Pre-Physician Assistant
PAs are medical providers, most with graduate-level educations. They are licensed to diagnose and treat illness and disease and to prescribe medication for patients. PAs work in physician offices, hospitals, and clinics in collaboration with a licensed physician. Because of their advanced education in general medicine, modeled after physician education, PAs can treat patients with significant autonomy within the physician/PA relationship. In the primary care setting, PAs can provide almost all the clinical services that physicians provide, including performing physical exams, diagnosing and treating illnesses and prescribing medications.
Plan Your Path to Physician Assistant School
Download Our Application Timeline Map
- Meet with a Pre-Health advisor to create a comprehensive academic and co-curricular plan
- Research application requirements
- See specific school websites for any specific application requirements which may vary by school
- Meet with a representative of the school for specific questions and guidance
- Take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
- Apply to Physician Assistant schools
- Most schools use the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA)
- Schools require applicants to document between 500-2,00 hours of patient contact in a job or volunteer setting
Suggested Academic Preparation
- Bachelor’s degree – required by most programs and any UNL major is a great option
- Completion of pre-requisite courses
- Competitive academic record
- GPA in both science and non-science courses
- GRE score (required by some programs)
Explore this Career
Current students: Meet with a Pre-Health advisor to talk more about your Pre-Health goals.
Are you a non-UNL student looking for information about Pre-Health? Click here