Pre-Physician Assistant (PA) Information
Physician assistants (PAs) are licensed health professionals who practice medicine as members of a team with their supervising physicians.  Pre-PA students are required to achieve strong grades and acquire many hours of clinical experience (often 1000+ hours) prior to admission into a M.S.-granting PA program. Students interested in pursuing a career as a PA should contact the SPSU pre-professional advisor as soon as possible.  

What does a PA do?
Click on the U.S. Department of Labor description for Physician Assistants.

Prerequisite Coursework for PA Program Admission:

Most PA programs require the following courses:

Requirement	SPSU Equivalent
General Biology w/lab (8 semester hours)	BIOL 2107K & 2108K
General Chemistry w/lab (8 semester hours)	CHEM 1211K & 1212K
Organic Chemistry w/lab (4 semester hours)	CHEM 2511K
Biochemistry w/lab (4 semester hours)	BIOL 3111K
Anatomy & Physiology (8 semester hours)	BIOL 4400K & 4460K
Microbiology (4 semester hours)	BIOL 3100K
Psychology and/or Sociology (6 semester hours)	PSYC 1101/SOCI 1101
Statistics (3 semester hours)	MATH 1401

As exact course requirements may vary, it is essential that applicants consult the specific PA program to which they wish to apply.

Application Timeline:
Freshman-Junior Year:  Build clinical experience, research PA programs, take prerequisite coursework for specific PA programs

Junior Year (Spring):  Take GRE, work on CASPA & non-CASPA PA program applications

Junior Year (Summer):  Complete CASPA, non-CASPA applications, & secondary applications (if required).  Order & submit transcripts.

Senior Year:  Finish remaining applications, retake GRE (if needed), conduct PA program interviews

Note:  Most program deadlines occur between October and December of the year prior to admission.

A list of accredited PA programs can be found here.

Admissions Criteria:
(1) Minimum GPA:   2.75-3.0 for most programs.  Average applicant GPAs may be 3.5 or higher.
(2) Clinical Experience:  Many programs suggest at least 1000 hours of clinical/patient-related experience.  1 to 4 years of experience is not uncommon.  A good place to start is to contact a PA Program representative at the school you are interested in to determine what qualifies as 'clinical experience'.  Also, contact one of the PA mentors listed on the Georgia Association of Physician Assistants webpage to see if they are willing to work with you directly.
(3) GRE scores:  Required

Programs in Georgia:
Emory University Physician Assistant Program
Emory University Anesthesiology Physicians Assistant (APA) Program
Medical College of Georgia Physician Assistant Program
South University Physician Assistant Program
Mercer University Physician Assistant Program

Useful Links: