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Physician Assistant

The Health Professions and Prelaw Center pre-PA webpage offers information, ideas, and resources for students following a pre-physician assistant path at Indiana University. Hundreds of IUB students prepare for admission to physician assistant (PA) programs, and many successfully apply to programs across the country.

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How to Use this Webpage

It is important that you consult the information on this page thoroughly and often. Please do not make the mistake of merely looking at the prerequisite chart. The other information and suggestions here will save you a great deal of time and labor, and help you avoid common mistakes as you strive to be admitted to competitive physician assistant programs. This site is an ongoing project, and we regularly revise and add information. Even if you know for sure which programs you are applying to, be sure to utilize the HPPLC PA page, as it contains critical pre-PA information, suggestions, and resources beyond what is covered on PA school web sites.

At the same time, do not let the abundance of information on this page overwhelm you. It is meant to be quite complete, but the linked outline in the right hand column provides you with a useful overview of its contents, and an easy way to navigate.

The page is coherently organized into discreet sections, and the links in the right-hand margin form an outline of the page. Familiarize yourself with what is here and then refer back to it as needed. While juniors and seniors visiting this page for the first time really ought to read it in more detail to gain a sense of where they stand in the pre-PA process, freshmen and sophomores don't need to become familiar with everything all at once.

We do not suggest simply printing this page, as there are sub-pages linked from it which contain important information. If you wish to print part of a given page, first use your mouse to select the section you want to print. Then, from the Print dialogue box, choose Print > Selection. However, always refer back to the complete HPPLC PA page / sub-pages.

Description of the Profession

A physician assistant (sometimes called "physician associate" - different term, same profession) is a health care professional licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. As part of their comprehensive responsibilities, PAs conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries, order and interpret lab tests and x-rays, counsel on preventative health care, assist in surgery, and write prescriptions. (Note that as of 2009 Indiana PAs are authorized to write prescriptions.)

PAs work in all areas of medicine. They practice in primary care (e.g., family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology) as well as trauma, surgery, the surgical sub-specialties, and all other areas. PAs can garner different kinds of specialization and expertise by working under the given type of physician or in the given setting in which they wish to specialize. In this way, PAs can garner multiple areas of specialization and expertise over their career.

In some settings - for example, in some rural clinics - the PA may be the main healthcare provider, though still under the supervision of an off-site physician. Some states do allow PAs to operate their own practices, again, under the supervision of an off-site physician (see Physician supervision of the physician assistant).

The American Academy of Physician Assistants has this to say:

Q: "Where do PAs 'draw the line' as far as what they can treat and what a physician can treat?"
A: "What a physician assistant does varies with training, experience, and state law. In addition, the scope of the PA's practice corresponds to the supervising physician's practice. In general, a physician assistant will see many of the same types of patients as the physician. The cases handled by physicians are generally the more complicated medical cases or those cases which require care that is not a routine part of the PA's scope of work. Referral to the physician, or close consultation between the patient-PA-physician, is done for unusual or hard to manage cases. Physician assistants are taught to 'know our limits' and refer to physicians appropriately."

Not all PAs would entirely agree with the above statement that "the cases handled by physicians are generally the more complicated medical cases." Some would say that whether the physician handles the more complicated cases depends upon the setting in which the PA is working, his or her level of experience, the method by which the physician supervises the PA, and upon how one defines "more complicated." Others may say that the statement is generally true, but that emphasis should indeed be upon "generally the more complicated cases."

Relatedly, there has been some controversy over the very title "physician assistant." Some within the profession believe the title "physician associate" more accurately reflects the role PAs usually play within healthcare - that of a primary care provider, as distinguished from a "mere" assistant who is simply an extension of the physician's eyes and hands, so to speak.

For additional information, articles, and ephemera describing the history of the physician assistant profession, visit the Physician Assistant History Center website.

Use the links in the section, Additional PA Information and Resources, to learn about wages, job outlook, and other career and job information.

Skills and characteristics important to the PA profession

Solid critical thinking, problem-solving, and science skills; the ability to work quickly and make good decisions under pressure; empathy, and excellent interpersonal communication skills; the ability to work well independently as well as with a team of care givers (and with a variety of personality types), while exhibiting consistent professionalism. These and other professional development components are a critical part of any undergraduate degree. Carefully consider the suggestions on the HPPLC Professional Development page.

