Pre-Physician Assistant
Prerequisite Courses
| Prerequisites | Mason Courses |
|---|---|
| Cell Biology with lab, 1 semester | BIOL 213 |
| Anatomy and Physiology with lab, 2 semesters | BIOL 124 and 125 or BIOL 430 and 431 |
| Microbiology, 1 semester | BIOL 305 and 306 |
| General Chemistry with lab, 2 semesters | CHEM 211 and 213 CHEM 212 and 214 |
| Organic Chemistry with lab, 2 semesters (Recommended – can vary by school) | CHEM 313 and 315 CHEM 314 and 318 |
| Biochemistry, 1 semester | BIOL 483 or CHEM 463 (Same course taught through different departments) |
| English, 2 semesters* | ENGH 101 ENGH 302 *Honors College students fulfill this through the Honors Curriculum |
| Psychology, 2 semesters | PSYC 100/Basic Concepts in Psychology PSYC 211/Developmental Psychology PSYC 325/Abnormal Psychology |
| Statistics, 1 semester | BIOL 214/Biostatistics STAT 250/Statistics |
| Calculus, 1 semester (Recommended – can vary by school) | MATH 113 |
| Medical Terminology, 1 semester | HAP 202 or ATEP 201 (Same course taught through different departments) |
Admissions requirements vary widely from program to program. Please check the prerequisites for schools to which you hope to apply. Students may consult the Physician Assistant Education Association Directory and the PA School Finder to research school requirements.
- Many PA programs require significant patient care experience.
- Examples of direct patient care experiences include: nurse, EMT or paramedic, corpsman, patient care technician, nurse’s aide, surgical assistant, clinic/medical assistant, respiratory technologist, radiology technologist, medical technologist, and phlebotomist. This list is not exhaustive and students should review each school’s requirements to find out what kind of experience is acceptable.
Pre-Advising Video
Watch a video of the frequently asked questions and resources available on the website for students on the pre-PA path.
Physician Assistant Profession
Physician Assistants (PA) provide healthcare services under the supervision of physicians. They work in doctor’s offices, hospitals, clinics, HMO’s, and the armed forces. Physician assistants are educated as generalists in medicine and their education and credentialing are based on a primary care foundation. However, many PAs work in specialty fields, such as cardiovascular surgery, orthopedics, and emergency medicine. The largest proportion opts for the primary care specialty areas of family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology. Some of the functions performed by a PA are:
- Taking medical histories
- Performing medical exams
- Ordering lab tests
- Diagnosing illnesses
- Counseling patients
- Assisting in surgery
- Prescribing medication (in many states)
For more information on a career as a PA:
Physician Assistants (PA), Nurse Practitioners (NP), and Physicians (MD/DO) work together to care for patients. This document and the video below outline the similarities and differences between the three paths.
