Pre-Physician Assistant

Transfer Program Requirements

To enter a physician assistant graduate program, a student must usually complete a bachelor’s degree first, which should include the prerequisite courses below:

• CHEM 0101 - GENERAL CHEMISTRY 1
• CHEM 0102 - GENERAL CHEMISTRY 2
• BIOL 0101 - INTRODUCTION TO CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
• BIOL 0102 - INTRODUCTION TO BIODIVERSITY
• BIOL 0212 - HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY 1
• BIOL 0213 - HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY 2
• BIOL 0222 - HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY LAB 1
• BIOL 0223 - HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY LAB 2
• PSY 0101 - INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
• MATH 0098 - COLLEGE ALGEBRA 2
• ENG 0101 - ENGLISH COMPOSITION 1
• ENG 0102 - ENGLISH COMPOSITION 2
• BIOL 0203 - GENETICS
• BIOL 1302 - MICROBIOLOGY
• PSY 0201 - STATISTICS
• MATH 0133 - STATISTICS

Note:

Keep in mind that requirements do vary from program to program, so be sure to contact the schools you plan to apply to early on during your undergraduate career to ensure that you have met all of their prerequisite requirements. Many programs also require some previous working experience in a health care environment, which can often be met by working as a nurse’s aide, an EMT, or in some other health care professional capacity.

Freshman Guarantee for the Physician Assistant Studies Program

The Physician Assistant Studies Program in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology, has developed a freshman guarantee program for students at the regional campuses of the University of Pittsburgh.

To obtain the freshman guarantee in Physician Assistant Studies students must:

• Earn the highest grade point average available in student’s high school with a curriculum showing the greatest academic rigor possible
• Top 1% of class
• Combined Math & Critical Reading (verbal) score of 1400
• Indicate Pre-physician’s Assistant as an intended field of study on the admissions application
• Have a completed admissions application on file, including all required documents, by December 15
• Submit directly to the program, three letters of recommendation and a personal statement describing their interest in a career as a physician assistant
• Successfully complete an interview with the program faculty

To maintain the freshman guarantee, the student must:

• Maintain an overall GPA of 3.75 or higher and a science GPA of 3.75 or higher at Pitt
• Complete the prerequisite courses and requirements for the PA Program
• Must have at least 40 hours of shadowing a PA
• Must meet with PA faculty member at least once a year providing proof of GPA and courses taken
• Complete their undergraduate degree in four years

Please be advised

Please be advised that some programs or courses of study require that students complete rotations, fieldwork, internships/externships, and/or teaching assignments at facilities external to the university, while other programs or courses of study may offer voluntary internships or externships at facilities external to the university. Depending on the program or course, such facilities will or may require a criminal background check, an Act 33/34 clearance (if applicable), and perhaps a drug screen to determine participant qualification or eligibility. Additionally, in order to become licensed, many states will inquire as to whether the applicant has been convicted of a misdemeanor, a felony, or a felonious or illegal act associated with alcohol and/or substance abuse.