February 20, 2026
Dear Campus Community,
In December 2025, I announced a new postgraduate partnership with Penn State College of Medicine (COM), through which highly qualified Gettysburg sophomores can apply for provisional acceptance to medical school. Today, I am pleased to share an exciting expansion of that partnership: Gettysburg College will now also offer an Early Assurance Program for the Penn State COM Physician Assistant (PA) Program.
This Early Assurance Program provides Gettysburg College students the opportunity for conditional admission to the Penn State COM PA Program. Through our distinctive partnership, highly qualified Gettysburg students can receive assurance of admission to the program one year ahead of the traditional timeline.
Students seeking early consideration for the Penn State COM PA Program must apply during their junior year at Gettysburg College. If accepted into the Early Assurance Program, students must then successfully complete all prerequisite coursework and health care experience hours prior to matriculating into the Physician Assistant Program.
To qualify for consideration, students must also meet established GPA and GRE scaled score thresholds, and demonstrate an interest in pursuing a career in primary care upon completion of the program.
I want to thank our partners at Penn State and the members of our Health Professions Advising Committee—Director Katy Mattson, Prof. Matt Kittelberger, and Prof. Josef Brandauer—for their leadership, collaboration, and continued commitment to providing opportunities for our students to pursue postgraduate studies in health care fields.
I invite you to learn more about our expanded partnership with Penn State College of Medicine, as well as our other new postgraduate opportunities. Together, these programs reflect our desire to create intentional, accessible pathways to impactful careers. I am deeply grateful for your energy and enthusiasm as Gettysburg College continues to open new doors for our students.
Sincerely,
Jamila Bookwala
Provost