Pre-Physician Assistant

Learn more about what Physician Assistants (PAs) do at the American Academy of PAs and the Physician Assistant Life websites.

What classes do I need to take?

Physician Assistant (PA) program requirements vary widely. Know your PA program early on!  Learn their course pre-requisites, clinical expectations, GRE and other requirements. A list of PA programs in the US and their prerequisites is found at the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) Program Directory

  UM-Dearborn pre-requisite base courses for PA programs in MI

Once you have decided on your PA programs, create your own excel spreadsheet of course pre-reqs and other requirements.

What is the national standardized test?

Not all PA programs require a national standardized test or score.

Some PA graduate programs require the ETS Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test (not any of the subject tests). The best way to prepare for the general GRE test is to use the ETS free test preparation material to prepare for the general GRE. 

Some PA graduate programs require the Physician Assistant College Admissions Test (PA-CAT). The best way to prepare for the PA-CAT is to use the supplemental tools on the PA-CAT URL. 

What else should I know?

It is important that you learn and incorporate the Association of American Medical Colleges Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students in your academic and non-academic activities.

More information, such as what you should major in at UM-Dearborn and what else you can do to prepare for the profession, can be found in our FAQ section.

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