Program Details
Recommended Courses |
The prerequisite courses required by most medical schools include:
ENGL 101 - English Composition, SPCH 126 - Speech
BIOL 101, 101L, 102, 102L - General Biology (8 hours with lab)
BIOL 220 - Medical Terminology
BIOL 165 / 335 - Human Anatomy, BIOL 165 / 335 - Physiology, BIOL 256 - Microbiology, and BIOL 360 - Genetics
CHEM 111, 111L, 112, 112L - General Chemistry (8 hours with lab)
CHEM 321 , 321L, 322, 322L - Organic Chemistry (8 hours with lab)
MATH 241 or 261 - Statistics or MATH 212 / 231 - Calculus
PSYC 101 - Intro to Psychology, PSYC 320 - Abnormal Psychology and one additional psychology course (9 credits)
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to become a Physician Assistant?
The length of the program is typically two years.
Besides the prerequisite courses, how else should I prepare to apply to Physician Assistant School?
Direct patient contact hours are a very important element in your PA school application. Start early so you can accumulate the required 750+ hours by the time you graduate.
Do I need to take the GRE to apply to PA School?
Most schools require a GRE score, however, some may accept an MCAT score- or neither. Check the requirements of the schools you are interested in.
Alumni Spotlight
Grand View alum, Amy McGraw is now a Physician's Assistant at Unity Point. While at Grand View University, Amy majored in Biology and was able to take all of the medically-related coursework. She found gross anatomy, immunology and histology to be especially helpful in her graduate studies at Wingate University PA program in 2016. Located in Wingate, North Carolina, Wingate University is approximately one hour south of Charlotte, North Carolina. According to Amy, "the upper level coursework at Grand View was challenging enough to prepare me for the rigorous PA coursework" at Wingate.
Thanks to Grand View, Amy felt prepared for PA school and partially attributes her success to her undergraduate time at Grand View. "GVU Biology faculty knew what it took to maintain a school-life balance for PA school, and were helpful in getting that point across to students," Amy recalls. "They [faculty] didn't sugar coat how difficult it would be. They also helped me see the rainbow in the storm when I was having a hard time, and encouraged me at every step."
As a non-traditional student, Wingate University's PA program fit exactly what Amy was looking for in a school. She found the admissions counselor and staff to be extremely kind, especially with the many questions Amy had about the PA program. With her prior classes, Amy was successful in passing her boards and procuring jobs following graduation.
For students looking at different undergraduate programs, Amy says, at Grand View "...you aren't just a number, or a warm body in a seat. The class sizes are small enough to develop those relationships with people, and your professors get to know you well," she says.
Picture caption: Ryan (GV alum), Mason (son), and Amy McGraw at Amy's PA school graduation in 2016.