Physician Assistant/Associate (PA) 101

1. Formal education and training typically require 2 years of physician assistant school; some PAs pursue additional education in specialty areas such as surgery, neonatology, or emergency medicine
2. Acceptance is highly competitive, and most schools require extensive direct patient care hours prior to admission (as high as 1,000 hours)
3. PAs can perform most of the duties of a physician, but they must do so under the supervision of a physician; supervision will vary from daily to one or two meetings each week depending upon the practice setting
4. PAs can prescribe medications in all 50 states, but some require co-signature of a physician for controlled substances
5. Employment opportunities are expected to be excellent related, in part, to the increased need for primary care practitioners in underserved areas
6. In May 2021 the AAPA House of Delegates passed a resolution affirming “physician associate” as the official title for the PA profession, if approved by the AAPA Board, the official name change will be implemented

PAs are trained to provide routine diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive healthcare services under the direction and supervision of a physician. They complete basic medical histories, patient examinations, and order diagnostic tests and procedures necessary for treatment. They can complete minor injury treatment (suturing, splinting and casting) and prescribe medication (in all 50 states). PAs may work in the hospital setting or in physician offices or clinics. The leading medical specialties which employ high numbers of PAs include family/general practice, pediatrics, internal medicine, geriatrics, general surgery, emergency medicine, orthopedic surgery, and thoracic surgery. Surgical PAs assist surgeons during procedures and suture wounds but do not perform surgery themselves. PAs must pass the Physician Assistant National Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) licensing exam in order to practice in all states and the District of Columbia. Approximately 55% of PAs work in physician offices, 23% in hospitals, and 10% in other outpatient settings. Access a document that compares and contrasts PAs and Nurse Practitioners to learn more about the similarities and differences between these two career pathways.

Admissions requirements vary widely from school to school. Students are encouraged to choose any major they are interested in pursuing. Below is a list of courses that may be required:

Other courses that may be required are Organic Chemistry (CHM 2211/2201, 2212/2202), Biochemistry (CHM 4611 or CHM 4621), Genetics (BIO 3351), and Medical Terminology (CLAS 2021 – Language and Science of Medicine; usually available in summer as an online course).

Below is a list of the types of direct patient-care experience that have been found to be acceptable to meet minimum program requirements. However, it is not exhaustive, and students should contact each school to find out what kind of experience is acceptable. NOTE physician or P.A. shadowing does NOT qualify as direct patient care experience. Application specifically separates activities into hands-on patient care versus activities where you may assist/witness care of patients but not actively engage with them in a provider role. Many of the provider roles listed below require certification. You will need to explore how to complete the education and training process to acquire certification and then secure a work position to begin accruing direct patient care hours. Hours required for application MUST be completed prior to submission of your application:

Paramedic
Certified Nurse Assistant (some activities may not qualify)
EMT
Orderly
Home health aide (some activities may not qualify)
Phlebotomist
Radiation technologist
Ophthalmologic technician
EKG/monitor technician
Medical assistant
Cert. Patient Care Tech.
PT aide

Any undergraduate major is acceptable if you have completed the required pre-requisite courses and taken the application exam (GRE) if required. Application is highly competitive and therefore students should have a strong overall GPA (>3.0) and perform well (“C” or better) in pre-requisite courses to be in consideration.

Many schools require students to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) which is a standardized test to gauge a student’s ability to perform in a graduate program. The General Test is given year-round at computer-based test centers in the U.S., Canada, and many other countries. For more information about the GRE visit their website at https://www.ets.org/gre/. A new application exam called the Physician Assistant College Application Test (PACAT) will be available as of 2020. Some programs will require this exam for admission starting in the 2021 cycle and beyond. For more information on this exam visit the PACAT website.

CASPA is a centralized service which allows applicants to use a single application process to apply to multiple PA programs. Not all schools participate in CASPA. It is the responsibility of the applicant to determine which schools participate and send individual applications to those schools that do not participate.

Students must regularly meet with their academic advisor in the major and are also encouraged to meet with a Health Professions Advisor (HPA) as they move forward with plans to pursue a career as a physician assistant to provide additional support in compilation of a strong portfolio for admission consideration.  Pre-PA applicants are encouraged to consider obtain a letter packet as a critical component of their application portfolio. A Letter Packet is a composite letter that includes full content of all required evaluator letters, but it does not additionally include a pre-health committee evaluation. In its place, we include an institutional cover sheet from the Pre-Health Advising Program. The Pre-Health Advising Program’s institutional cover sheet provides context to your academic and experiential preparation.