PA School/Program Requirements
What is the minimum degree required to apply for PA school?
A four-year undergraduate degree is required from an accredited U.S. college/university.
How long does a typical PA program last?
Most PA programs are 27 months in length.
Includes one year of classroom study and 15 months of clinical rotations.
What specialization focuses on treating children and adolescents?
Pediatrics
What application system could PA applicants utilize to apply to PA programs/shools?
CASPA (a centralized application system)
Approximately 90% of accredited PA programs participate in each CASPA cycle.
List three roles that would be considered direct patient care experience (PCE).
- Patient Care Assistant (PCA)
- Phlebotomy Technician
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
-Care Aid
-Medical Assistant (MA)
What is the minimum GPA required to apply for PA school? (Hint: it is not the average GPA)
The minimum required GPA for most applicants is a 3.0 GPA.
*Disclaimer: to apply to competitive PA programs, you may want to maintain the reported average overall GPA of applicants admitted into PA school.
What examination must PAs pass to become licensed?
Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE)
What skills are crucial for a successful career as a PA (list two skills)?
-strong communication skills
-compassion and empathy
-focus on patient care
- the ability to solve problems
- work well under pressure
When does this centralized application system open?
CASPA opens in April.
What is the maximum number of letters of recommendation that can be submitted through CASPA?
A maximum of five references/ letters of recommendation through CASPA.
What standardized tests do some PA programs require for admission?
The GRE-Admission Exam (some programs use this standardized exam, so check with the PA program to see if it is required)
What does the acronym NCCPA stand for?
National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.
Name the most common specialization for PAs.
Primary Care
What is the personal statement or essay question that most school applicants are required to submit?
“Why are you interested in being a Physician Assistant?”
How often must PAs complete continuing education to maintain their certification?
How many hours of direct patient care is recommended to apply as an applicant TO PA school?
Ideally, 1000 hours of direct patient care are required to apply to PA school.
What is the average annual salary for a physician assistant in the U.S.?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for a PA in May 2023 was $130,020.
Name a specialty in which PAs can work in the mental health field.
Psychiatry
What course at UMR helps students draft a personal statement as well as prepare for other aspects of centralized applications?
CLI 3714: Preparing a Competitive Health Professions Application offered each Spring semester at UMR.
In what year was the first PA program established?
What are the prerequisites or course requirements necessary to apply to PA school (list at least five)?
- GEN CHEM I & II
-OCHEM I & II
- Integrative Biology (Intro to Biology)
-Anatomy & Physiology I
-Anatomy & Physiology II
- PreCalculus I,
-PreCalculus II
-Introduction to Statistics
What percentage of growth in the employment of PAs is expected to occur from 2022 to 2032?
Employment of PAs is expected to grow by 27% from 2022 to 2032.
What is the role of PAs in patient care? (list at least five)
-Conduct physical exams,
-diagnose and treat illnesses,
-order and interpret tests,
-counsel on preventive health care,
-assist in surgery,
-write prescriptions.
What is a professional readiness exam or situational judgment test that has been adopted by many physician assistant programs?
Casper
In the Casper, you are presented with a variety of written and video prompts involving difficult situations and asked what you would do in each situation. A very small number of programs have adopted the PA-CAT
Who is considered the "father of the physician assistant profession"?