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IPAP application season open for DAF active duty through Jan 2022

  • Published
  • By Toni Whaley
  • Air Force's Personnel Center Public Affairs

The Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP) is accepting applications through January 21, 2022 from active duty enlisted and officer service members interested in caring for Airmen, Guardians and their families.

IPAP is a 29-month, two-phase program that includes 16 months of classroom and hands-on instruction at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas, followed by 13 months of various clinical rotations at a military medical treatment facility.

“This unique multi-service opportunity is open to enlisted members and officers from any career field within the Department of the Air Force to include the Space Force,” said Col. Melanie “MJ” Ellis, Physician Assistant Associate Corps Chief. “We typically have 200-300 people start the application process. Of those, approximately 200 submit their applications, with 120-130 actually meeting the board to vie for only 35-45 seats. This is a highly competitive program seeking the best and most qualified applicants.”

Enlisted members in the grades of E-4 through E-8 as of Aug. 1, 2022 with a minimum of three years and less than 12 years of service as of Aug. 1, 2022 are eligible. Officers in the grades of O-1 through O-3 as of Aug. 1, 2022 with less than six years of service as of Aug. 1, 2022 can apply.

The program requires specific academic prerequisites before applying. It is highly recommended that most of the applicant’s classes be completed within the last five years.  However, all mandatory math and science courses must be completed within the last 10 years.

“IPAP is a very unique, accelerated program with a lot of volume,” said Maj. Kevin Graham, IPAP instructor and 42G Education Consultant. “The academic requirements may seem intense, but they provide a distilled picture of an applicant’s readiness to receive very challenging material in a massive volume at a very quick speed. This [program] is one of the few times in life where I ran into something that was a marathon distance run at a sprinter’s pace.”

In general, no waivers will be considered for prerequisites, such as Time in Service, or academics. However, due to COVID-19 limitations, a waiver may be requested for shadowing hours and Scholastic Assessment Test scores. It is important to note, all waivers must be included in the application.

“The waiver gets you into the door because we understand shadowing is being limited at some MTFs due to the resurgence of COVID,” said Maj. James Moore, 42G Career Field Operations Officer. “We encourage you to do everything you can to put your best application forward…leave it all on the table...no regrets. In my opinion, this is the best program ever. We change lives by taking care of people and their (healthcare) issues.”

For more information on the application process contact your local Education Service Office, the Knowledge Exchange (Kx) website at https://kx.health.mil/kj/kx3/afbsceducation, or view the Interservice Physician Assistant Program FAQ webcast at https://youtu.be/GHpJDttYBPA.

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