Physicians Assistant

Who are Physician Assistants?

  • Physician assistants are licensed medical professionals who practice medicine in collaboration with or under the supervision of a medical doctor
  • Physician assistants can perform most of the functions a primary care physicians
    • Take medical histories
    • Perform physical exams
    • Diagnose and treat illnesses
    • Assist in surgeries
    • Interpret laboratory tests
  • Physician assistants are passionate about medicine and are committed improving healthcare access by serving to aid doctors in their practice
  • The primary difference between physician assistants and doctors is that physicians assistants do not work autonomously, and they are not licensed to perform surgery

What is PA school?

  • PA School is modeled after medical school curriculum, including training in basic science and clinical education training
  • In the clinical phase, PA students gather about 2,000 hours of clinical rotations
  • PA school typically lasts about 27 months
    • a master’s degree is often granted upon completion

How much does PA school cost?

  • The average tuition cost for PA school is approximately $71,000
  • For more information on financing PA education, visit the American Academy of Physician Assistants’ web page on scholarships and loans for PA students.

What are career outcomes like for Physicians Assistants?

  • The PA profession is one of the fastest growing careers in the country
    • Demand is so high that 75% of graduating PAs receive multiple job offers immediately
  • Physician assistants work in every medical setting, including hospitals, medical offices, nursing homes, and workplace clinics
  • Owing to their vocational skills and medical knowledge, physician assistants are paid very well
    • The average PA is paid ~$100,00 per year

How competitive are PA school admissions?

  • While not as competitive as medical school, PA school is both rigorous and competitive
  • According to matriculant data from CASPA, the PA school application service, the profile for a typical matriculating PA student is as follows:
    • 3.36 GPA
    • 50th percentile for verbal, quantitative, and writing sections on the GRE
    • Thousands of hours of clinical experience

What can I do to be a competitive PA school applicant?

  • One of the most important application components is clinical experience
    • In many cases, PA students will have more than 3,000 hours of clinical experience prior to admission
    • In some cases, PA applicants may need up to 3 years of post-undergraduate clinical work experience in order to amass a sufficient number of clinical work hours
    • The University of Maryland’s Health Professions Advising
    • Office recommends 1,000+ hours of clinical experience prior to applying
  • Demonstrate academic success in biology, physics, chemistry, and social science courses
    • For more information about which courses you should take as an undergrad in order to meet PA school admission requirements, visit the Reed Yorke Health Professions Advising Office’s web page on pre-PA coursework.
  • Score competitively on the GRE (~50th+ percentile in all categories)
  • Demonstrate interest in medical practice
    • Look for scribing positions and shadowing opportunities

How can I apply to PA school?

  • General Timeline
    • Applications open in the spring
    • Applications due at the end of summer
    • Interviews begin in the fall/winter
    • Acceptances released in the winter
    • Matriculation in the following summer
    • Check with graduate schools of interest for specific timelines
  • Components
    • Transcript/Coursework
    • GRE score
    • PA school narrative that explains your career goals/interests and how PA school will help you achieve them
      • For more information on constructing an effective and convincing PA school narrative, read this article from Inside PA Training.
    • Letters of recommendation
      • For more information about selecting appropriate recommenders, visit the University of Maryland’s Health Profession Advising Office’s web page on letters of recommendation.
    • Interview Tips
      • Demonstrate your personality, creativity, and motivation for applying to a PA program
      • Demonstrate strong verbal communication skills
      • Be able to describe all items from your application, especially your clinical experience
      • Ask specific questions about the PA program
      • For more advice on how to nail a PA school interview, read this piece from a former PA school applicant

Resources for Prospective PA School applicants