PA Resource Center
What’s a PA? Becoming a PA Securing PA School Admission
Physician assistants/associates, or PAs, provide a valuable bridge to healthcare for patients, with qualifications lying between that of a nurse and a physician. They perform many, but not all the functions of a physician: PAs can diagnose issues, treat patients and prescribe medications. They have fewer years of training, however, and though they can assist in performing surgical procedures, they cannot perform them themselves.
PAs enable medical practices to treat a greater number of patients, handling some of the more routine patient issues while enabling physicians to see the more complex, serious and specialized cases. Their expertise allows appointments to continue when doctors are out of the office for any reason.
PAs perform their duties under the supervision of physicians in a variety of healthcare settings and specialties.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), physician assistant/associate jobs are expected to grow by 28% through 2033 — much faster than average. PAs are generally compensated well, with recent BLS estimates showing median annual pay at $130,020.
Resources for additional information:
Step 1
PA school applicants must have at minimum:
- A bachelor’s degree
- Transcripts showing completed courses in medicine and science
- Demonstrated real-world experience caring for patients
- A GPA of 3.0 or higher
- An acceptable GRE score (some programs require this)
Step 2
Applicants enroll in an accredited PA program. These programs typically last 27 months or three academic years and entail classroom instruction in a broad range of medical and scientific topics including:
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Pharmacology
- Microbiology
- Behavioral science
In addition, PA students complete more than 2,000 hours of clinical rotations in settings such as:
- Medical practices
- Clinics
- Long-term care facilities
- Acute care facilities
Step 3
Upon successful completion of their PA accredited program, graduates will be awarded a master’s degree. This does not make them a PA, however. First, they must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE).
Following this, they can add the title Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C) after their name but must participate in continuing education and be recertified at regular intervals to maintain that certification in their state. Most states also require PAs to have an agreement to work with a specified supervising physician.
Resources for additional information:
More than 28,000 aspiring students apply to PA school every year, but about only one in four is accepted during each admissions period. It’s a highly competitive process.
For this reason, aspiring PA school students should expect that meeting the minimum requirements will not be sufficient and plan on submitting an application that stands out in terms of education, accomplishments and ambition.
PA school applications must show areas of knowledge that PA school admission boards value. Considering the responsibilities of a physician assistant/associate, being able to demonstrate a strong foundation in anatomy and physiology is highly recommended. Courses in those fields are among the most sought after by PA schools and will be beneficial to students in their PA school studies, particularly in cadaver labs (gross anatomy) and clinicals.
The University of Florida’s online Master of Science in Medical Sciences with a Concentration in Medical Anatomy & Physiology, offered through our College of Medicine, was developed by UF faculty with expertise in PA education and teaching. It addresses key areas aspiring PA students need to master to secure admission to their desired program and excel within it.
We recommend all prospective PA students compare the many available pre-PA-school program options before deciding and submitting applications.
