PAC offers advising services to students interested in entering the fields of Medicine (MD/DO), Physician Assistant (PA), Dentistry (DMD/DDS), Optometry (OD), Physical Therapy (DPT), Occupational Therapy (OTD/MOT), Pharmacy (PharmD) and Nursing.
*If interested in attending the nursing program at UH Manoa, please see the advisors from the UH Manoa nursing program directly. PAC offers advising services to students interested in applying to nursing programs outside of UH Manoa.
Health Programs in the State of Hawai'i:
Medicine (MD)
UH Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM)
Physician Assistant (PA)
The MEDEX Northwest PA Program has a new campus in Kona on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi and offers a Masterʻs of Clinical Health Services degree. MEDEX Northwest is part of the University of Washington School of Medicine, which serves Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (the WWAMI medical education region), as well as Hawaiʻi. The MEDEX Kona campus looks specifically to matriculate candidates with strong connections to Hawaiʻi, particularly those native to the state.
Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) has a new PA Program (accepting applications in 2024) on 'Oahu and offers a Masterʻs of Medical Science degree. HPU's program will be a full-time 24-month program that is a combination of both remote and in-person learning. The HPU PA program looks specifically to matriculate candidates with strong connections to Hawaiʻi, particularly those native to the state.
*Please note that the prerequisites for MICR 351/L are BIOL 171 and CHEM 272/L at UHM. BIOL 275/L are recommended for MICR 351.
If you are planning on taking a chemistry or math course for the first time, please make sure to fulfill the placement exam requirement prior to registration at UHM.
Pacific University's (PU) Hawai‘i Outreach Initiative (HOI) is both an admissions advantage and a clinical rotation advantage in Hawai’i. PU will extend interview invitations to the top 5 scoring HOI applicants annually.
To qualify, applicants must demonstrate a strong connection to Hawai’i in one or more of the following ways: current address, permanent address, high school diploma, college diploma, driver’s license, and/or Native Hawaiian ancestry.
If applicants from Hawai‘i are admitted, they will complete their didactic phase in Hillsboro, Oregon. HOI students will have a preference for the available clinical rotations in Hawai‘i.
There is no separate application for the HOI. Students are initially identified through their application materials and their stated commitment, on the Supplemental Application, to return to Hawai‘i following graduation to work as a PA. PU accepts medical scribing for direct patient care hours! Please click here to view accepted activities for this requirement.
Please contact PU Graduate if you have any questions.
Dentistry (DMD/DDS)
None in the State of Hawai'i
The University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry provides 3 seats each year for applicants from Hawaiʻi.
Early Acceptance Programs:
Optometry (OD)
None in the State of Hawai'i
Physical Therapy (DPT)
Preferred Acceptance Program:
Occupational Therapy (OTD)
Pharmacy (PharmD)
Early Assurance Programs:
PAC has compiled a directory of statewide programs that can serve as a supplemental resource for those exploring healthcare:
Hawai'i Health Programs and Related Degrees
