3 answers
Emma
Student
Holland, IA
3
Questions
Asked
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After you go to your 4-year college and get that done. What does post-graduate schooling look like for a PA?
#PA #college
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3 answers
Lolita Fitts MA
Enrollment Counselor
10
Answers
Chandler, Arizona
Updated
Lolita’s Answer
Hello Emma,
PA- is to general. I am hoping you mean a CPA-Certified Public Accountant.
PA- is to general. I am hoping you mean a CPA-Certified Public Accountant.
Alycia E.
Aspiring Physician Assistant, current hospital intern and volunteer
30
Answers
San Diego, California
Updated
Alycia’s Answer
Hi Emma!
I am going to assume you mean Physician Assistant when you say PA. After earning a 4-year college degree, you are one step closer to being a PA. Most programs (if not all) require a bachelor's degree or equivalent to qualify as a PA student. Once you have that degree, it is really up to you what you want to do next. Most people take a gap year or two to build up their application, whether that be earning more patient care hours or taking a standardized test required by some PA programs (ex. the GRE, aiming for >300 score). Some pre-PAs (including myself) will enroll in a pos-bacc program to raise their GPA-- a non-degree program made up of science courses that are usually used to cover the prerequisites of the PA program of your choosing. As for myself, I am currently doing an informal post-bacc program with courses that I enjoy and will hopefully raise my GPA by the end of the semester.
As for PA school itself, most PA programs nowadays are Masters degrees, and will usually take 2-3 years to complete. The first portion of the program is didactic, where students will learn medicine in theory in a classroom. The second portion is clinical, where students will go on rotations usually through hospitals to gain hands-on clinical experience.
I hope this helps Emma! Good luck!
Alycia
I am going to assume you mean Physician Assistant when you say PA. After earning a 4-year college degree, you are one step closer to being a PA. Most programs (if not all) require a bachelor's degree or equivalent to qualify as a PA student. Once you have that degree, it is really up to you what you want to do next. Most people take a gap year or two to build up their application, whether that be earning more patient care hours or taking a standardized test required by some PA programs (ex. the GRE, aiming for >300 score). Some pre-PAs (including myself) will enroll in a pos-bacc program to raise their GPA-- a non-degree program made up of science courses that are usually used to cover the prerequisites of the PA program of your choosing. As for myself, I am currently doing an informal post-bacc program with courses that I enjoy and will hopefully raise my GPA by the end of the semester.
As for PA school itself, most PA programs nowadays are Masters degrees, and will usually take 2-3 years to complete. The first portion of the program is didactic, where students will learn medicine in theory in a classroom. The second portion is clinical, where students will go on rotations usually through hospitals to gain hands-on clinical experience.
I hope this helps Emma! Good luck!
Alycia
Hwal Lee
DMSc, MSc (PA-C)
191
Answers
Albany, New York
Updated
Hwal’s Answer
Emma,
I see your post is from a while ago, so I wonder where you're at on your educational journey. I'm a family medicine PA in my third year of practice, so let me know if you have any specific questions for me. Here's a link on the AAPA (American Academy of PAs) website on steps to become a PA: https://www.aapa.org/news-central/2018/08/6-steps-become-pa/
And this is about reasons to become a PA, also on the AAPA website:
https://www.aapa.org/news-central/2018/12/9-reasons-to-become-a-pa/
Good luck!
Hwal
I see your post is from a while ago, so I wonder where you're at on your educational journey. I'm a family medicine PA in my third year of practice, so let me know if you have any specific questions for me. Here's a link on the AAPA (American Academy of PAs) website on steps to become a PA: https://www.aapa.org/news-central/2018/08/6-steps-become-pa/
And this is about reasons to become a PA, also on the AAPA website:
https://www.aapa.org/news-central/2018/12/9-reasons-to-become-a-pa/
Good luck!
Hwal