Graduate Record Examination Removal From Admissions and Physician Assistant/Associate Student Diversity

This study examined demographic characteristics among physician assistant/associate (PA) program applicants who were offered admission and among matriculants at 5 PA programs that eliminated the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) admissions requirement.

Collated admissions data for 4 cycles were categorized into 2 periods, one representing 2 cycles before GRE removal (GRE period) and one representing 2 cycles after GRE removal (no-GRE period). Chi-square analyses were used to compare percentages of applicants offered admission and percentages of matriculants who were from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine (URiM), were first-generation college students, and who reported economic disadvantage (ED) across the 2 periods.

Individual program outcomes varied. Some experienced statistically significant increases in various measures; others experienced increases or decreases that were insignificant. Collectively, compared with the GRE period, the proportion of applicants offered admission during the no-GRE period who were URiM was 6.2% higher ( P = .002, 95% confidence interval [CI] [2.3%, 10.1]); the proportion who were first-generation was 11.2% higher ( P < .001, 95% CI [7.3%, 15.0%]); and the proportion with ED was 9.4% higher ( P < 0.001, 95% CI [5.8%, 13.0%]). Among matriculants, the proportion who were URiM was 8.7% higher ( P = 0.001, 95% CI [3.7%, 13.6%]), the proportion who were first-generation was 8.6% higher ( P = 0.001, 95% CI [3.8%, 13.5%]); and the proportion with ED was 8.8% higher ( P < 0.001, 95% CI [4.2%, 13.3%]).

Study results suggest that for some PA programs, eliminating the GRE admissions requirement may positively contribute to various approaches to admitting more students from diverse backgrounds.