Pre-Physician Assistant

Physician assistants are healthcare professionals licensed or credentialed to practice medicine with physician supervision. As part of their comprehensive responsibilities, PAs take medical histories, conduct physical exams, order and interpret tests, diagnose and treat illnesses, develop and implement treatment plans, prescribe medications, counsel on preventive health care and assist in surgery.

At Carroll you’ll receive the support you need from multiple areas on campus as you prepare to apply to graduate school. Advisors will help ensure you complete the requirements such as patient care experience hours and suggested courses to be a qualified applicant for any of the PA programs you’re interested in. And if you decide to apply for Carroll’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program, you’ll have a competitive advantage over other applicants.

About the Pre-Physician Assistant Program

If you’re considering a career as a physician assistant, you have the opportunity to earn your bachelor’s degree in any area you choose. It’s common for PA programs to accept students with diverse majors in order to enhance the classroom experience for graduate students.

Carroll University majors that may better help prepare you for graduate school include:

Suggested minors to complement your main field of study are:

Beyond courses in your field of study, a benefit to attending Carroll is participating in our required cross cultural experience component. These experiences will allow you to learn about different cultures and give you the opportunity to travel and interact with diverse groups locally, nationally or internationally. Students majoring in the health sciences can use their cross cultural experience to gain additional knowledge in healthcare. Groups travel on medical missions around the globe to provide care and interact with underserved populations in countries like Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mexico and Nicaragua. These unique immersive experiences will make you a desirable applicant for graduate programs or professional careers.

You must complete a set of minimum requirements before applying to graduate school. Although the requirements for each program have differences, they all require completing patient care experience hours, a bachelor’s degree and prerequisite courses as well as earning a specific GPA or higher. Students may obtain the required hours of patient care experience working as a CNA (certified nursing assistant), phlebotomist, pharmacy technician, paramedic/EMT among other roles.

Physician assistants rank in the top three for best jobs because they are in high demand and provide a competitive salary and job satisfaction.

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