Pre-Physician Assistant Program

The pre-professional requirements for application to physician assistant (PA) programs vary widely at the different graduate PA programs. Some programs require completion of a bachelor's degree; others admit students following three years of undergraduate work. Nearly all physician assistant programs award a master's degree and require an average of 33 months of graduate work to complete. Students are advised to select a course of study that could lead to completion of all Hope College undergraduate requirements, including core and major requirements, regardless of whether they intend to complete a bachelor's degree at Hope College or apply to enter PA programs following their third year.

Hope College students who indicate an interest in going on to graduate PA programs will work closely with the health professions advisor and their academic advisor to determine the most appropriate course of study. Since the prerequisite courses for application to different PA programs vary widely, it is essential for early academic planning that students identify several PA programs that they would want to apply to eventually. Then in consultation with the health professions advisor and their academic advisor, they can design an undergraduate academic program that will meet these requirements.

Although the requirements vary, required courses typically include:

• Introductory Biology (one or two semesters) (Bio 240 & 260)
• Human Physiology (Bio 221)
• Human Anatomy (Bio 222 or Kin 200)
• Microbiology (Bio 231)
• General Chemistry (Chem 111/113 & 121/114))
• Organic Chemistry (Chem 221/255 & 231/256)
• Biochemistry (Chem 311 & 314))
• Statistics (Math 210)
• Pathophysiology (Nursing 315)
• Psychology (Psy 100, 230, and one additional semester)

Other required or recommended courses may include:

• Physics (Phys 105/107 & 106/108)
• Genetics (Bio 356)
• Sociology (Soc 100 or 333)
• Medical Ethics (IDS 454 or PHIL 344)
• Nutrition (Kin 307)
• Medical Terminology

Students should also be aware that most PA admissions committees want to see that a student has learned about the PA profession through first-hand experience. This could include volunteer work in a hospital or clinic and job shadowing with a PA. Requirements for medically related experience vary widely at different programs. Some programs require more than one thousand hours of experience and others only require approximately one hundred hours.

There is no "best" academic major for a student who wants to pursue a career as a PA. Students should choose their academic major based on their academic interests and the alternate career options that they wish to keep open for the future. Many Hope College students who have gone on to graduate PA programs have majored in biology or chemistry since they have had academic interest in these areas and many of the required classes are in these areas.

Specific admissions requirements for each PA program can be found on the website for that institution. Some key web links for information are the following:

• Physician Assistant Education Association -This site contains a good summary of PA programs and the application process to PA schools.
• American Academy of Physician Assistants-This site is a good source of information on the profession
• Physician Assistant Programs -This site has a list of accredited PA Programs in US with links to some of the programs.
• A paid directory of PA Programs with a summary of information about each program. (You can subscribe to the directory for $35/year or contact the health professions advisor for a login name and password.)
• The Grand Valley State University PA Program
• The  Central Michigan University PA Program

Links to General Information

• Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook for all types of careers.
• Explore Health Careers-a large data base of links to other resources including information on many different careers, internships, and interviews.

For academic advising or questions related to the Pre-Physician Assistant Program at Hope College, please contact Professor William Mungall (mungall@hope.edu).