Pre-Physician Assistant Track

PA programs vary most in terms of both their pre-req’s/co-req’s and suggested additional course work, so students are advised to pin-point their target schools early (upon entrance into the Pre-Medical Professions concentration). Many PA programs require upwards of 500+ internship hours with some requiring over 1000 hours. These can include hours spent as an EMT, LPN, RN, in Hospice, as a PT aide, or even in the Peace Corps. Plan accordingly. Many PA programs require the GRE exam; many are substituting the MCAT, DAT, and PCAT exams. 

At WPUNJ, we recommend biology majors pursuing PA programs take the following science courses:

  • Biology: BIO1620 General Biology: EEB; BIO1630 General Biology: CBG; BIO2040 General Biology: Physiology; BIO2050 Cell Biology; BIO2060 Genetics
  • General Chemistry: CHEM1600 General Chemistry 1; CHEM1620 General Chemistry 2
  • Organic Chemistry: CHEM2570 Organic Chemistry 1
  • Physics: PHYS2550 College Physics 1
  • Mathematics: MATH1600 Calculus; MATH2300 Statistics

Science Upper-Level Electives Required or Recommended by some PA programs:

  • Biochemistry: CHEM4270 Biochemistry
  • Physics: PHYS2560 College Physics 2

Addional Courses Required by all or almost all DVM programs:

  • Anatomy & Physiology: BIO1120 General A&P 1; BIO1130 General A&P 2
  • Biology: BIO3200 Microbiology
  • Medical Terminology: SMED2000 Medical Terminology
  • Humanities: PSY1100 General Psychology and/or SOC1010 Principles of Sociology

Extra-curricular Priorities

  • Extensive experience in a clinical health setting (e.g. working, volunteering, shadowing).
  • Start finding extra-curricular opportunities early in your college career to be able to acquire a varied set of experiences and/or advance beyond entry-level work (e.g. university club and related leadership positions, off campus volunteer and volunteer leadership positions working with people)

Application Information

  • GPA minimums:

While average GPA requirements for acceptance to PA schools  can vary by institution, a general guideline is a minimum overall GPA of 3.0.  Some schools may have lower minimums, while others prefer higher GPAs

  • Application cycle:

The PA school application cycle typically requires applications be submitted to specific programs starting in mid-May, with a final deadline of September 15.