Common PA School Prerequisites
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PA is a profession that entails significant knowledge on the different fields of medicine, which is why colleges and universities ensure the quality of education by exacting PA school prerequisites that students must comply with. Below are general prerequisites.
PA School Prerequisites
- Upcoming students for the PA program must complete the following courses as prerequisites: Biochemistry, Microbiology, Statistics, Medical Terminology, Anatomy & Physiology, Chemistry, Genetics, Embryology, Histology, Immunology and Molecular Biology.
- Grades for the above courses must be pass, “C” or higher. A grade of C minus is not adequate to be accepted in the program.
- Only passed courses from community colleges or accredited online regional institutions are accepted.
Hands-on Patient Care Experience
- A minimum of 1000 hours to a maximum of 4000 hours of direct patient handling in clinical rotations is a prerequisite. Acceptable patient care experiences are Peace Corps volunteer, clinic assistant, nurse’s aide, therapist, technologist, etc.
- The following experiences are not accepted: PA observer, all forms of healthcare student experiences, pharmaceutical representatives, lifeguard, all clerical positions, CPR/ACLS instructor, etc.
PA Prerequisites for PA School: Examinations and Tests
- Graduate Record Examination or GRE is a prerequisite even for those who have earned their master’s degree and or doctorate degrees.
- GRE score reports must be sent or reported directly to CASPA. Make sure that you state or give the correct code of the university or college where you are applying at.
- The TOEFL or Test of English as a Foreign Language must be taken and passed by students who did not take their 4-year baccalaureate degree in Canada, the |United States and the United Kingdom.
- TOEFL scores must be directly submitted to CASPA with the proper school code.
Letters of Recommendations
- Three (3) letters of recommendations from non-relatives of the applicant must be submitted through CASPA. (One letter each from a professor, a PA or physician and an employer).
“All required prerequisites and bachelor’s degree must be completed before submitting a CASPA application to the PA Program. An application will NOT be reviewed by the PA Admissions Committee until ALL required prerequisites are completed as evidenced on an official transcript(s). No outstanding/incomplete prerequisites are allowed” Tufts University
All prerequisites for PA school must be submitted on or before the deadline. Provide adequate time to collate you needed documents properly, and you can do this by starting to work on you application as early as possible. What’s more, to understand all the responsibility, you should know how long is PA school and what the physician assistant school requirements are.