PA School Guide
Prerequisites, patient care experience, CASPA application, and exams — a complete roadmap for community college and transfer students.
Overview
Physician Assistant (PA) programs award a master's degree (MPAS) and typically take 2–3 years. PAs practice medicine under physician supervision in every specialty. Unlike medical school, there is no single national entrance exam — but most applicants apply through CASPA and many programs require the GRE, PA-CAT, or Casper.
PA programs value direct patient care experience above almost everything else. A psychology major from community college with 2,000+ PCE hours and a 3.6 GPA is a stronger applicant than a biology major with 200 volunteer hours.
Prerequisites
Requirements vary by program — always verify on each school's website and the PAEA directory. Common requirements:
| Course | When | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| General Biology I & II (with lab) | Community college | Required at virtually all programs |
| General Chemistry I & II (with lab) | Community college | Required |
| Human Anatomy & Physiology I & II (with lab) | CC or university | Required — in-person lab preferred |
| Microbiology (with lab) | CC or university | Required |
| Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry | After transfer | Required at most — check each program |
| Statistics or Biostatistics | Any time | Required |
| General Psychology | CC or university | Required |
| English Composition (2 courses) | Any time | Required |
| Medical Terminology | CC | Required at some programs |
Most programs require labs completed in person (not online) for anatomy, microbiology, and chemistry.
Patient Care & Experience Hours
CASPA categorizes experience into types. Programs care most about direct patient care (PCE):
Direct Patient Care (PCE)
Examples: EMT, CNA, medical scribe, patient care technician, phlebotomist, dental assistant
Typical hours: 1,000–4,000+ depending on program
Most important category — hands-on patient contact with charting or treatment
Healthcare Experience (HCE)
Examples: Hospital volunteer, front desk, pharmacy tech, lab assistant without direct care
Typical hours: Supplements PCE but rarely substitutes
Valuable but does not replace direct patient care at competitive programs
Shadowing
Examples: Shadow PAs and physicians in multiple specialties
Typical hours: 50–200+ hours recommended
Demonstrates you understand the PA role vs. physician or NP
Community Service
Examples: Crisis counseling, tutoring, nonprofit work
Typical hours: No universal minimum
Shows commitment beyond clinical settings
Track clinical hours in our Clinical Tracker.
GPA & Competitive Targets
| Metric | Target | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Overall GPA | 3.5+ | Average accepted ~3.6; science GPA weighted heavily |
| Prerequisite science GPA | 3.5+ | Many programs calculate a separate prereq GPA |
| GRE (if required) | 310+ combined | ~50% of programs require GRE; 50th+ percentile per section |
| PA-CAT (if required) | Program-specific | Growing number of programs accept or require PA-CAT instead of GRE |
| PCE hours | 1,000–2,000+ | Competitive applicants often exceed minimums significantly |
GRE, PA-CAT, Casper & CASPA
Unlike the MCAT, PA school exams are program-specific. Research your target schools before studying.
Application & exams
| Resource | Format | Cost | Scored? | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRE General Test (ETS) | Standardized exam | ~$220 | Yes — 130–170 per section | Required or optional at ~50% of PA programs — check each school |
| GRE PowerPrep (ETS) | 2 free practice tests | Free | Yes | Official GRE practice — take one before studying, one before test day |
| PA-CAT | PA-specific admissions exam | ~$150 | Yes | Required at some programs; alternative to GRE at others |
| Casper (Acuity Insights) | Situational judgment test | ~$85 | Quartile | Required by many programs — take in May/June of application year |
| CASPA Application | Centralized application | Per-program fees | N/A | Apply to most PA programs through one portal |
Research & prep resources
| Resource | Format | Cost | Scored? | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magoosh GRE | GRE prep + practice | Paid subscription | Yes | Affordable GRE prep if your programs require it |
| Kaplan GRE Free Practice Test | Full-length GRE | Free | Yes (approximate) | Extra GRE practice beyond PowerPrep |
| PAEA Program Directory | School search & requirements | Free | N/A | Research prerequisites, PCE minimums, and GRE policy per program |
| The PA Platform / Be a PA | Career resources | Free | N/A | Understanding the PA profession and application basics |
Application Timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1–2 years before applying | Start PCE (EMT, CNA, scribe); complete science prereqs at CC |
| Transfer year | Finish bachelor's degree requirements; continue accumulating PCE hours |
| Fall before cycle | Take GRE/PA-CAT if needed; research programs via PAEA directory |
| April | CASPA opens — prepare personal statement and request transcripts |
| May–June | Submit CASPA early; take Casper; complete supplemental applications |
| Summer–Fall | Interview invitations; complete any remaining prereqs |
| Spring | Acceptances; prepare for program start (often May/June) |
Sample Schedules
While building hours (in school · ongoing)
| Weekdays | Work/volunteer | PCE job or clinical volunteering — log every hour in CASPA categories |
| Academic terms | Full courseload | Protect prereq GPA — retakes are visible on CASPA |
| Monthly | 2–4 hrs | Shadow a PA; update experience descriptions with specific patient interactions |
GRE prep month (if required · ~15 hrs/week)
| Mon–Thu | 2 hrs/day | Vocab + quant review (Magoosh, Manhattan, or ETS materials) |
| Friday | 2 hrs | Timed verbal/quant sections |
| Saturday | 4 hrs | Full PowerPrep test under real conditions |
| Sunday | Review | Analyze every missed question |
Community College Student Tips
- Psychology majors are welcome — you do not need a biology degree
- Many CCs offer EMT and CNA programs — fastest path to PCE hours
- Medical scribing counts as PCE at most programs and builds clinical vocabulary
- CASPA requires transcripts from every college attended — include CC and transfer school
- Start shadowing PAs early — you need to articulate why PA, not MD or NP
- Apply in the cycle when prereqs are done or nearly done — 'in progress' limits options
Common Mistakes
- Applying with too few direct patient care hours
- Confusing HCE (volunteer greeter) with PCE (hands-on patient care)
- Not researching program-specific prerequisites — they vary significantly
- Generic personal statement that could apply to any health profession
- Skipping GRE prep when half of programs still require it
- Waiting until deadline to submit CASPA — early submitters get earlier interviews
- Not taking Casper when required — it is separate from CASPA
Track clinical hours for PA school
Log patient care experience and prep status in Admissions OS.