Becoming a physician assistant is demanding, but it can be one of the most rewarding medical careers. Perhaps the first step in becoming a physician assistant should be asking yourself why you want to be one. After all, there are many other types of medical professionals, including nurses, nurse practitioners, and medical assistants, and many physician assistants come from careers in these fields. Being a physician assistant is a more autonomous profession, where your work complements that of the collaborative physician supervisor. Ask yourself, “Why do I want to become a PA, and not a nurse practitioner, physician, or other medical professional?”
If you want to become a PA, you will have to meet certain requirements in order to be admitted to one of the accredited physician assistant programs. Most physician assistant schools and all the top ones require that you have some degree of experience in direct patient care. That may include experience as a hospital orderly, an EMT, respiratory therapist, or nurse, as well as other patient care experiences. You will also generally have to have a bachelor’s degree with good grounding in biology, chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry, and mathematics. If you lack these prerequisite courses, you should arrange to complete them before applying to PA programs.
When you’re ready to choose a program, you have your choice of dozens of accredited programs in the United States. Your personal situation will help determine which of these you apply to. Your finances, whether you have a spouse and / or children, and geographical preference will play some role in helping you determine which programs you will find most fitting. Physician assistant schools all have different application deadlines, and many of them favor those who apply early, so make note of these deadlines on your calendar so you don’t miss out. You will have to have an interview before being admitted, so be prepared to explain your reasons for wanting to become a PA, and why you believe you are a good candidate for one of the limited positions in a PA school.
Physician assistant programs generally last two to three years, and they are demanding. Most people are not able to work even part-time while they are training as a PA. Generally the first half of the curriculum is dedicated to classroom and laboratory instruction, while the second half of the curriculum is devoted to clinical rotations in various medical specialties. In some cases, first year PA students train alongside first year medical students. Once you complete the PA program, you will have to take the necessary licensing exams and pass them before you can practice.
Becoming a physician assistant is a big undertaking, but PAs have a unique and extremely valuable place in the health care system. Becoming a PA takes brains, commitment, and determination. With the aging of the American population, medical professions are predicted to experience significant growth in the second decade of the 21st century, and physician assistants will play an increasingly important role in the delivery of health care to the public.
Hey Dave,
My name Tselote Tilahun, I am in the process of applying to the masters in physician assistant studies program for this year. I specifically very eager r to join in Emoryr Universityprogram. I currently have a 3.0 GPA with a bachelors degree in Neurobiology and Physiology from University of Maryland College Park, i graduated last August. At the moment, I am taking more classes at a community college, and also will be starting taking graduate level classes at the University of Maryland this may to obtain a more competitive GPA..
What do you think is the best move, for a person who has already graduated from a 4 year college and who wants to boost its GPA? Is preferance of classes taken at a 4 year college than a 2 year college?
Thank you so much you so much for all your advices. I have learnt a lot from all your postings.
Prospective PA student
Tselote:)
I currently have some questions on what is all necessary to become a physicians assistant. Your website was very helpful, but I really just want to make sure that I know what I’m doing. So I need to obtain a bachelors degree in some sort of science field first before I will most likely be accepted to any program? How much in the medical field experience should you have before applying to a program?
@Tselote, If you are able to attend a 4 year school to re take some classes, some PA schools will look at that as a plus. If all else fails, and you take those classes at a Community College, get ALL A’s and you should be fine. Best of luck to you.
@Eric– If you go to the website of any PA school, you will find all that is required for admission into PA school. Most PA programs award a Master’s Degree and thus require a B.S degree prior to admission. Good luck.
I thank you for all of your information. Lots of it. Helps a lot. I do have a question though, is it possible to get into PA school without having any medical expereince but my B.S degree in Bio/Chemistry? With my minor being in Anatomy?
