1 answer
Brooke
Student
Orlando, Florida
3
Questions
Asked
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How does PA school work?
Is it like college where you have a course catalog of requirements to meet? And then you enroll based on your schedule? Or is it all planned out for you?
Is it better to take a gap year before applying to PA school to gather more experience to be more competitive for acceptance?
1 answer
Tonya Lawrence, PhD, MSN, RN, CNM
Nurse,Mentor,Educator,Leader
74
Answers
Updated
Tonya’s Answer
Great question.
Based on my experience in working, listening, and facilitator of learning with some of the best Physician Assistants (PA) as well as mentoring a future PA student, I will provide answers to your questions from what I learned. Additionally, I will provide resources from official PA websites.
Is it like college where you have a course catalog of requirements to meet? Answer: Yes, for undergraduate studies. And yes, again when you are accepted into a PA program after undergraduate studies.
And then you enroll based on your schedule? Answer: You are enrolled based on the undergraduate college program course schedule you are accepted into. The websites below will provide ideas of undergraduate programs to enter to support you in PA school. For example, undergraduate pre-med is helpful for PA school but not the only option.
Or is it all planned out for you? Answer: The courses are planned out for you with some flexibility on when you complete each undergraduate class (e.g., day vs evening class; fall vs spring semester; what days of the week the classes are offered). When you enter PA school, there may be limited flexibility in when the classes are offered based on the school and program.
Is it better to take a gap year before applying to PA school to gather more experience to be more competitive for acceptance? Answer: Depends. Perhaps during undergraduate school, you work/internship in a healthcare setting or other recommended area where your experience is competitive for entering a PA program. Or you complete an undergraduate program at a school that also has a PA program, and you are directly admitted into the PA program. In those situations, a gap year may not be necessary. Another reason a great PA shared was that the gap year was an opportunity to take a break, work & save money, acquire experience, and take a class before delving into PA programs which are intense. Remember you are working with peoples’ lives; the PA program is going to be intense and will take a heartfelt commitment.
One item I did learn, is as you select an undergraduate program, look at the requirements of the PA programs you are interested in. The reason is you want to make sure the classes you take as an undergraduate meet the requirements for entering the PA schools you are interested in. For example, if there is a minimum number of biology classes and lab credits make sure the undergraduate program you enroll in has the number of credits you need. Or you may need to take extra classes at another school during the summer to make up some credits.
One item that may arise is people will ask if you are going to be a PA, why not be a doctor. There are different benefits and challenges in both roles. To determine what is best for your purpose in life, write down the benefits and challenges of each role by searching online and asking people in each profession. Then, determine which career is best for You. Sometimes people do not know the difference and they state why not be a doctor because of the title of “doctor”. PA is an important profession as well and PAs provide important contributions to the healthcare team.
I hope you find this information helpful.
All the Best.
Resources:
*National PA Organization (official website):
American Academy of PAs (2022) https://www.aapa.org/
*Steps to become a PA (official website):
American Academy of Pas (2022). Becoming a PA. https://www.aapa.org/career-central/become-a-pa/
*Accredited PA School:
Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (2022).
http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation/accredited-programs/
*Certifying organization for PAs in US (official website):
National Commission for Certifying Agencies Physician Assistants (2022). https://www.nccpa.net/
Based on my experience in working, listening, and facilitator of learning with some of the best Physician Assistants (PA) as well as mentoring a future PA student, I will provide answers to your questions from what I learned. Additionally, I will provide resources from official PA websites.
Is it like college where you have a course catalog of requirements to meet? Answer: Yes, for undergraduate studies. And yes, again when you are accepted into a PA program after undergraduate studies.
And then you enroll based on your schedule? Answer: You are enrolled based on the undergraduate college program course schedule you are accepted into. The websites below will provide ideas of undergraduate programs to enter to support you in PA school. For example, undergraduate pre-med is helpful for PA school but not the only option.
Or is it all planned out for you? Answer: The courses are planned out for you with some flexibility on when you complete each undergraduate class (e.g., day vs evening class; fall vs spring semester; what days of the week the classes are offered). When you enter PA school, there may be limited flexibility in when the classes are offered based on the school and program.
Is it better to take a gap year before applying to PA school to gather more experience to be more competitive for acceptance? Answer: Depends. Perhaps during undergraduate school, you work/internship in a healthcare setting or other recommended area where your experience is competitive for entering a PA program. Or you complete an undergraduate program at a school that also has a PA program, and you are directly admitted into the PA program. In those situations, a gap year may not be necessary. Another reason a great PA shared was that the gap year was an opportunity to take a break, work & save money, acquire experience, and take a class before delving into PA programs which are intense. Remember you are working with peoples’ lives; the PA program is going to be intense and will take a heartfelt commitment.
One item I did learn, is as you select an undergraduate program, look at the requirements of the PA programs you are interested in. The reason is you want to make sure the classes you take as an undergraduate meet the requirements for entering the PA schools you are interested in. For example, if there is a minimum number of biology classes and lab credits make sure the undergraduate program you enroll in has the number of credits you need. Or you may need to take extra classes at another school during the summer to make up some credits.
One item that may arise is people will ask if you are going to be a PA, why not be a doctor. There are different benefits and challenges in both roles. To determine what is best for your purpose in life, write down the benefits and challenges of each role by searching online and asking people in each profession. Then, determine which career is best for You. Sometimes people do not know the difference and they state why not be a doctor because of the title of “doctor”. PA is an important profession as well and PAs provide important contributions to the healthcare team.
I hope you find this information helpful.
All the Best.
Resources:
*National PA Organization (official website):
American Academy of PAs (2022) https://www.aapa.org/
*Steps to become a PA (official website):
American Academy of Pas (2022). Becoming a PA. https://www.aapa.org/career-central/become-a-pa/
*Accredited PA School:
Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (2022).
http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation/accredited-programs/
*Certifying organization for PAs in US (official website):
National Commission for Certifying Agencies Physician Assistants (2022). https://www.nccpa.net/
This is extremely helpful! Thank you so much!!
Brooke
You are welcome Brooke G. Glad to help.
Tonya Lawrence, PhD, MSN, RN, CNM
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