Pre physician assistant programs

According to the U. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Members of the committee serve as advisors for students pursuing careers as physician assistants. Pre-Physician Assistant. Pre-Physician Assistant If you have a strong desire to help people and you thrive in a challenging environment, a career as a physician assistant PA could be a good fit for you. I have learned that because medicine is constantly changing, a healthcare provider needs to be open and motivated to continue learning throughout his or her career.

That includes transfer students who are transferring from community college as well as four-year institutions.

Click here for more information on the course subjects categorized as science vs. You should plan to take the GRE in your junior or senior year depending on when you plan to apply.

It is a specialized test that is designed to measure applicant knowledge and application in key prerequisite science subjects typically required for PA school. The PA-CAT measures general academic ability and scientific knowledge necessary for success in the demanding Physician Assistant curriculum. As in any career choice, applicants should confirm their decision to become a PA through personal experience.

Such experience ranges from shadowing a PA, working in a clinic or hospital alongside physicians, nurses, and PAs. Keep track of all experience date, location, description because some schools request log of your experience and employment when you apply. Further, many schools require a letter of evaluation from a PA with whom you have interacted. Unlike shadowing, many PA programs have set requirements for the number of hours in which you have participated in "direct patient care.

Medical scribing, while counted as healthcare experience, is sometimes not viewed as direct patient care. PA programs vary in terms of the amount of experience required for admission, with some programs requiring as many as hours. It is not uncommon for many pre-PA applicants to take a gap-year following their graduation from college to gain the requisite experience. Please review the individual PA schools in which you hope to apply for their specific requirements.

There are no hard and fast rules for gaining admission into PA school. That said, a competitive applicant has:. It also important that you follow your interests as well, even if they are not directly related to healthcare. Sports, literature, film, music, acting, dancing, hobbies, and any sort of competition all fall in this category. Admissions committees value applicants that well-rounded and have interests outside of medicine.

If you do not feel that you are competitive, you may consider taking a gap-year to address any weaknesses in your application. Non-participating PA schools will use their own individual application. You should apply to multiple PA schools. Further, it is important that you research the requirements and mission of each school to which you hope to apply.

After submitting your CASPA application, you will need to complete the supplemental applications for each school that requires one. These applications often include additional short-essay prompts and are specific to each school. You should plan to complete the supplemental applications as soon as possible after you submit the CASPA application.

Yes, PA schools will require applicants to submit individual Letters of Evaluation as a part of their application. Yes, although most applicants focus mainly on GPA and GRE scores, the personal statement is a very important component of your application and should be carefully written.

This is your opportunity to highlight things about you that are not mentioned in other sections of your application and to distinguish yourself from other applicants. Many PA schools now require applicants to complete the Altus Suite of assessments as part of the application process. Importantly, some PA schools may only require the Casper, while others may require completion of the entire Altus Suite. The Casper is a situational judgement test involving a series of realistic, hypothetical scenarios and asks applicants to indicate how they would respond if they were to be in that particular situation.

The U. Pre-Physician Assistant Program, St. All on-campus undergraduate students receive an iPad with access to over apps. Students work with a life coach to leverage their strengths and personalize their education. Average class size is Financial Aid.