PA School Requirements
How Important Are Your PA School Requirements?
Becoming a qualified physician assistant is not easy as most programs are heavily oversubscribed and you are going to have to work hard to get accepted onto an accredited course. To become a fully certified and state licensed PA you are first going to have to pass your PA program and the earlier that you start your planning the better. Most PA schools requirements have fairly strict requirements as to which subjects you will have needed to cover within college so you will need to have this in mind right from the start of your time in college if you do not want to limit the programs you can apply to. This website will help you to ensure that you can apply to your chosen school and can meet all of their PA requirements.
What Will You Study Through Your PA School?
Your PA school is offering you a masters degree level education and will have similar requirements of its students to other masters level courses. You will have three years of education in the areas of clinical medicine, basic sciences and behavioral sciences within the classroom. In addition to this you will also cover some 2000 hours or more of clinical rotations in areas such as:
- Emergency medicine
- Family Medicine
- General surgery
- Internal medicine
- Obstetrics and gynecology
- Pediatrics
- Psychiatry
Plan to Meet Your PA School Requirements Early
Like many other premedical studies courses you are going to have to ensure that you meet various prerequisites with regards to the courses that you have taken before you can apply to the PA program. Each PA school requirements are slightly different but as far as courses taken are concerned you should try to ensure that you have taken all of the following before you apply:
- Anatomy
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Microbiology
- Physiology
Most PA programs will require you to have completed a full bachelors degree however some will allow you to join their program after just 2 years of college.
What Are Your PA Program Requirements
The physician assistant school requirements will vary from each individual PA school so you will need to check precisely what they are looking for before you make your application. Most of the schools will accept applications through the Central Application Services for PA Programs (CASPA) however you some you will have to apply to directly. Your PA school requirements will usually cover the following areas:
- Your GPA and transcripts; ensure that you check each individual school for their specific minimum GPA requirements.
- Letters of recommendation; usually between 2 and 3 are required and you will need to check who is eligible to provide your letters.
- GMAT or GRE results; different programs have different requirements regarding minimum scores.
- Resume
- Personal statement for PA application
- TOEFL for most foreign students for whom English is not a first language