A physician assistant, also known as a PA, is a licensed healthcare professional who has been trained to practice medicine under the supervision of a physician, medical doctor, or osteopath. Despite the names’ similarity, a physician assistant is not the same as a medical assistant. A medical assistant is a healthcare worker who has received only rudimentary training from a vocational school and has completed a certificate program. A physician assistant, on the other hand, is a healthcare professional who typically holds a bachelor’s degree in a health-related field as well as a master’s degree that allows them to practice without a license. Anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, genetics, and statistics are among the topics covered in physician assistant courses, which are similar to those found in advanced nursing and medical programs.
Physician assistant course requirements vary greatly depending on which of the 159 programs available in the United States one applies to. The vast majority, on the other hand, are demanding programs aimed at producing capable PAs who can practice safely with little or no physician supervision. Typically, it takes two to three years to complete the minimum physician assistant course requirements. These programs require students to pass specific classes as well as up to 2,500 hours of supervised clinical care, which are usually completed concurrently with classroom instruction.
Some of the prerequisites for physician assistant students are the same as those for nursing or premedical students. Basic biology and chemistry courses, as well as a full year of human anatomy and physiology, physics, nutrition, and genetics, would be included. Organic chemistry I and II, as well as a second full year of chemistry, are also required PA courses. Courses in social science, such as sociology, psychology, and abnormal psychology, are also required. Courses in anthropology or multi-disciplinary studies, such as those on death and dying, may be required.
The requirements for advanced physician assistant courses build on the foundation laid in the first year. A general biochemistry class and an advanced biochemistry class are required, with the advanced class expected to be specific to the student’s eventual practice. A full year of general microbiology is required, followed by microbiology and disease. One or more basic statistics courses may be required to ensure that graduates are capable of evaluating clinical research and drug studies that they will be required to review throughout their careers. Between these two levels of physician assistant course requirements, students must also study for and pass the Graduate Record Examination, or GRE®, in order to be eligible for master’s degree work.