Evaluating the Top Physician Assistant Programs
Becoming a physician assistant (PA) is a very savvy career move. Not only is the work well-paid, PAs are in high demand, and changes to the American health care industry will only increase the demand for good PAs in the coming decade. You have plenty of great physician assistant programs to choose from. Here are five top programs in the US. Prerequisites and requirements will differ slightly from one physician assistant program to the next, so be sure to research prerequisites at each school to which you want to apply.
University of Iowa Physician Assistant Program
The magazine U.S. News and World Report ranks the PA program at the University of Iowa as tops in the nation, with graduates consistently coming out in the top 5 to 10% in scores on the National Certifying Examination for PAs. Every year, a new class of 25 PA students enrolls in May. Prerequisites include (but aren’t limited to) a bachelor’s degree from an accredited US college or university, various introductory and advanced undergraduate classes, and at least 1,000 hours of direct patient health care experience (as an EMT, orderly, nurse’s aide, respiratory therapist, or similar).
Duke University
Duke was a pioneering institution for PAs, with the program beginning in the 1960s. This two-year program consists of a year of pre-clinical coursework and a year of hands-on clinical practice. New PA classes start in August, and admissions preference is given to those who apply as early as possible, with each class being 70 to 75 students. On average, those admitted to Duke’s PA program have one to three years of full-time patient care experience. This program is full-time only.
Emory University
Each year PA students at Emory care for farm workers in southern Georgia and run a monthly clinic for the uninsured in Atlanta. Every year a class of approximately 50 students is enrolled in their 28-month graduate program. Admission requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school, plus at least 2,000 hours of direct patient care experience as a technician, nursing assistant, EMT, PT assistant, or similar. Prospective students should also have undergraduate coursework in biology and chemistry, and coursework in biochemistry, statistics, and microbiology are recommended.
George Washington University
GWU has two PA programs, a PA-MSHS two-year program and a PA-MPH three-year program. The three-year program grants the student both a Master of Science in Health Science and a Master’s degree in public health. The academic phase of the program is 42 weeks long, and the rest of the program consists of clinical rotations. Prospective students are encouraged to apply online, and must have at least 960 hours of direct patient care experience.
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas
This graduate PA program requires a bachelor’s degree with coursework in anatomy, physiology, genetics, general chemistry, organic chemistry, microbiology, psychology, and mathematics with a “C” average or better. Clinical experience in patient care is recommended as well. The curriculum is academic, followed by clinical rotations, and all students must take Medical Spanish classes. Students at UT Southwestern have a 99% pass rate on the national PA certification exams.
If you are interested in becoming a physician assistant there are a wide range of physician assistant programs out there. By taking a look at our website we will make the process of finding a physician assistant program much easier and also let you know what to expect.
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