Physician's Assistant

If you are interested in becoming a physician assistant, you must go through a regimented process to get into physician assistant school:

1. You must obtain a bachelor’s degree; you can major in any subject.
2. You must apply to the physician assistant school(s) of your choice, typically through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). See below
3. You must be granted an interview by the school.
4. Acceptance is based on academic qualifications, the interview, recommendations, and space available

Please note that admission is very competitive at many schools and meeting their minimum requirements is no guarantee of admission. Based on the website of one of our regional programs, the typical admitted student has the following characteristics:

• Age 23
• Cumulative GPA 3.47
• 2-1/2 years health care experience

All of the physician assistant programs in our area (and a significant proportion of the rest) use the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) for their application process. Through this, students complete one application for as many programs as they might consider. CASPA processes your application and sends it with the accompanying information to the programs you designate. Students are urged to go to the website and explore it for further information.

Students interested in becoming physician assistants can major in any subject. This includes history, art, music, business, many sciences or any field. No matter what major you choose, you must take courses in biology, chemistry, math, and physics. Most often, Hiram students applying to physician assistant school major in: Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Humanities, Chemistry, Neuroscience, and Psychology, but people from other majors are also successful. That said, Physician Assistant programs require prerequisite coursework in health sciences and other appropriate areas. While each program may have different specific requirements, typical course expectations include the following (with Hiram course numbers in parenthesis after the course):

• Human Anatomy and Physiology with lab (2 semesters) (BIOL 131 & 133)
• Inorganic Chemistry with Lab (CHEM 115 or CHEM 161 or CHEM 230)
• Organic Chemistry with Lab (CHEM 162, CHEM 220)
• Biochemistry (CHEM 320 – also requires CHEM 230 as prerequisite)
• Microbiology with Lab (BIOL 238)
• Introductory Psychology (PSYC 101)
• Developmental Psychology (PSYC 250)
• Statistics (MATH 108)

Other courses that are recommended (and may be required by some programs include:

• Intermediate Algebra (MATH 195)
• Abnormal Psychology (PSYC 254)
• Genetics (BIOL 365)
• Medical Terminology Nutrition (CHEM 250, requires CHEM 161 as prerequisite)

Typical academic requirements for grades in required prerequisite courses are that each individual course must have a grade of at least a C and the overall GPA in these courses must be at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

Health professionals in nearly every jurisdiction are required to pass criminal background checks and meet state licensure board standards. These standards vary somewhat, but often include the following:

• Felonies of any type
• Crimes involving illegal drugs or illegal use of drugs
• Crimes involving violence or abuse, especially against vulnerable individuals (elderly, disabled, and children)
• Criminal sexual assault

The above crimes will commonly result in lengthy or permanent exclusion from licensure in many jurisdictions. Other crimes, such as misdemeanors, may involve exclusions for various lengths of time after completion of the restitution or punishment. Students who have questions about criminal background issues are encouraged to discuss this with their advisor and the appropriate licensing board where they intend to practice.

Health Professionals need to use their senses to examine and evaluate patients and work in a variety of settings. Therefore, most physician assistant programs have requirements in this area. Typically, sight and hearing must be able to be corrected to a normal level, a person will need to be able to move and communicate, and so on. These requirements do not negate reasonable accommodations for disabilities, but any accommodations cannot change the basic nature of the work. Students with concerns in this area are encouraged to discuss them with their advisors and to check the websites of potential physician assistant programs.

Health professionals need to convey complex information verbally and in writing. Therefore, your coursework and assignments in these areas are critical for your preparation.

Many (though not all) physician assistant programs require health care experience in either a volunteer or paid capacity.

Some (though not all) physician assistant programs require the Graduate Record Exam scores as part of the admission information.

All physician assistant programs require two or more letters (three is the most common number) of recommendation. Some specify that these letters need to come from more than one type of source (for example, academic and work [especially health care work]).

Physician assistant schools will look at your science and cumulative GPAs, and your writing experience. We recommend that students sustain a grade point average of 3.30 or higher throughout their college career to be competitive. Physician assistant schools will also give some minor consideration to the reputation of your undergraduate institution and your extracurricular activities.

Students are advised to prepare their applications, including their personal statements, resume, transcript, and letters of recommendation by the end of their Junior year. You can download the recommendation packet, which contains information about each of these items, here. All students must apply to physician assistant school through the CASPA online form by a date specified by the school (in our area, October 1 is common) the year before they intend to enroll.

Your grades and written essay may get you an interview at a physician assistant school. But what makes you stand out from other students? What makes you unique or well suited to their program? Do you have overseas or study abroad experience? Did you minor in a foreign language? Do you have extensive research or clinical internship experience? First, physician assistant schools want to see that students have a good understanding of the field of medicine. Therefore, students are strongly advised to gain substantial clinical internship experience during their college careers at Hiram. Hiram College has a variety of internship opportunities available to students. <br><br> Many physician assistant schools also want to see that you are comfortable with science, can think critically and independently, and can reason efficiently from cause to effect. Therefore, students are strongly advised to gain substantial research experience during their college careers at Hiram, both on and off campus. Hiram College has a variety of on campus research activities available to students.