Physician supervision of the physician assistant

The manner in which a PA is supervised by the physician depends on the laws of the given state, the specific healthcare setting, and the guidelines agreed upon by the PA and physician. Below are four EXAMPLES of different supervisory mechanisms, quoted from the CA.gov Physician Assistant Committee site. Each item describes a different method by which a physician might supervise the work of the physician assistant:

The physician sees the patients the same day that they are treated by the PA.
The physician reviews, signs, and dates the medical record of every patient treated by the physician assistant within thirty days of treatment.
The physician adopts written protocols which specifically guide the actions of the PA. Within 30 days of treatment, the physician must select, review, sign, and date at least 10% of the medical records of patients treated by the physician assistant according to those protocols.
In special circumstances, the physician provides supervision through another mechanism approved in advance by the [Physician Assistant Committee].

For further description of the PA profession, be sure to also read the sections below: skills and characteristics important to the profession, and a comparison of PA to NP.

"PA school versus medical school"

The so-called pros and cons, advantages and disadvantages, of medical school and PA school are open to debate. They are a matter of opinion, and depend on your personal circumstances and goals. Ultimately, the choice is a personal one. What is a "pro" for one person might be a "con" for another; a factor that is important to one person might be inconsequential to another. If you are trying to decide between these two career paths, we encourage you to meet with a HPPLC premed and/or pre-PA advisor to discuss your particular situation.

Physician Assistant compared to Nurse Practitioner

It is important to remember that the differences and similarities between PAs and NPs noted below are heavily contingent upon many variables, including the specific work setting, differing state regulations, and the preferences of the supervising physician.

The length of initial training is roughly the same for NPs and for PAs enrolled in masters degree programs (about 27 months), although most NP programs require that applicants spend at least two years working as a registered nurse (RN) prior to beginning the NP training program.
While a pre-PA undergraduate may pursue any degree, someone planning to become an NP must earn either their ASN or BSN (and those with an ASN must eventually complete their BSN prior to beginning an NP masters program, or complete it as part of a combined BSN completion / NP program).
PA and NP are competing professions, so patient care responsibilities are often very similar, even identical in some settings.
It is often noted that NPs may operate their own medical practices, and, depending on certain circumstances, can often function more independently than PAs, both in terms of setting and the kinds of responsibilities they undertake. However, it is also true that some states allow PAs to operate their own practice. In addition, in some settings where a local physician is not often present (e.g., rural clinics), a PA may be the main health care provider, even though technically they are under the supervision of an MD or a DO.
Both NPs and PAs may need to be on call, but PAs may have more predictable schedules, depending on the setting and the supervising physician.
PAs are covered by the physician's insurance. Depending on the setting, NPs often must have their own insurance. This is particularly true for NPs operating their own practice.
Most PA degree programs are generalist in nature. PAs specialize by simply working and training with different kinds of physicians. For NPs, different NP training programs offer different specializations from the start. Similarly, for an RN or NP to move into another area of specialization (called "advanced nursing practice"), further schooling and certifications may be necessary. However, some believe that PA itself is slowly moving toward more specialization within PA degree programs. Some within the PA profession will argue against this trend, if it should occur, because they believe the PA training path should, by definition, remain generalist in nature. They believe that this broader, "general practitioner" training is one of the strengths of physician assistant training and practice.
It is often noted that PAs are trained through a medical school approach, or philosophy, of diagnosis and treatment, whereas NP training employs a model similar to that of RN training. For example, it said that PA training generally focuses on the efficient gathering of information, assessment of symptoms related to the physical ailment, and the reaching of a diagnosis; whereas NP training is said to instill a more "holistic" approach to diagnosis—one that entails the assessment of the patient's whole physical, emotional, psychological, and cultural circumstances. According to this idea, while a busy NP may appear to be simply assessing physical symptoms and rendering diagnosis and treatment, the underlying philosophy of the NP's training and practice would nonetheless be holistic. At the same time, it would be a mistake to believe that PAs simply ignore a patient's psychological state, or cultural factors which might impact the patient's condition or treatment thereof.
"While PAs embrace the physician-PA team concept and physician supervision, NPs generally use the term 'collaboration,' meaning a close working relationship between different professions. That said, NPs do view themselves as part of an interdisciplinary health care team" ("What's the Difference Between PAs and NPs?," Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, V.19, No. 10 OCT 2006).

Description of Physician Assistant Programs

Types of PA programs

There are currently about 155 accredited PA training programs in the US, the vast majority of which award a master of science degree. The average curriculum runs about 27 months, though that number can be greater or smaller, depending on the program. Most programs begin in the summer or fall; a smaller number have spring admission.

