of 3 Fundamentals of Medicine Modules during the Preclinical year. If a student fails a 4th module exam, they may not remediate and are subject to dismissal.  
• A student may successfully remediate two Fundamentals of Medicine Module exams per semester. If a student fails a third (3rd) module exam, they may not remediate and are subject to dismissal.   
• Any Failed remediation 
• Summative Evaluation components (Medical Knowledge End of Curriculum Exam, Final OSCE, Technical Skills Testing, Thesis Defense)  
• Summative Preclinical Assessments (Multiple Choice exam or OSCE)   
• OSCE   
• Breech in professionalism  

Beginning with the class matriculating in August 2026, all students will be required to complete the program withing 40 months of their start date, inclusive of any approved leaves of absence.

Remediation in any of its forms (including at academic risk improvement plans, remedial assignments, re-examination, or course repetition) is an option which may be offered to an individual student at the discretion of the MSHS PA Program faculty, based on the student’s academic record and consideration of circumstances related to the completion of the course.   

Preclinical phase:  

Clinical phase:  

Research phase:  

• As part of the Master of Science in Health Sciences for Physician Assistant degree, students will participate in PAS8000 Research Methodology and Application. This course will take place throughout the clinical year, culminating with the successful defense of a Master’s thesis.  
• All students must successfully complete and defend a Master’ thesis under the guidance of a Weill Cornell Medicine approved thesis committee and electronically submit an approved final draft of the thesis in advance of published deadlines. Students are required to complete all components of the Research Methodology and Application course as indicated by the course syllabus in order to be eligible for the certificate of completion and the MSHS degree. The thesis defense is the capstone event of the research phase of the program; students must earn a grade of Pass as determined by consensus of the Master’s Thesis Special Committee, and also must achieve a score of 70% or higher on the Master’s Thesis Defense Summative Evaluation as determined by a designated faculty member in attendance at the student’s thesis defense. Unsatisfactory performance will be remediated in one of the following ways, as determined by consensus of the Master’s Thesis Special Committee: 1) a repeat of the oral defense after a sufficient time to prepare and incorporate formative feedback, or 2) circulation among the Committee of a revised thesis document which must address each of the deficiencies identified in the oral defense. A failed remediation is considered unsatisfactory performance in the Research Methodology and Application course and grounds for dismissal, and the policy above will apply.