Preprofessional Health Advising Office, San Diego
State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182-1017
Phone:
(619)594-6638 FAX: (619) 594-0244
Web: http://www.sci.sdsu.edu.preprof
PREPHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROGRAM
Besides
providing a general introduction to the physician assistant career, this
handout is designed to acquaint the SDSU Prephysician Assistant students with
the preparation and application process.
The following information is offered as an overview, and is not
intended to answer all of your questions or replace the advising services. Read the following pages, then make an
appointment with the Advisor as soon as possible so we can open a file for
you.
HISTORY OF THE PROFESSION
In the mid-1960s, physicians
and educators recognized there was a shortage and uneven distribution of
primary care physicians. To expand the delivery of quality medical care, Dr.
Eugene Stead of the Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina put
together the first class of PAs in 1965. He selected Navy corpsmen who received
considerable medical training during their military service and during the war
in Vietnam but who had no comparable civilian employment. He based the
curriculum of the PA program in part on his knowledge of the fast-track
training of doctors during World War II.
CURRENT STATUS OF THE PROFESSION
Career Physician Assistants
are health care professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician
supervision. They are educated in a
medical model designed to complement physician training, i.e., to
diagnose and treat medical problems. PAs
employed by the federal government are credentialed to practice. Common
services provided by a PA include taking medical histories and performing
physical examinations; ordering and interpreting lab tests; diagnosing and
treating illnesses; assisting in surgery; prescribing and/or dispensing
medication; and counseling patients. PAs
are trained in intensive education programs accredited by the Commission on
Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
PAs in Practice- The AAPA estimates that 58,665 PAs are in clinical
practice since January 2006.
Accredited PA Programs - 137 programs have accreditation status (8 in
California); some have provisional accreditation (a time-limited accreditation
status awarded to new programs prior to admission of their first class).
Accreditation is granted by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health
Education Programs (CAAHEP).
Academic Training - The typical PA program is at least 24-27 months
long, requires at least two years of college and some health care experience
prior to admission. The majority of students have a BA/BS degree and 45 months
of health care experience before admission to a PA program. Of the 137 accredited PA programs: 103 award
master’s degrees, 2 offer master’s degree options, 24 award bachelor’s degrees
or a bachelor’s degree option, 4 award associate degrees, and 6 award
certificates. (Some programs offer more than one option.) The 2000 Physician Assistant Programs
Directory is available online at www.paeonline.org;
the fee for one-year access is $35.00
Students – Approximately 10,000 students are enrolled in PA
programs. Around 4,300 students graduated
from PA programs in 2005.
Prescribing – 49 states, the District of Columbia and Guam have
enacted laws that authorize PA prescribing.
Income - According to the 2000 AAPA Physician Assistant
Census, the mean income for PAs in clinical practice for less than one year was
$68,116 (standard deviation $13,077).
Outlook on the Profession - According to the AAPA, 91 percent of all 2005
graduates from a PA program were employed as a PA in less than a year. The US
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projected that the growth in PA jobs will
increase by 50 percent between 2004-2014.
State Laws – All states, the District of Columbia and Guam have
laws or regulations recognizing PA practice.
Certification and CME - PAs receive their national certification from the
National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Only
students who are graduates of accredited PA programs are eligible to sit for
the exam. Once a PA is certified, he/she must complete a continuous six-year
cycle to keep his/her certificate current: every two years a PA must earn and
log 100 CME hours; reregister his/her certificate with the NCCPA in the second
and fourth years, and sit for the Physician Assistant National Recertifying
Examination (PANRE) in the sixth year. Almost all states require NCCPA
certification.
For more information, try these web sites. The site of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) is especially helpful and is the source of most of the preceding information.
AAPA: http://www.aapa.org/
Tripod Listing: http://www.tripod.com/work/hot_jobs/gallery/physician_assistants.html
Student homepage: http://www.saaapa.aapa.org
PA Education Assoc. http://www.paeaonline.org
PA Programs http://www.aapa.org/pgmlist.php3
THE APPLICATION PROCESS
Because of the highly competitive application system, not every qualified applicant will be admitted to a preprofessional school. What made the difference for those accepted? What is a competitive application? Use this handout as a resource, for it is designed to help answer these questions. Stay in touch with us, too--we're here to work with you. Good strategy is more important than good luck.
Many students complete a major or degree program before entering a physician assistant program. The prerequisite courses a pre-physician assistant student must take before application and admission are usually specified by the physician assistant program. Generally, most students complete a BA/BS degree and have just under 40 months of healthcare experience before admission to a PA program.
Although not required, a
major in the sciences may include PA school prerequisites, thus eliminating the
need to add specific additional courses to satisfy the major and the PA
prerequisites. Of course, if a student
transfers to a PA program before completing the bachelor’s degree program, the
major is irrelevant.
Admissions Testing: Admissions testing varies greatly among programs. A few schools require the MCAT; most require the GRE. A few schools require no admissions test. Check with the specific physician assistant program.
