Pre-PA (Physician Assistant)
What future students usually study in college, how to get ready in high school, and what the career looks like today. Every fact below names its source.
You become: a Physician Assistant (PA). Physician assistants examine, diagnose and treat patients under the supervision of a physician. [1]
Last checked:
What it is
PAs are educated at the master's degree level, and PA programs are approximately 27 months (three academic years) and include classroom instruction and more than 2,000 hours of clinical rotations. [2]
Applicants to physician assistant education programs typically have a bachelor's degree and some experience with patient care, and the programs usually take at least 2 years of postbaccalaureate study. [1]
Admission to PA programs is highly competitive, requiring a bachelor's degree and completion of courses in basic and behavioral sciences as prerequisites. [2]
Incoming PA students bring an average of more than 3,000 hours of direct patient contact experience, having worked as paramedics, athletic trainers or medical assistants, for example. [2]
Programs also may require that applicants have experience as a medical assistant, EMT or paramedic, or another occupation that involves patient care. [1]
Courses to take before applying
Most programs require applicants to have taken undergraduate coursework with a focus in science. [1]
The Duke Physician Assistant Program requires 8 prerequisite courses, each completed with a grade of B minus or better, and it does not accept courses for which credit was awarded by examination, such as AP courses. [3]
The rows below show one named program as an example: the Duke University Physician Assistant Program, 2026–2027 application cycle. Confirm each program’s own list.
| Course | Status | More about this course |
|---|---|---|
| Human anatomy and physiology | Required in this example programAnatomy and physiology are each 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours (or a combined course of at least 6 semester hours or 8 quarter hours), and human anatomy and physiology with labs are preferred but not required. [3] | — |
Get ready with these topics: Anatomy, physiology and levels of organization · Anatomical position, directional terms and body planes · Homeostasis and feedback loops · Cells and membrane transport · Tissues: epithelial, connective, muscle and nervous · The heart and the cardiac cycle · Body systems working together | ||
| Microbiology | Required in this example programMicrobiology is 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours. [3] | — |
Get ready with these topics: Cell structure: prokaryotes and eukaryotes · The immune system, viruses and bacteria · From DNA to protein · The lymphatic system and innate immunity · Adaptive immunity, antibodies and vaccines | ||
| Two more biology courses | Required in this example programTwo other biology courses of choice are required, each 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours, and courses in genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, embryology, histology or immunology are recommended. [3] | Described on the Pre-Med page |
Get ready with these topics: The molecules of life · Cell structure: prokaryotes and eukaryotes · The cell membrane and transport · Cellular respiration · From DNA to protein · Meiosis, mutations and genetic variation | ||
| Two chemistry courses, with labs | Required in this example programTwo chemistry courses of choice with lab are required, each a total of 4 semester or 5 quarter hours. [3] | Described on the Pre-Med page |
Get ready with these topics: Atoms and electron arrangement · Periodic table patterns · Ionic and covalent bonding · The mole and molar mass · Stoichiometry and conservation of mass · Acids and bases · Quantities, units and rates · Literal equations and formulas | ||
| Statistics | Required in this example programStatistics is 2 semester hours or 3 quarter hours. [3] | Described on the Pre-Med page |
Get ready with these topics: Measures of center · Measures of spread · The normal model · Conditional probability and independence · Confidence intervals for a proportion · Significance and p-values | ||
A minimum of 1,000 hours of patient care experience is required, completed by the start of May of the application year. [3]
GRE scores are required of all candidates and must be reported directly from ETS to CASPA, the centralized application service. [3]
Typical high school preparation
We did not find an official source that gives high school course advice for this profession, so none is listed. For the high school courses colleges ask for in general, see the College Preparation page.
Pre-Health Foundations: coming soon
The career today
National figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay varies by state, setting and experience. This is not a promise of pay or a job.
The median annual wage for physician assistants was $135,880 in May 2025. [1]
Employment of physician assistants is projected to grow 21 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations. [1]
The typical entry-level education is a master's degree. [1]
Getting licensed
All states and the District of Columbia require physician assistants to be licensed, and to become licensed, candidates must pass a qualifying exam. [1]
A physician assistant who passes the exam may use the credential "Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C)." [1]
Exams on this path
Overview only. For dates, registration, rules and scoring, see each test maker's own site.
GRE (some programs)
GRE scores are required of all candidates and must be reported directly from ETS to CASPA, the centralized application service. [3]
PANCE® (after PA school)
The Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) assesses the clinical knowledge, clinical reasoning and other medical skills and professional behaviors that have been deemed important for entry-level practice as a PA. [4]
To be eligible for the PANCE you must graduate from an entry-level PA program accredited by ARC-PA, and the PANCE consists of five blocks of 60 questions, with 60 minutes to complete each block. [4]
PANCE® and Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination® are registered trademarks of NCCPA. GRE® is a registered trademark of ETS. None of these organizations is affiliated with or endorses UpOnly Learning.
Questions people search
Chosen from our search-question research. Every answer is cited.
What are the prerequisites for PA school?
Admission to PA programs is highly competitive, requiring a bachelor's degree and completion of courses in basic and behavioral sciences as prerequisites. [2]
Most programs require applicants to have taken undergraduate coursework with a focus in science. [1]
The Duke Physician Assistant Program requires 8 prerequisite courses, each completed with a grade of B minus or better, and it does not accept courses for which credit was awarded by examination, such as AP courses. [3]
How many patient care hours do you need for PA school?
Incoming PA students bring an average of more than 3,000 hours of direct patient contact experience, having worked as paramedics, athletic trainers or medical assistants, for example. [2]
A minimum of 1,000 hours of patient care experience is required, completed by the start of May of the application year. [3]
Programs also may require that applicants have experience as a medical assistant, EMT or paramedic, or another occupation that involves patient care. [1]
PA vs NP: what is the difference?
Applicants to physician assistant education programs typically have a bachelor's degree and some experience with patient care, and the programs usually take at least 2 years of postbaccalaureate study. [1]
An APRN, such as a nurse practitioner, must have a registered nursing (RN) license before pursuing education in one of the advanced practice roles. [5]
All NPs must complete a master's or doctoral degree program. [6]
See also: Nursing: the career ladder
Your next step
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physician Assistants. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm. OOH page last modified August 27, 2026 (pay data May 2025; projections 2025–35). Checked .
- American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA). What is a PA? https://www.aapa.org/about/what-is-a-pa/. no edition stated. Checked .
- Duke University School of Medicine, Physician Assistant Program. Admissions (prerequisites). https://medschool.duke.edu/education/health-professions-education-programs/physician-assistant-program/admissions. 2026–2027 application cycle. Checked .
- National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Become Certified. https://www.nccpa.net/become-certified/. no edition stated (page metadata modified October 15, 2026). Checked .
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook: Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-anesthetists-nurse-midwives-and-nurse-practitioners.htm. OOH page last modified October 29, 2026 (pay data May 2025; projections 2025–35). Checked .
- American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). What's a Nurse Practitioner (NP)? https://www.aanp.org/about/all-about-nps/whats-a-nurse-practitioner. no edition stated (footer © 2012–2026). Checked .
Format: Publisher. Page title. URL. Edition or catalog year. Checked date.