Anesthesia Science

Application Process

South University has partnered with the Central Application Service for Anesthesiologist Assistant (CASAA) to collect and manage applications to each Anesthesiologist Assistant Program. To apply, please follow the instructions outlined below.

• Visit the South University pages on the CASAA website for details about our program and application requirements.
• Visit http://casaa.liaisoncas.com to complete an online application for admission through CASAA.
• Please follow the instructions on the CASAA site regarding the submission of documents.

Admissions Cycle by Campus:

The dates for each campus’ application cycle are posted on the university website and updated annually.

The applicant is solely responsible for completion of their individual application. The program is not responsible for deficiencies due to U.S. mail or failure of third parties to complete an applicant’s request for transcripts, scores, letters of reference, etc.

The most qualified candidates for admission will be invited for an interview based upon when the application was completed and verified in CASAA. Applicants are encouraged to complete and submit their applications as early in the cycle as possible. Interviews are conducted in a rolling manner throughout the cycle, and the class begins to fill. In the final months of the cycle, the class may become full; at this point, applicants may be offered an interview for a position on the waitlist.

Students who are offered admission into a South University Anesthesiologist Assistant program are only permitted to accept an admission offer at one campus. Within 14 days of the student signing the admission acceptance form, it is the responsibility of the student to notify any other South University Anesthesiologist Assistant program(s) of their intent to withdraw. Admission acceptance fees are non-refundable, and do not transfer between South University Anesthesiologist Assistant programs or other South University programs of study.

Admission Requirements

General Admission Requirements

• Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited university.
• Required prerequisite courses are listed in the following table.  Excluding English, the most advanced pre-requisite course in each subject area must have been completed within seven years of application date.  Pre-requisite course subject areas: Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics, and Math. Prerequisite courses completed prior to the seven-year window will be considered current in the following situations: official MCAT taken within one year of application demonstrating at least 50th percentile scores on each of the four sections (Chemical and Physical, Critical Analysis and Reasoning, Biological and Biochemical, and Psychological and Social Behavior).
• Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate course work. South University Anesthesiologist Assistant Programs accept credit for Advanced Placement courses. AP courses taken and successfully completed will be counted as one course credit toward completion of the respective pre-requisite subject. Grades earned in AP courses are not used in the calculation of the applicant’s overall or prerequisite GPA.

Entrance Exams:

• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) taken within 5 years of application.
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE). The program must receive official score reports directly from the Educational Testing Service. Applicants should use the following GRE code for the respective campus: The code for South University, Savannah is 7450; the code for South University, Orlando is 3908; the code for South University, West Palm Beach is 2840.
• Medical College Admission Test. MCAT scores must be officially reported through CASAA.
• Verification of familiarity with the practice of anesthesia, including the environment in which day-to- day work occurs.  The form is located on the admissions page of the South University Anesthesiologist Assistant program website.
• Three letters of recommendation are required to be submitted as part of the CASAA application. Recommended sources of reference include: employers/managers, professors, advisors, or research directors.
• CASAA applicant personal statement.

As the admissions process also takes into consideration the personality characteristics deemed essential to becoming an anesthesiologist assistant, material such as a noncognitive or personality assessment may be required.  
 
Students wishing to enter the Anesthesiologist Assistant program in the College of Health Professions should be aware that applicants with a prior felony or serious misdemeanor conviction will not be considered. Acceptance into a South University program or its completion does not imply or guarantee that a student will be able to obtain subsequent licensure or certification.   

Required Pre-requisite College Courses

(substitutions are not permitted and survey courses or courses for non-science majors are not acceptable).  

Technical Standards

To undertake and successfully complete the Anesthesiologist Assistant program, as well as to function as an anesthetist after graduation, requires that an individual meet certain fundamental physical, cognitive, and behavioral standards. The requisite technical skills include, but are not limited to the following:

