PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT (PA)

***Physician assistants (PAs) are licensed medical professionals who hold an advanced degree and are able to provide direct patient care.***

Admission requirements for Physician Assistant programs vary from one program to another. However, most programs share a group of prerequisite courses, and the Hendrix courses that fulfill these requirements are listed below.

In addition, many schools require several hundred hours of paid or unpaid direct patient care. Some ideas for how to get these hours can be found below.

Common Course Requirements for PA Programs+

BIOL 150 Fundamentals of Cellular Life (w/Lab)
BIOL 205/215 Anatomy & Physiology I & II (w/Lab)
BIOL 220 Zoology (w/Lab)
BIOL 250 Genetics (w/Lab)
BIOL 340 Microbiology (w/Lab)
Elective course in Biology: 300- or 400-level
CHEM 110/120 General Chemistry I & II (w/Lab)
CHEM 240 Organic Chemistry I (w/Lab)
MATH 215 Introductory Statistics
PSYC 110 Introduction to Psychology
Elective course in Psychology
Recommended:
- PSYC 210 Developmental Psychology
- PSYC 380 Abnormal Psychology*
  *Has a PSYC prerequisite

Other Frequently Required Courses+

CHEM 330 Biochemistry (w/Lab)*
*CHEM 250 Organic Chemistry II (w/Lab) is a prerequisite
Medical Terminology

+Note: A grade of C or better in all prerequisite coursework is required for acceptance into most programs.

Possible Ways to Gain Patient Care Hours

Working as a:

Certified nursing assistant (CNA)
Emergency medical technician (EMT)
Hospital registration technician
Patient care technician
Patient transporter
Phlebotomist

Arkansas has two PA programs

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences - click here for more info
Harding University - click here for more info

One possible course plan is below.

Please note: This plan does not include all of the necessary courses to fulfill the First-Year Experience, Learning Domains, Capacities, Odyssey, or Major requirements. Students are strongly encouraged to work with their Academic Advisor to make sure all of the requirements for graduation are fulfilled, as well as the prerequisites for specific PA programs.

According to the NAAHP, there has been a large growth in the PA profession. The number of PA programs has increased by 28% from 2012 to 2016. “The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 30 percent job growth into 2024, adding approximately 28,000 jobs over the next eight years.” Benefits of becoming a PA include being able to practice in any area of medicine and earning a salary competitive with an annual average salary of $97,000.

A career as a Physician Assistant is increasingly appealing to many people, making entry into PA programs somewhat competitive.

Look to the Future

Because admission requirements for physician assistant programs vary from one program to another, students should contact the program(s) of their choice early in their Hendrix career. Also remember that Physician Assistant is not a major at Hendrix.

Get involved!

Community service, health care experiences, and leadership activities are essential. You need lots of experience working with people for people.

Obtain paid direct patient care experience and observe Physician Assistants

Many schools require several hundred hours of paid patient contact. Having this experience is just as critical as your GPA. Programs want to know that you have a sense of what it will mean to be a Physician Assistant, and that you are committed. Some examples of how you can gain this type of experience include working as a CNA, EMT, a hospital registration technician, a patient care technician, a patient transporter, or a phlebotomist.

Keep your academic record strong

Few individuals get admitted with the minimal requirements, which usually includes a minimum GPA of 3.0. More often programs are looking for the most highly qualified students and will therefore have higher expectations and standards, admitting students with qualifications and GPAs higher than the minimum requirements. When choosing your schools to apply to, check to make sure you will meet or exceed the requirements.

Develop relationships

Get to know some health care providers, faculty and work/volunteer supervisors. All of these individuals can be a resource for you to obtain new and valuable opportunities. Always maintain a good rapport with these contacts as well. You never know when you will need a letter of recommendation, and you want to make sure they can provide you with a great letter, not a mediocre one.

Stay up to date on current healthcare issues

Read newspapers and reliable sources such as The New York Times, The Economist, The Commonwealth Fund Website, USAToday, or the Kaiser Family Foundation.