Hi, I’m Maide. I too would like to become a PA, God willing. I finished 4 years of medical school in Cuba, before coming to the US. I wonder if that is a plus, or help in the process to get accepted in the program. I also would like to know if there is any PA program in or near by San Diego, CA. Thanks, and waiting for your answer,
Maidelis.
Hi, I’m Poonam. I am currently a second year at a 4 year university. I want to become a PA. My major is Business Admin, but I will be a pursuing a minor in biological sciences. Is that acceptable for applying to PA schools?
Hey, my name is Sonja. I just graduated from a 4-year college in California and I am interested in persuing a career as a PA in the near future. I graduated with a degree in Sports Medicine and a minor in Biology. I am from Germany and I am currently playing professional Volleyball in Austria.
Do PA programs allow international students? And is my degree good enough to get into the program? Also, what do you recommend as far as “hands-on-experience”?
Thanks for your help!
-Sonia
@William. These days, you MUST have medical experience to get into PA school.
@Maidelis–The fact that you have gone through medical school should really help you a lot in PA school. A lot of the information would be somewhat of a review for you. As far as being an edge to get in, that would depend on the view of the school(s) in which you apply.
As far as for PA schools in your area, just google for PA schools in or near San Diego. Best of luck to you.
@Poonam, yes that would be acceptable. Just be sure to look at the Pre-reqs for the PA schools in which you want to apply and be sure to take the required classes. Good Luck.
I enjoyed your website and have found it VERY helpful. I have 20 plus years of healthcare experience as an Occupational Therapist. I took all my undergrad courses over 20 years ago. My prior coursework has a low science GPA, but since I’ve re-taken all the pre-requisites I’ve done substantially better and possess a more competitive GPA (3.8) which has helped bring my over all GPA up to approximately a 3.0. Will the admission committee focus more on my current coursework to determine my acceptance into their program ? Thank you for taking the time to answer this question.
hi my name is jack and i was wondering if i could get into a PA school with a B.S in biology?
My name is Avery and I’m considering a career shift to become a PA. I always desired to work in the medical field but wasn’t mature enough to pursue it and now Im ready. I currently have an MBA, which has nothing to do with any sciences. I’m in the process of researching the pre-reqs required for admission. What advise would you give a Business Major? Do you feel that I’m out of my league even considering this?
I am still in high school but I’m thinking that later in life that I would like to be a PA and I want to know how hard do I have to work.
Let pretend like I finish college and I’m trying to get into the PA program. Let say
1)I am a Certified Nursing Assistant working for 4 years
2)I have a 3.5 GPA from my 4 years of college
3)I did a total of 100 hours observing a Doctor
Is that enough to get accepted or please tell me what I’m missing to get accepted into PA school.
Thank you Dave
I have found your information to be very useful and I wanted to personally thank you. However, I do have a specific question to ask you. One of the schools that I want to apply to put a lot of emphasis on demonstrating ongoing community service and involvement. So what do you feel that the program is looking for and where can I go about getting involved?
Thanks
Mike
hey Dave its great to go through all the info u have provided on this website, i have been focusing on all the interviews you have posted on this site, i have done BHMS i.e non traditional Medicine from India,Homoeopathy was my Major and i took some Prerequisites here in the US my overall GPA is 4.0,i have 10 yrs of experience in medical field , i was working as a duty medical officer in a hospital in India and had completed 500 hrs of volunteer medical work in the US,i will have an interview on 13th jan at Drexel university what do u think are the chances of my acceptance to this school,waiting to hear from you,thanks for your valuable time,bbye
I graduated in 1992 with a B.S. in biology with @3.8 gpa. I taught biology right out of college for 4 years, then spent 8 years raising children. I returned to teaching 9 yrs ago. I also completed a masters in educational administration (useless). Teaching has become increasingly unrewarding, between shrinking pay, and ever growing legislation.I always wanted to work in a medical field, but I opted for the family friendly track instead. Now the youngest is 14 and I am not looking forward to my job anymore. Am I too old (43)? Do nontraditional students have a chance