CASPA,
the Physician Assistant Application Service: More than 80 percent of the PA programs are
participating in this service for the class beginning in 2005. The application fee is based on the number of
programs you apply to, beginning at $120 for one school, then $160 for two, $200
for three, etc. A list of participating
programs and a full fee scale is available on the CASPA web site,
www.caspaonline.org.
Applying to other schools: Apply directly to the program you are interested
in. Application fees range from
$25-$100.
Timeline: CASPA
Programs: Applications
available: May
Application
deadline: September 1 – March 1 (varies
by school)
For other programs,
obtain information directly from the school.
UNDERGRADUATE COURSES USUALLY REQUIRED FOR ADMISSION
Although a number of PA
schools do not require a degree for acceptance, it is to your advantage to
pursue and obtain an undergraduate degree rather than trying to meet all the
prerequisites for all the schools. You
will be competing with students who have degrees or licenses in healthcare.
Prerequisites for physician
assistant programs vary considerably.
The following list is typical of bachelor's degree physician assistant
programs. Master's degree programs often have more prerequisites. Always consult
your target physician assistant program directly for required prerequisite
courses.
The following academic areas/courses and units are usually required for admission:
|
. English (RWS 100 and 200) (6) . College Algebra (3) . History or Humanities (9) . Fine Arts (3) . Human Anatomy and Physiology (Bio 212, Bio 336 or
590, and Bio
436) (9) |
. Microbiology (Bio 350) (4) . General Chemistry (Chem 200 and 201) (8) . Organic Chemistry (Chem 231) (4) . Psychology/Sociology (9) . Biology (Bio 201A and 201B) (8) |
ADDITIONAL UNDERGRADUATE COURSES USUALLY RECOMMENDED:
|
Physics |
Chem 365: Biochem, Cell & Molec. Biol |
|
Bio 577: Embryology |
Bio 366/366L: Biochem, Cell & Molec. Biol |
|
Bio 352: Genetics |
Bio 215: Biostatistics |
|
Math 121: Calculus for Life
Sciences |
|
PPHA SERVICES
Advising: The Preprofessional Health Advisor is available
for individual appointments. Plan to
attend an hour-long "orientation" session as your first appointment.
Subsequent appointments are available on most Wednesdays and Thursdays
during the semester. Please bring a copy of your transcripts (may
be unofficial) to your second appointment.
During the semester, Peer Advisors (students who are going through
the application process) are available Monday – Friday between 8 a.m. and
4 p.m. as their schedules permit, to help advise students during the academic
year. Their schedule is posted in room GMCS 323.
Resources: The advising office maintains a collection
of catalogs, brochures, program directories, and sample applications. Don’t
forget to check the World Wide Web. It
has information on physician assistant schools, comments by students who have
applied in the past, the applications themselves, and opportunities to join the
Physician Assistant Student Association (PASA).
The
Committee Letter Process: A student who has established a file with the
Preprofessional Health Advising Office may choose to “go through
committee.” This means three faculty
members or practitioners in your field will review your application, interview
you, and provide an evaluation (Outstanding, Strongly Recommended, Recommended,
Recommended with Reservations, or Not Recommended) to the Preprofessional
Health Advising Office.
If you receive a
"Recommended" or better evaluation and provide an autobiography, a
Committee Letter will be prepared, which includes the committee’s evaluation, a
narrative of your background, and quoted comments made by the committee. The
Committee Letter is SDSU's endorsement of your candidacy and will be sent with
other letters of evaluation upon your request.
PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW
Physician Assistant Schools
are looking for students who are aware of the changes occurring in the
profession and who have become involved with the national (AAPA) and state
(CAPA) professional organizations. You
need to show commitment to service, and medical experience, preferably in
primary care, rural medicine and/or with underserved communities.
Interviews include such questions as:
1. Why do you
want to be a Physician Assistant?
2. How have you
tested your interest in this career?
3. Where (in
what setting/community) do you plan to practice?
4. Describe
what type (specialty, etc.) of Physician Assistant you would like to be.
5. Would
you become a Physician Assistant and then apply for medical school?
6. If
your busy supervising physician ordered a dosage of drug you knew to be
incorrect, what would you do?
7. Why do you
wish to attend our school?
Read the SDSU Preprofessional
Health Advising Office handouts on interviewing. Be prepared to discuss ethical issues.
PA PROGRAMS IN
CALIFORNIA (C = Certificate; A = Associate’s; B = Bachelors; M=
Master’s)
|
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science C, B |
Keck School of Medicine of the University of
Southern California M Alhambra, CA
91803-8897 Email: uscpa@usc.edu- |
|
|
|
|
Loma Linda University M |
Riverside
County Regional Medical Center/Riverside Community College C, A |
|
|
|
|
Samuel Merritt College M |
San Joaquin Valley College A,
B and M |
|
|
|
|
Stanford University School of Medicine C,
A, M |
Touro University - California College of Health
Sciences M |
|
|
|
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Univ. of California, Davis C |
Western
University of Health Sciences M |