About the program
The Nova Southeastern University, Fort Myers PA program is described in PAEA's published program data; full curriculum details, faculty, and admissions cycle specifics are maintained on the program's own website.
From the program's mission statement: "In keeping with the principles of both Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and the Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences (CHCS) mission statements, the NSU Physician Assistant (PA) Program Fort Myers endeavors to: • provide an educational experience that emphasizes primary medical care; • provide health care experiences in medically underserved communities; • produce PAs who uphold the tenets of professionalism; • enable graduates to demonstrate competency and skill in a variety of clinical settings with patient populations having multiple and varied expectations and values"
The NSU Fort Myers PA program has a mission to train PAs to serve in rural and medically needy areas. As such, students are required to do at least one clinical rotation in these areas. For rotations more than 100 miles from campus, housing may be provided by the university. Our curriculum includes system based learning with adjunct education in Point of Care Ultrasound, and Simulation within a friendly, close-knit, and student focused environment from very accessible faculty.
Matriculant data
Actual stats for students who enrolled in the most recently reported cohort, sourced from PAEA's published program data.
Admission policies
Out-of-state applicants are accepted. International applicants: yes. DACA status applicants are considered. Distance learning is not offered. Part-time enrollment is not available. Veteran support programs are available; consult the program directly for details.
Prerequisite coursework
Recency: No Requirement · up to 2 outstanding at application
Program overview
Nova Southeastern University's Fort Myers PA program is an ARC-PA accredited, 27-month program awarding a Master of Medical Science degree, with the next cohort beginning May 2027. The program accepts out-of-state and international applicants and targets an incoming class size of 60 students, making it a moderately sized program with a stated commitment to a close-knit, student-focused environment and accessible faculty.
The program's mission centers explicitly on primary care and service to rural and medically underserved communities, which should be a genuine draw for applicants oriented toward that kind of practice. This is not just a stated value - students are required to complete at least one clinical rotation in a rural or medically needy area, and for rotations placed more than 100 miles from campus, the university may provide housing. Applicants who are attracted to community health and underserved medicine will find the curriculum aligned with that interest; those seeking primarily urban or subspecialty-focused training should weigh fit accordingly.
Academically, matriculants have averaged a 3.65 overall GPA and 3.58 science GPA, though the program sets its minimum at 3.0 for both. This spread suggests the program is selective in practice despite a relatively accessible floor. Prerequisite coursework includes general chemistry with lab (8 credits), general biology with lab (4 credits), human anatomy (3 credits), human physiology (3 credits), and microbiology with lab (4 credits). There is no time limit on prerequisites, and applicants may enter with up to two outstanding prerequisites at the time of application.
Healthcare experience is recommended but not required, and the same applies to paid direct patient care hours - a meaningful distinction for applicants who have clinical exposure through unpaid or volunteer roles. The GRE is required; the MCAT is not accepted. A minimum of two letters of reference are needed.
Curriculum delivery is systems-based, supplemented with point-of-care ultrasound training and simulation experiences. Total tuition runs $100,331 with a $1,000 seat deposit; there are no separate tuition rates for in-state versus out-of-state students. The program uses rolling admissions with a final deadline of January 15, 2027, reviewing applications on a first-come, first-served basis, which means submitting early carries a real practical advantage. Interviews are conducted in both traditional and panel formats and are not required to be completed onsite.
Applicants should honestly assess whether a mission grounded in primary care and rural or underserved service reflects where they actually want to practice, since the curriculum and required rotations are built around that purpose.