• Effectively communicating verbally with patients and their family members and with other healthcare professionals.
• Interacting with patients, including obtaining a history and performing a physical examination.
• Effectively communicating in writing, and by record keeping, those data and information essential to the practice of anesthesia and the care of patients.
• Reading and comprehending written parts of the medical record and other patient care documents in order to safely and effectively participate in the practice of anesthesia.
• Having sufficient knowledge, motor skill, and coordination to perform diagnostic and therapeutic tasks, including invasive procedures, on patients in a timely manner so as to ensure the safety and well-being of the patients. These tasks include but are not limited to peripheral and central venous catheterization, arterial puncture and cannulation, breathing bag-and-mask ventilation, laryngeal mask airway insertion and management, endotracheal intubation.
• Having sufficient strength, motor skill, and coordination to lift, move, and position patients as required for administration of anesthesia and performance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
• Having sufficient speed and coordination to quickly and safely react to emergent conditions throughout the hospital in order to assure patient safety.
• Recognizing and differentiating colors of signals displayed on monitors; being able to work in both light and dark conditions as exist in patient care areas (e.g., operating room, radiology suite, endoscopy suite); being able to recognize details of objects both near and far.
• Hearing, processing, and interpreting multiple conversations, monitor signals, alarms, and patient sounds simultaneously in fast-paced patient care settings (e.g., operating room, intensive care unit, emergency room).
• Having no impairment that would preclude continuous performance of all of the above activities or any and all of the other activities that are an integral part of an anesthesiologist assistant’s participation in the anesthesia care team.

Applicant Selection

To determine which candidates are selected for admission, the Admissions Committee has established the following selection factors as components of determining admission into the South University Anesthesiologist Assistant Program.  Applicants for admission are considered and ranked using multiple factors as described below:

• Academic achievement (overall GPA, prerequisite GPA, and science GPA)
• Entrance Exam Scores.  Preference will be given to those with GRE scores (Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning) > 50th percentile and MCAT scores > 500
• Prerequisite coursework obtained from a four-year college or university designed for science majors
• Letters of reference
• Direct patient care experience
• Personal statement/essay
• Anesthesia/shadowing experiences
• Community service/volunteer activities
• Interview performance
• Results of noncognitive/personality assessment

Evidence of an applicant’s interpersonal skills, problem-solving ability, professionalism, motivation, academic potential, communication, and knowledge of the AA profession/health care system are assessed by the Admissions Committee. The committee will determine the degree to which applicants demonstrate alignment with the South University AA Program mission and expectations.

Post-Acceptance Requirements

Prior to matriculation, each person accepted into the Anesthesiologist Assistant program must provide an official transcript indicating degree conferred and show completion of all required course work. Complete transcripts and an official record of undergraduate degree must be on file with the program before registration will be permitted for the first quarter.

A recent medical history, physical examination, and all immunization records required must be maintained in the individual student’s compliance tracking portal from the time of matriculation until graduation.  It is the student’s responsibility to keep these records complete and up to date. Students who do not maintain these records as required will be referred to the Progress and Promotions committee for a professionalism standard violation.

Students entering senior year may be required to obtain an updated current history, physical examination, background check and drug screen depending on the rotation site.

Policy on Experiential Learning

No course credit is awarded for experiential learning to applicants of the Master of Medical Science in Anesthesia Science program.

Transfer of Credits Policy

South University Anesthesiologist Assistant Program does not accept transfer of credits from other anesthesiologist assistant programs or provide enrolled students with a waiver of credit (i.e. advanced placement) for any component of the required curricular coursework. Students may not transfer from one South Anesthesiologist Assistant campus to another.

All students must complete each course in the South University Anesthesiologist Assistant curriculum.

Insurance Requirements

Students in the Anesthesiologist Assistant program are required to have continuous health insurance coverage in force for the duration of their enrollment.  Documentation of this insurance coverage must be stored and maintained in the student’s compliance tracking account selected by the program.  If at any time a student does not have insurance in force and current documentation listed in their compliance tracking account, they will cease participation in clinical education and be referred to the Progress and Promotions committee for a violation of the standards of Professionalism for the Anesthesiologist Assistant program.

Students using private health insurance must ensure that their plan covers treatment and monitoring for needle stick injuries and other documented exposure to blood borne pathogens for all clinical rotation locations. For the student’s own personal safety, it is imperative that they have an adequate health plan or the resources to pay for necessary medical care in the event of a needle stick or exposure to pathogenic organisms.

Payment for all medical and psychiatric services, elective, and emergent, are the responsibility of the student regardless of the source of an illness or injury are the responsibility of the student regardless of what the source of an illness or injury may be.  The student is responsible for payment of medical services including all laboratory and other diagnostic and therapeutic services rendered as part of a protocol into which a student is entered in the event of exposure to known or suspected pathogenic organisms. Each clinical site has a specific established protocol for exposure that the student must follow.

