Pre-Physician Assistant
Pre-Physician Assistant
A physician assistant (PA) is a licensed health care professional who practices medicine under a physician's supervision. A PA provides a broad range of health care services and often spends time counseling patients on ways to stay healthy. PAs perform physical exams, diagnose illnesses, develop and carry out treatment plans, order and interpret diagnostic tests, suture wounds, assist in surgery, provide preventive health counseling and write prescriptions. PAs can provide primary care and specialize in any medical specialty. Examples of medical specialties include emergency medicine, internal medicine, surgery, dermatology, cardiology, oncology, pediatrics, administration, and many more. PA is a flexible career that allows practitioners to practice in a wide range of medical settings and specialties.
Academic Expectations
Specific admission requirements vary per physician assistant program. You should consult with physician assistant schools of interest to determine their specific admission requirements. A list of UNL courses that will fulfill the prerequisites for the physician assistant programs at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and Union College is available by downloading the program checklist above.
Suggested academic preparation:
- Bachelor's degree- A majority of physician assistant programs require that applicants earn a bachelor's degree along with specific prerequisite courses before starting the professional program.
- Programs that do not require a bachelor's degree will require a specific number of undergraduate credit hours for admission. Check with each physician assistant program for information on required undergraduate preparation.
- Competitive academic record- GPA in all courses, and especially in science courses, will be part of the admission decision.
- Major in anything- All UNL majors are great options.
We recommend you meet with an Explore Center advisor once a semester to ensure you are progressing with the correct academic coursework.
Professional Degrees
Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS)
The vast majority of physician assistant professional programs award the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS). The MPAS program is an intensive 2-3 year program that includes at least four months of classroom instruction in anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, physical diagnosis, pathophysiology, microbiology, clinical laboratory science, behavioral science and medical ethics. The physician assistant program also includes at least 2,000 hours of clinical rotations. Upon earning the master's degree, graduates take a licensing exam.
Entrance Exam
Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
Nearly all physician assistant programs require that students take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Information on the GRE can be obtained at the Graduate Record Examination website.
Application Information
Centralized Application System- CASPA
Most physician assistant programs participate in a centralized application service called the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). Other programs require that applicants submit the application directly to the program. Contact specific programs for application requirements.
Many PA programs require applicants to document between 500-2,000 hours of patient contact in a job or volunteer setting. Check with specific PA programs for details on required patient contact hours.
Explore this Career
Explore this career by shadowing a physician assistant and by utilizing any of the following resources.
Nebraska Professional Schools
- University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Allied Health Professions
- Omaha, NE
Office of Academic and Student Affairs - 402-559-6673
- CAHPadmissions@unmc.edu
- Union College
- Lincoln, NE
Physician Assistant Program - 402-486-2527
- paprog@ucollege.edu