PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT

Application Requirement

• Requirements are designated through the MILPER Message 25-311 Fiscal Year 2026 Interservice Physician Assistant Training Program Application which can be found at the bottom of the page
• Information listed below highlights the requirements, but applicants are responsible for following ALL guidance listed in the current MILPER Message
• All application documents must be dated within 12 months of June 2026 IPAP Board
• Refer to IPAP Application Checklist (National Guard) under Application Documents at the bottom of the page
• Questions and application submittal are directed to AMEDD Recruiter, 1LT Leah Young

UNMC (University of Nebraska Medical Center) Application

• IPAP has an affiliation agreement with UNMC to award the Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree at the completion of the program
• Applicants must complete the online IPAP registration through UNICAS for the UNMC at http://ipap.liaisoncas.com
• Applicants must send an Official transcript from every university/college they have attended to the UNMC. These can be sent to UNCM digitally or via mail to Liaison – IPAP Transcript Processing Center, PO Box 9140, Watertown, MA 02471
• Application and transcript submittal window is 1 October 2025 – 31 January 2026

Academic Requirements

Course Prerequisites

• Minimum 30 Semester Hours (SH) of college coursework:
• Enlisted applicants must submit their official JST to the University of Nebraska
• Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5
• Applicants must have a minimum science GPA of 3.0
• Academic delay requests are authorized for no more than three prerequisite courses, as of the application deadline. Courses must be complete with transcripts to AMEDD Recruiter and UNMC by 1 October 2026. A letter grade of C or better is required.

Specific Course Requirements

• 3 SH of Human Anatomy (can be combined Anatomy & Physiology I, completed Fall 2019 or after).
• 3 SH of Human Physiology (can be combined Anatomy & Physiology II, completed Fall 2019 or after).
• 3 SH of College Algebra or higher math – (Statistics, Intro, or Intermediate algebra do not count – CLEP authorized, completed Fall 2022 or after)
• 3 SH of Psychology (any type, introductory courses count).
• 6 SH of Chemistry (General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II, completed Fall 2019 or after).
• 6 SH of Humanities (e.g., government, history, foreign language, art, social science, religion).
• 6 SH of English (including 3 SH of writing/composition) – CLEP is authorized.
• Medical Terminology course within 5 years (Fall 2022 and after), college course or military correspondence course authorized via Army Training Information System (ATIS) Basic Medical Technology (081-MD0010).

MOS Related Course Credit

• Specific MOS roles receive credit for certain courses (e.g., 68K for General Chemistry, 68X for Psychology). See MILPER Message 25-311 Para. 4.b.(5) for specifics.

GPA Requirements

• Minimum Science GPA of 3.0 in science courses completed within 8 years of starting IPAP (Fall 2019 or after). Science courses are recommended to be completed within 5 years.
• Minimum Cumulative GPA of 2.5.
• GPA requirements must be met by 1 March 2026.
• No waivers accepted.

SAT Requirement

• SAT within 5 years of application (1 March 2021 or after).
• Minimum score: 450 in reading and 450 in math, cumulative score of 1000.
• Enter code “3994” on the SAT test form to submit results to IPAP.
• No waivers accepted.

PA-CAT (Physician Assistant College Admissions Test)

• All applicants must submit scores by selecting US Army National Guard during registration https://www.pa-cat.com.
• No minimum score requirement.
• PA-CAT must be taken by 1 March 2026.

Shadowing Requirement

• At least 80 hours of shadowing with a Physician Assistant. A minimum of 40 hours within 12 months of IPAP selection board. More than 80 hours is preferred.
• Documented on USAREC Form 601-37.11: Applicant completes block 10 with a summary of their shadow time to include: overview of the types of patients, care, and procedures and how shadowing has affected their interest in medicine. Recommending PA must include documentation of shadowing hours completed in block 6 or 7.
• Recommending PA is also required to complete a supplemental evaluation through UNMC as part of applicant’s online application.

LOR (Letters of Recommendation)

Need 5x LORs and must be dated after 01 June 2025. Army recommenders use memorandum for record format

1. Army First Line Leader
2. Battalion Commander (include verbiage from template)
3. Physician Assistant (USAREC Form 601-37.11 only)
4. State Surgeon/Deputy State Surgeon (interview scheduled by AMEDD Recruiter prior to packet submission)
5. 1x Additional LOR from anyone that can speak to your potential to become a PA

Army Requirements

• Must pass Army Height/Weight requirements and Army Fitness Test Standards
• Must be morally, physically, and legally eligible to commission as an Army Officer
• Must have valid security clearance
• Enlisted applicants must hold a valid MOS and be BLC complete within 120 days of reporting to JBSA-FSH
• Officers/Warrant Officers must be BOLC/Basic course complete prior to applying
• Must have a minimum of 3 years TIS as of January 2027*
• Must have less than 10 years TIS as of January 2027*
  • *Waivers available for exceptional applicants
• Must have MEPS or MTF Physical within 12 months of June 2026 IPAP Board with a PULHES of 111111. Waivers may be available for certain conditions.
  • Physicals are coordinated through AMEDD Recruiter after completing medical prescreen documents.