Physician Assistant
High Point University > Pre-Professional Programs > Physician Assistant

HPU’s School of Health Sciences, which already houses undergraduate programs in exercise science and athletic training, launched a new Physician Assistant Studies program in 2015. The program will equip students to work in a field where 78 percent of graduates have multiple job offers, according to the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants.

Students wishing to apply to Physician Assistant Schools will need to consult the specific prerequisites of the schools to which applications are made. Most PA schools will require that applicants have first hand experience in patient care. For example, this requirement may be satisfied by obtaining CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) or EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) credentials and working as a Nursing Assistant or Emergency Technician. The amount of experience required varies from 150 to 2000 hours. Most PA programs are Masters level programs.

 

The physician assistant advisors are:

HPU students have been accepted or interviewed at the following PA schools:

  • High Point University
  • Wake Forest University
  • Elon University
  • Duke University
  • Wingate University
  • Methodist University
  • George Washington University

Students wishing to apply to Physician Assistant (PA) programs should consult with their pre-PA advisor. Specific prerequisites vary with program and students must review the prerequisites of programs to which they will apply. Many programs expect experience with a licensed PA and most PA schools require that applicants have first-hand experience in patient care. For example, this requirement may be satisfied by obtaining CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) or EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) credentials and working as a Nursing Assistant or Emergency Technician. The amount of experience required varies from 150 to 2,000 hours. Most PA programs are Masters-level programs. Applicants should expect to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and to hold a Bachelor’s degree in order to matriculate into PA programs. Application may be made to some PA programs after completion of 60 to 90 credits of course work. All prerequisite coursework (sometimes with the exception of a single outstanding course) must be completed at the time of application. Applications for summer/fall admittance may be submitted as early as April of the previous calendar year. It is recommended that application are submitted no later than July 1st, approximately one year prior to matriculation.

Required Courses Include:

  • ANA/BIO 2070/2071 – Human Anatomy with Lab or BIO 3071/3071L – Human Anatomy and Evolution with Lab (4 credits)
  • ATR 1300 – Medical Terminology (1 credit)
  • BIO 1500/1501 Principles of Cell Biology with Lab (4 credits)
  • BIO 2001/2001L – Principles of Genetics with Lab (4 credits)
  • BIO 2040 – Microbiology for the Health Sciences or BIO 3040 – Microbiology (4 credits)
  • BIO/PHS 2060/2061 – Human Physiology with Lab or BIO 3061/3061L – Integrated Human Physiology and Lab or BIO 4010 – Animal Physiology
  • CHM 1010/2011 – General Chemistry I with Lab (4 credits)
  • CHM 1020/1021 – General Chemistry II with Lab (4 credits)
  • PSY 2000 – Introduction to Psychology (4 credits)
  • STS 2020 – Introduction to Statistics (4 credits)

Applicants should expect to take the Graduate Record Examination and to hold a Bachelors degree in order to apply to Masters programs. Application may be made to a minority of schools after completion of 60 to 90 credits of course work.

Browse the resources available from the HPU Library for the GRE

Click here to search accredited PA programs