PA School Requirements: The Ultimate Pre-PA Guide
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If you’re a pre-PA student, it can be a bit overwhelming keeping track of what you need for PA school on top of your other undergraduate requirements! While there can be some variation among PA schools as to what they expect from applicants, there are some PA school requirements that are nearly universal that you can start thinking about early on.
To help you navigate it all, we’re going to give you some idea of what most programs often expect of their applicants, so you can stay ahead of the curve and maximize your chance of getting into your top PA programs. Let’s get started!
1. Prerequisites
The first thing to focus on is prerequisite courses. There is no specific undergraduate degree required for acceptance into PA school. However, there are mandatory courses that need to be completed. A lot of these mandatory courses are in the sciences, therefore the majority of students apply to PA school with a bachelor’s of science.
While some programs may state that a bachelor’s of science degree is preferred, the overall consensus is that any degree is appropriate as long as the required courses are complete.
Most programs will require completion of the following:
- Human Anatomy and Physiology
- Biochemistry
- General Biology
- Microbiology
- General Chemistry and/or Organic Chemistry
- English Composition
- Statistics
- Medical Terminology
- Psychology
Be mindful that some courses will need more than one semester in certain areas, so be sure to look at the specific requirements.
Do I need a certain GPA for PA school?
The average GPA requirement for PA school applicants is 3.0. However, it’s important to realize that while that’s the minimum requirement, competitive applicants will have a GPA averaging around 3.6. Some programs will look specifically at your GPA in your science courses, which will often differ from your average.
While it’s not impossible to get into PA school with a GPA below 3.6, it’ll require strength in other areas of the application to remain competitive.
When should I complete my prerequisites?
Often, course requirements will need to have been completed within a certain amount of time. For example, some programs will make applicants retake a course that was taken over five years ago. Be sure to check these requirements if you’re looking to apply and it’s been a few years since you completed your undergraduate degree.
Most programs will allow you to have one or two prerequisite courses “in progress” when you submit your application. For example, if you’re applying the summer following your junior year of undergraduate and have an outstanding prerequisite course scheduled for the fall, you may still submit your application and receive acceptance, with the understanding that you must submit your grade to the program by a certain deadline.
You’ll also need to perform well in this course, oftentimes a B or higher, or your acceptance could be forfeited.
Want to make sure your prepped for PA school? Try out our Pre-PA practice questions from anatomy and physiology to medical terminology, professional practice, and more!
2. Hands-on Experience and Job Shadowing
Two common PA school requirements are hands-on experience and job shadowing hours. These two things are not the same!
Hands-on experience is often a paid position working with patients. These roles often require a certification prior to starting. Some examples include a certified nursing assistant, an emergency medical technician, a surgical technician, a medical assistant, and a phlebotomist (amongst others). If you don’t know if your experience qualifies, I recommend reaching out directly to programs you’re interested in and asking them.
In contrast, job shadowing is unpaid and can be done with a physician assistant, physician, or nurse practitioner. Note that some programs may require this to be done with a physician assistant so be sure to check for this on your PA school application.
PA job shadowing can be done in any medical specialty, and I actually recommend you try to diversify your shadowing experiences! This will not only help your application by giving you multiple experiences to pull from during the interview process, but it’ll also help you start thinking about which PA specialty you’d like to pursue.
How many hours of experience do I need for PA school?
The hour requirements vary depending on the program. Some don’t have any hands-on experience requirements, while others require up to 2,000 hours, which equals about one year of full-time work.
My advice is to get as many hours as you can. When I applied, I had about 1,000 hours of experience as a phlebotomist. Hours required for job shadowing are much less, usually around 40 hours total. However, the more the merrier, so if you have the opportunity to gain either more hands-on experience or job shadowing hours I would highly recommend doing it.
3. The GRE
The GRE is a standardized test that scores students in the following areas: analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning. Taking it can be a daunting task for potential PA school applicants as most programs are looking for students to score above the 50th percentile on this exam.
When to take the exam depends on your personal timeline. Applying to PA school during undergraduate studies and hoping to start the program the following fall can be difficult. Not only do you have to ensure all the above requirements are completed (likely balancing them with current coursework) the GRE is one other test you’ll need to prepare for and take. While difficult, it’s not impossible and many students, including myself, have taken this route.
When should I take the GRE?
If you’re aiming to start your PA program in the fall after college graduation, I’d recommend taking the GRE in early spring of your undergraduate junior year. The CASPA opens in April, so this would be around March prior to applying.
This allows you time to retake for a higher score if necessary before program applications are due, which usually falls around late summer or early fall. Remember, you’re able to submit only your highest GRE score.
Do I need to take the GRE?
It’s important to realize that not all programs require the GRE. In fact, recent studies have shown 50% of schools (or less) still require it. I highly recommend doing your research to see if the program(s) you’re applying for require the exam, as it may be nice to avoid if you’re able to.
If you do opt to take the GRE, there are many resources that can help you prepare for it such as the Kaplan GRE prep. If you receive a good score on the exam, definitely submit it to all programs—even ones that don’t require it—as it may enhance your application.
4. Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation are high-priority items for your application. You should have anywhere from two to five of them. I’d recommend three or four depending on the specific program requirements. At least one of these should be from a medical provider, as their input goes a long way. Other good references would be supervisors at your patient-care experience position, academic advisors, or professors.
All of your references should’ve interacted with you in a professional setting. It’s better to have three excellent references than five total with two mediocre ones. What I mean by that is you should focus on developing great relationships with professionals who can speak about your medical background, rather than asking individuals who don’t know you well enough to write something, as even if they agree, they won’t have much to say.
How do I find someone to write me a letter of recommendation?
If you’re anything like me and didn’t come from a family with medical connections, it may be hard to find people to job shadow or to write you a letter of recommendation. My best advice would be to look for job shadowing opportunities through hospitals. Most of them have great programs available to ensure students have opportunities. Put your best foot forward during this experience, and see if you can come back a few times to develop a relationship with the professional you’re shadowing.
Asking for a reference can be intimidating, but remember that most providers choose to take students and expect to be a part of this process.
5. Essay
While your personal statement is something you’ll write closer to submitting your PA school application, it’s never too early to brainstorm what you’ll write about! This is a great opportunity to showcase who you are and your motivations for becoming a PA, and help give context to the other parts of your application.
For more information about the essays you’ll need to write if you’re applying to PA school, check out our other posts about your CASPA personal statement and supplemental essays!
6. Supplemental Material
As soon as you decide to pursue PA school, start organizing your supplemental material. What I mean by that is things you’ve been a part of that aren’t required for admission, but may help enhance your PA school application.
Examples of this would be organizations you’re a part of, medical mission trips, volunteering in medical or non-medical settings, or sports. Anything that you’ve done can enhance your application and show the individuals reviewing it how well-rounded you are. The ability to balance all of the mandatory requirements with extracurricular activities speaks volumes about an applicant, so you should be proud of these things and definitely include them in your application.
Final Thoughts
Overall, there’s quite a bit of planning and research that goes into applying for PA school. My best advice is to start early! PA school requirements like mandatory hours and prerequisites take time to obtain.
Don’t feel rushed in your application process, even if it means taking a year or so off to complete additional requirements rather than trying to fit everything into four short undergraduate years. Do what you need to succeed, and we’re here to help every step of the way!
Rosh Review is the leading Qbank provider for PA programs across the United States. Whether you’re a pre-PA student or PA-C, Rosh Review has something for you along your PA journey. Start a free trial today!
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