A physician assistant is a qualified medical professional that diagnoses illnesses, develops and manages treatment plans, and serves as a healthcare provider. Physician assistants complete a four year bachelor’s degree and also a two year master’s degree. PAs work collaboratively with physicians, nurses, and nurse practitioners.
Pathway
The first step of getting into PA school is fulfilling the prerequisite classes of the programs which you are interested in. Prerequisite classes vary by program so it is extremely important to check each program’s website to see their specific requirements. The classes that are usually required by most schools include: General Biology I & II, General Chemistry I & II, Anatomy and Physiology I & II, Statistics, English Composition, Psychology, Organic Chemistry, Microbiology, and Genetics. The classes which are required by some schools include: Biochemistry, Medical Terminology, and other upper level science classes.
The next step is to obtain patient care and health care experiences. Patient care experience is a position where you are directly responsible in caring for a patient. Some examples are: EMT, Paramedic, Medical Assistant, Nursing Assistant, Patient Care Tech, Medical Scribe, Respiratory Therapist, Dietitian, and Caregiver. Health care experience is a position where you are exposed to a medical setting but with less responsibility for caring for the patient. Some examples are: volunteering at a hospital, medical scribe, clerical work, and filling prescriptions. High quality patient care experience is more valued by PA programs due to the higher level of responsibility you will possess. Most schools have a general minimum requirement of 1000-2000 hours, but again, it is dependent on the program.
Volunteering is another requirement of many PA programs. The volunteering experiences can either be healthcare or non-healthcare related. It is an amazing way to show schools that you care about giving back to the community, so pick any opportunities that you are interested and passionate about.
Shadowing a physician assistant is the best way to truly understand the role of a physician assistant and see how they interact with patients and physicians. It is encouraged to observe PAs in a variety of specialities to gain more insight into the profession.
For standardized testing, the GRE or the PA-CAT is generally required. Recently some PA programs have decided to remove the GRE requirement altogether, so check on the program’s website. Although the GRE is not a major determining factor for PA school acceptance, try to aim for over a 300 combined verbal and quantitative score.
Your personal statement will answer the question, “Why do you want to become a physician assistant?”. Try to create many drafts and proofread the essay several times. Also ask peers, counselors, professors, friends, and mentors to read your essay (the more people = the better). Additionally, PA schools usually require three recommendation letters. The people that write your letters should know you well and be able to speak highly of your work ethic, academics, and skills.
The final step in this process is the Interview. The best way to prepare is to practice as much as possible. There is generally a list of questions that are commonly asked during interviews so you can try to prepare answers beforehand.
Okay great, you are accepted into PA school! Now, what? The average PA program lasts 27 months, with the first half consisting of didactic year and the second year consisting of clinical year. PA school is a full time commitment and schools highly discourage you from working in between. After PA school is done, you will then take the board certification exam which is the PANCE. You are required to retake the board exam every ten years and complete CME credits every two years. The process of becoming a physician assistant is extremely challenging however it is definitely worth it!
Job Outcome
The physician assistant career is a widely growing field with a great job outlook. The median salary for physician assistants in 2019 was $111,000.
PA Student Statistics (PAEA):
Average Age: 25 years old
Average Healthcare Experience: 2,605 hours
Average Undergraduate Overall GPA: 3.6
Average Undergraduate Science GPA: 3.5
Average GRE score: 306
75% female, 25% male
Some helpful resources for Pre-PA students:
My PA Box
The PA Platform
Magoosh GRE Prep
5 lb Book of GRE Questions
- By Jane
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