Most physician-assistant programs require students to have attained a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, according to Duke University. Although studies in a particular academic discipline usually are not required, students must have completed several prerequisite courses such as anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry with labs and statistics. Other required courses may include psychology or even zoology, and students typically must earn at least a “C” in their prerequisite courses. Students also must submit previous college transcripts, with programs often looking for students who have a grade point average of at least a 3.0, according to the University of Wisconsin.
Experience in direct patient care often is another requirement for individuals who are interested in completing a physician-assistant program, according to York College in New York. Students typically must prove they have completed about 1,000 hours of volunteer or paid work in clinics, doctors’ offices, long-term care facilities or hospitals. They could have worked as a registered nurse, nursing assistant, emergency medical technician or other health-care professional.
To get into many masters' degree physician-assistant programs, students must pass the Graduate Record Exam and submit their test scores. Colleges often look for students who have earned a combined score of at least 1,000 in the test's verbal and quantitative sections, according to Mercer University in Georgia. Students typically also must complete personal interviews with program officials, during which they must demonstrate maturity, strong interpersonal skills and knowledge of the health-care system.
Physician-assistant training programs often ask applicants to submit three letters of recommendation from individuals such as employers, supervisors, health-care professionals or previous professors. These individuals must attest to an applicant’s professional and educational potential, and usually cannot be a student’s family members or friends. In addition, students must complete official physician-assistant-program applications. They actually can use the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants to apply to multiple physician-assistant programs by completing a single web-based application.
Completion of a personal statement also is required by some physician-assistant programs. The purpose of this essay is to show why a potential student wants to pursue physician-assistant training and what his long-term career goals are. Applicants also can use the essay to explain the personal qualities they possess that make them a good fit for the profession.