Background Checks

The Anesthesiologist Assistant program follows the College of Health Professions Background Check Policy located in the South University Catalog (www.southuniversity.edu/admissions/academic-catalog). Students must complete a background check at their own expense using the agency identified by the AA Program prior to matriculation. No other background checks will be accepted. Students may be required to submit additional background checks during their enrollment as required by the clinical site.

Background checks confirm that students have no current record of criminal activity, and this information may be relayed to clinical sites for verification during their enrollment. Any new activity found as a result of such background checks in violation with the College of Health Professions Background Check Policy may affect the student’s status in the program and the student will be referred to the Progress and Promotions Committee. Any violations that involve felony or serious misdemeanor convictions will result in immediate dismissal from the educational program. Students may appeal this decision based on verification of factual information according to the appeals process outlined in the student handbook.

Note: Applicants are not eligible for admittance to the AA program if they have a felony conviction, plea, or adjudication withheld, or any disqualifying misdemeanor, for which a pardon or exemption for disqualification has not been received, including but not limited to rape or sexual abuse or molestation, and abuse, endangerment, or neglect of a child, disabled person, or elderly person. 

Drug Screening

Applicants who are accepted into the Anesthesiologist Assistant Program must complete a drug screen at their own cost using the agency identified by the AA Program Director. Applicants must submit the drug screen results to the program office prior to matriculation. The Anesthesiologist Assistant program follows the College of Health Professions Substance Abuse and Screening Policy located in the South University Catalog 
(www.southuniversity.edu/admissions/academic-catalog). Students will be required to submit additional drug and alcohol screens throughout their enrollment, based on reasonable suspicion and as needed for clinical site placements.

Note: Applicants with positive drug screen results will not be admitted into the AA Program. Students who have a positive drug and alcohol screen result during enrollment will be referred to the AA Program’s Progress and Promotions committee.

Applicants with Disabilities

In accordance with policies of South University, the program does not discriminate against any individual because of disability. Applicants must meet the requirements for technical standards as printed above. Students with disabilities should consult with the Dean of Student Affairs, who coordinates disability services.

Guidelines for Graduates of Colleges and Universities outside the United States 

Please note that no exemptions will be made for required course work regardless of degrees or certification received outside the United States, experience, work background, or education.

In addition to the General Admission Requirements (above), the applicant who has graduated from a college or university outside the United States regardless of United States' residency status must do the following (not necessary for United States Territories): 

• Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate course work taken outside the United States must be submitted to the program, along with the report from a credentialing organization (e.g., Educational Credential Evaluators, Incorporated) demonstrating equivalency to a bachelor's degree received at an American college or university and evaluating the transcript course-by-course for equivalency to required pre-requisites for admission to the Anesthesiologist Assistant program.
• A statement from a responsible person certifying that the applicant's financial resources are sufficient to meet necessary expenses (International Students only).
• Deficiencies in required course work must be made up by taking appropriate courses in a college or university in the United States.
• A statement from a qualified physician describing any emotional or physical illnesses suffered by the applicant during the preceding five (5) years or certifying freedom from such illnesses (International Students only). In addition to the General Admission Requirements (above) and the first three requirements of this section, the applicant who has been graduated from a college or university of a country for which English is not the primary language regardless of United States' residency status must do the following:
  
  Student must obtain minimum listed below for each section. Scores must be from exam taken within seven (7) years of application to the program. The program must receive an official score report directly from Educational Testing Services, Princeton, NJ.

Deferment Policy

South University reserves the right to grant a one (1) year enrollment deferral for the AA program to an accepted student under the following conditions: 

1. The student has accepted a class position within the allotted time period and submitted the required deposit but has not yet begun the 1st quarter of enrollment.
2. The student submits a written request to the Program Director that specifies the reason for the request and confirms his or her intent to enroll in the program at the next class start.  Acceptance or denial of a request for deferral is at the discretion of the Program Director.
3. A student who is granted a deferment must notify the Program Director in writing of their intent to enroll in the next matriculating class no later six months prior to the next scheduled cohort start date.

For additional admissions information please see the admissions section here..