The Path To Becoming A Physician Assistant

What is a PA?

PAs or Physician Assistants are licensed clinicians who practice medicine in any setting or specialty. Meaning they can work with Surgeons, Physicians, or other healthcare workers.

The Steps to becoming a PA

1. Get a Bachelor’s/College Degree

   1. PA Programs require certain prerequisite courses that should be completed in college

   2. Consider majoring in a science-based field so your required coursework counts toward your prerequisites

2. Get Healthcare and Patient Care Experience For PA Programs

   1. Healthcare experience (HCE) is work where you are not directly responsible for a patient’s care

   2. Patient Care Experience (PCE) is work where you are directly responsible for a patient’s care

   3. It’s best to obtain this experience early, but some future PAs may take a gap year to do so

   4. PA Programs may require at least 1,000 HCE or PCE hours (different minimum requirements)

3. Applying to the PA Program

   1. Likely apply using CASPA (Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants)

   2. Requirements include:

      1. Undergraduate/post-graduate transcripts which are important to obtain early in the application process.

      2. Letters of recommendation from professors, supervisors, physicians, PAs, or similar people.

      3. List of HCE/PCE in which you’ll have to differentiate between the different types of hours

      4. CASPA requires a 5,000-character personal statement essay highlighting why you have chosen to become a PA and why you should be considered for the PA program of your choice.

4. Pass the PANCE

   1. After graduating from a PA program, you will be ready to take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE).

      1. 300 total questions: 5 hours to complete five 60-question sections. (45 break minutes and 15 minutes to train on the software.)

      2. After passing the PANCE you will be ready to become a practicing PA

Traveling PAs

• As a traveling PA, you would have the opportunity to choose part-time or full-time temporary assignments across the country

• Some additional benefits include:

• Career-building PA jobs in top facilities

• Freedom to choose your practice setting, location, and schedule

• Free housing, paid travel, and excellent compensation

• Salary rates and other benefits guaranteed by contract

Do you think Physician Assistant is the job for you?

Have any questions, feel free to DM Project Health with inquiries