Individuals who are intent on joining the ranks of those attending physician assistant programs will typically, but not always, be required to have completed an undergraduate program. They do not necessarily have to hold a degree in the sciences, but the applicant must have successfully completed prerequisites such as anatomy, physiology, chemistry and psychology courses.
Many of the physician assistant programs require that the applicants have a 3.0 grade-point average. Additionally, the applicants need to have taken the Graduate Record Examination general test and earned a quantitative score of 144, a verbal score of 153 and score of 3.5 on the analytical writing components. The prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of no less than a “C” for each. In addition, you'll need a basic life support certification obtained from a course that follows the guidelines set out by the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association.
One of the many components of the candidate selection for physician assistant is an essay. While this may not be required by all of the participating schools, there is typically some form of essay-style questioning. The essay will typically require that the applicant answer some questions as to what makes her a good candidate for the position of physician assistant. These questions will be put against other candidates to determine the best applicants for the open spots.
Those individuals who have some experience in the medical field may have a better chance at being accepted into the competitive programs. Emergency medical technicians and those in the nursing field will have the experience to back up the application. Another way to get this experience is by shadowing a physician assistant. This will give the applicant some knowledge about the career choice as well as provide important experience that can benefit the applicant in the process.