These are typical requirements and recommendations for applying to PA programs.  If you are interested in applying to programs in one of the other health profession areas (medical, dental, pharmacy, PT, optometry, etc.) please review the recommended courses for that specific area. Given that PA schools require several more courses and significant more clinical hours than medical school admissions, it is normal for PA students to take extra gap years as necessary. Please schedule an advising appointment with a Pre-Health advisor if you have questions about completing the requirements for a PA school application.

 

Suggested Academic Timelines:

 

First Year

Fall	Spring
Inorganic (Intro) Chemistry I with Lab CHEM 101/111	Inorganic (Intro) Chemistry II with Lab CHEM 102/112
Intro Biology I with Lab BIOL 101/111	Intro Biology II with lab BIOL 102/112

 

Second Year

Fall	Spring
Organic Chemistry I with Lab CHEM 223/225	Organic Chemistry II with Lab CHEM 224/226
Human Anatomy & Physiology I BIOL 242	Human Anatomy & Physiology II BIOL 243

 

Third Year

Fall	Spring
Biochemistry CHEM 361	Microbiology BIOL 302
Science Electives*	Science Electives*

 

Fourth Year

Fall	Spring
Science Electives*	Science Electives*

*Physician Assistant programs typically require or recommend courses in: psychology, sciology, statistics, medical terminology, or other related biology courses.

Clinical Experience Timeline

PA schools often require a significant (i.e. 1,500+) number of clinical hours as a pre-requisite. This extensive expectation is one of the key reasons we recommend students interested in PA school get involved as early as possible. Some of the accepted experiences for these hours differ from those accepted at many medical schools, so we have provided a list of clinical experiences that are typically accepted by PA schools: 

• Nursing Assistant (CNA)
• Paramedic/EMT
• Medical Assistant
• Radiology Tech
• Military Medic/Corpsman/Tech   

Some experiences typically NOT accepted by PA schools are:

• Shadowing
• Volunteering in a hospital, clinic, etc.

Please keep in mind all health professional schools have different requirements and recommendations.  We suggest students research the specific requirements of schools they are interested in and speak with a Pre-Health advisor.