Pre-Professional Programs

Physician Assistants  play an important role in providing primary health care. These licensed professionals collaborate with physicians most commonly in general and family medicine and in surgery, though PAs  serve  in all areas of medicine.  Physicians are allowed to delegate some of the work they are licensed to perform to physician assistants with the appropriate training.

Undergraduate students interested in becoming a physician assistant  typically follow the standard pre-medical course of studies. Some PA programs require extensive hours of work (volunteer or paid) in a health-care field for admission. Students seeking admission to  a graduate-level PA program must have  a baccalaureate degree and often must take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) as part of the application process. The typical PA program requires just over two years of classroom and clinical training.

• Visit the US Bureau of Labor Statistics for information about the employment demand for physician assistants 
• Learn about the profession from the American Academy of Physician Assistants 
• Get information about applying to a program for physician assistants 
• Find physician assistant programs
• Contact a faculty advisor for pre-physician assistant study at St. Scholastica