Pathway to Physician Assistant Programs

1 Pathway to Physician Assistant Programs Physician Assistant Profession Description Physician assistants (PA) are well educated and trained health professional that are required to take courses across subjects such as anatomy, microbiology, physiology, and more. They are then required to complete more than 2000 hours of clinical rotations in family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, general surgery, orthopedics, emergency medicine, psychiatry, and geriatrics. PA s will typically work under the supervision of a Physician or surgeon.

2 Physician Assistant duties include taking medical history, conducting medical exams, diagnosing and treating illnesses, ordering and interpreting tests, counseling on preventive care, assisting in surgery, writing prescriptions, making rounds in hospital and nursing homes, etc. NSME Contact Information Web: Phone: (661) 654-6322 Email: School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering School Contact Information Loma Linda University, Loma Linda Email: Phone: 909-558-7295 Riverside Community College, Riverside Email: Phone: 951-571-6166 Samuel Merritt University, Oakland Email: Phone: 510-869-6608 Stanford University Foothill College, Stanford Email: Phone: 650-725-6959 Touro University california , Vallejo Email: Phone: 707-638-5809 University of california , Davis Email: Phone.

3 916-734-2145 USC-Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles Email: Phone: 626-457-4240 Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona Email: Phone: 909-469-5390 Frequently Asked Questions What is patient care experience? Applicants must have paid and/or volunteer hands-on patient care experience prior to applying to PA school. Experience may include Paramedic/EMT, Nurse (LVN, CNA, or RN), military medical corpsman, psychiatric tech, radiologic tech, respiratory therapist, and certified medical Assistant . See the schools website for specific hour requirements.

4 Do PA schools require the GRE or MCAT? Some PA schools do require GRE and MCAT s. Refer to each Programs website for examination requirements. Can I be employed during the PA program? Most schools greatly discourage holding employment during the program. Students are typically on call and the school will not make accommodations to fit your employment schedule. How many letters of recommendation do schools require? Most schools require three letters of recommendation from health professionals that are not relatives or friends. How much do PA s earn?

5 Salary for Physician Assistant s vary by state. According to the Bureau of labor Statistics in 2012 the Median pay for PA a was $90,930 per year and $ per hour. Resources Rodican, A. J. 2010. The ultimate guide to getting into Physician Assistant school, 3rd edition. McGraw-Hill medical Publishing. New York, NY. Loma Linda University Riverside Community College Samuel Merrit University Stanford University through Foothill College Touro University california UC Davis USC - Keck School of Medicine Western University Admissions Information Degrees Offered Masters Certificate Masters Certificate Joint Masters in PA and Public Masters Masters Masters Program Duration 24 Months 24 Months 27 Months 21 Months 33 Months 27 Months 33 Months 2 Years Program Begins Fall Fall Fall Summer August Summer Fall August Minimum GPA Required

6 Patient Care Experience 2000 Hrs 3000 Hrs 1000 Hrs ** 3000 Hrs 1000 1000 2400 Preferred but not required. Application Period Jun1 to Nov 1 May 1 to Jan 5 May 1 to Oct 1 May to Sept 1 Apr 16 to Nov 1 Apr 16 to July 15 Deadline Nov 1 Deadline Nov 1 Cost of Program $87,840 $39,815 $44,440 $49,795 $100,000 $55,071 $151,933 $74,690 Competitiveness Average GPA Students Admitted yearly 34 40 44 50 45 41 60 98 # of Applications Received 1202 200 1541 300-500 1500 800 1000 1948 # of Applicants Interviewed 129 144 90-120 200 96 170 353 Math & Sciences Prerequisites Human Anatomy** BIOL 250 BIOL 250 BIOL 250 BIOL 250 BIOL 250 BIOL 250 BIOL 250 BIOL 250 Human Physiology** BIOL 255/256 BIOL 255/256 BIOL 255/256 BIOL 255/256 BIOL 255/256 BIOL 255/256 BIOL 255/256 or 305 BIOL 255/256 Micro-biology** BIOL 260

7 BIOL 260 BIOL 260 BIOL 260 BIOL 260 BIOL 260 BIOL 312 BIOL 260 Chemistry - Select appropriate course for desired institution CHEM 211, 212, 213 CHEM 211, 212, 213 CHEM 211, 212, 213, 331, 332 CHEM 101/150/203 CHEM 150/203 CHEM 211,212,213 CHEM 211,212,213 Math 190/191, 140* MATH 190/191, 140 MATH 140 MATH 190/191 MATH 140 MATH 140 or MATH 140 or PSYC 200 MATH 140 and 190/191 Additional Science Courses PHYS 201/221 PHYS 201/221 BIOL 304 General Education Prerequisites English 1 year ENGL 110 1 year `ENGL 110 ENGL 110 Psychology PSYCH 100 PSYCH 100 PSYCH 100 PSYC 100 PSYC 100 PSYC 110 Sociology / Anthropology SOC 100 or ANTH 100 SOC 100 or ANTH 100 SOC 100 or ANTH 100 SOC 100 or ANTH SOC 100 medical Terminology** NURS 140* 1 year Spanish Recommended 1 year SPAN

8 101 and Additional Information Notes Masters offered online through St. Francis University Masters offered online through St. Francis Uni-versity Requires MCAT or GRE Humanities Required * Recommended ** Requires Lab ** 50 hours must be shadowing a Physician Assistant This information is provided as a courtesy, it is the student s responsibility to confirm requirements through the institution (s) of their choice.