Physician assistants (PAs) are licensed to practice medicine under the supervision of a medical doctor and are educated in the same manner as medical students, though their training is significantly shorter. With the exception of shadowing, the prerequisites for PA programs are similar, including premedical science coursework and post-baccalaureate exams such as the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Prerequisites for PA programs frequently include paid clinical work experience in a healthcare setting, such as as a paramedic or medical scribe.
Because the physician assistant is allowed to practice medicine, it is critical that he or she has a solid understanding of the natural sciences. For admission, all PA schools, like medical schools, require the completion of several pre-medical courses in the life and physical sciences, such as a year of introductory physics, biological science, and organic chemistry, as well as biochemistry. Premedical science courses for entrance into PA programs are expected to be completed with above-average grades as part of a bachelor’s degree in no specific major.
PA programs may require scores from the Medical Colleges Admissions Test (MCAT) or the Graduate Record Examination, depending on the school (GRE). Some programs require applicants to submit reports from both types of exams. Colleges will not accept one for the other in some cases and are very specific about what is required, such as desirable minimum scores and how recent the results are.
Most physician assistant programs require applicants to have clinical experience in the healthcare field, such as nursing or paramedic work. Working as a medical scribe is another popular career choice for pre-PA students. Medical scribes assist doctors taking patients’ medical histories and noting events that occur during visits, such as important doctor-patient discussions, treatments, and test results. In most cases, the amount of clinical experience required is specified, so prospective students should contact PA schools to learn the total number of paid hours required for admission consideration.
Although shadowing licensed PAs is not required in all PA programs, it is frequently recommended in addition to PA program prerequisites. Shadowing entails paying close attention to a PA as he or she goes about his or her daily tasks. Shadowing allows prospective physician assistants to gain an understanding of the various capacities in which these professionals are employed. It is done primarily for the purpose of learning about the job of physician assisting. Students should observe actual PA responsibilities in a variety of medical settings.