Requirements for becoming a certified or licensed PA vary by state. Generally, there are two main pathways to PA training:

A) By far the most common route for pre-PA students is to earn an undergraduate degree while completing the prerequisite courses for the graduate-level PA programs to which they plan to apply. Physician assistant programs ultimately have no preference as to what applicants choose as their undergraduate degree or major. If you choose to pursue your masters degree, it is wise to major in whatever interests you the most, while working in your PA prerequisites and preprofessional activities. Prerequisite courses can be worked into most undergraduate majors.
B) Far less common is for a pre-PA student to enter an undergraduate preprofessional program, which, depending on the given state's licensure rules, may itself prepare the student to take the PA licensure exams in that state; or may lead to further credentialing programs, like a certificate or an associate's degree, which then prepares the student to sit for the state's PA licensure exams; or may lead to post-undergraduate PA training such as a masters degree or masters-level certificate.

Which of the above professional credentials you choose to earn depends on your current level of education and other circumstances, as well as your career goals. Again, these days the vast majority of pre-PA students seek a masters degree, and indeed the MS is by far the most common PA credential offered.

Choosing a degree and major

The most common pre-PA educational path is to first earn a bachelor of arts (BA) or bachelor of science (BS) degree - it doesn't matter which - and work in the prerequisites. Within that degree, it's important that you choose a major which truly interests you - one you would choose even if you weren't pre-PA. Almost any major can accommodate the prerequisite courses, and PA programs have no preference for a given degree or major.

If you are still deciding on a major, work with your academic advisor and utilize resources like the award-winning website, Explore Majors at IU.

PA training: the classroom experience, clinicals

Because of the close working relationship PAs have with physicians, PAs are educated according to a medical school model designed to reflect physician training, both methodologically and philosophically. The specific pedagogical (teaching) methodology will vary by program. For instance, some programs opt for a traditional lecture-based teaching style, while others incorporate problem-based learning strategies. In problem-based learning environments, PA students are presented with a mock clinical scenario in which they must assess a "patient's" symptoms and circumstances, collaboratively research possible diagnoses and treatments, and then assess and reflect upon this learning experience. Some programs, like the one offered through Indiana University, incorporate state of the art simulation centers into their training. Sim centers use computer-driven mannequins which simulate actual medical symptoms, vital signs, and so on.

Physician assistant education consists of classroom and laboratory instruction in the basic medical and behavioral sciences (such as anatomy, pharmacology, pathophysiology, clinical medicine, and physical diagnosis), followed by clinical rotations in internal medicine, family medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, emergency medicine, geriatric medicine, and sometimes others. masters degree programs usually include a research component as well. PA training is intentionally generalist in nature; PAs can specialize by working with different kinds of physicians and in different settings, so it is possible for PAs to gain multiple areas of specialization over their career.

Overview of PA Admissions

Competitive admission

Because more people apply to any given PA program than there are seats available, programs have selective admission. In other words, the PA admission process is competitive because programs can afford to be choosey, selecting only those applicants they consider most likely to excel in a rigourous, masters-level science program.

The level of competitiveness varies dramatically across programs; for instance, cumulative and/or science course GPAs of those admitted might range from 3.00 to 3.80 or higher, depending on the program. Because some programs count science courses twice (i.e., as part of the cumulative GPA, and in a separate science GPA), it is especially important that you do well in your prerequisite coursework. Sometimes a lower CGPA can be somewhat balanced by a higher science GPA, or vice versa, however this too depends on the program. Obviously your goal must be to earn excellent grades across your entire transcript. To this end, we urge you to utilize the HPPLC Time and Sanity Management Sheet, and to rigorously follow the academic tips therein.

For examples of some useful GPA calculators, click here.

In addition, many programs have "rolling admission" deadlines, meaning that they begin to fill spots as soon as their application cycle opens. Click the center of the video box below to play a lighthearted but informative short cartoon about rolling admissions.

HPPLC tip video: Rolling Admissions

Other admission factors

Excellent grades, clinical observation (job shadowing) of PAs, patient care experience, successful completion of prerequisite coursework, Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores, an admission essay, letters of reference, and an admission interview can be among the admission requirements; though again, requirements vary by program. Some programs will accept scores from the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) in place of GRE scores. While GPA will always be the most critical admission factor, programs consider your entire application portfolio when making their decisions, and most place a heavy emphasis on other admission factors as well.

Misdemeanors, felonies, and background checks

Bottom line: keep your record clean! College presents countless opportunities for success, but also opportunities to undermine your goals. While a misdemeanor on your record may not necessarily prevent you from being admitted to a program or from practicing in a given health field, why take the risk? Gross misdemeanors and felony charges are obviously much more serious, but the impact of any given criminal history will depend on various factors and circumstances, such as the nature of the offense, how recent it was, whether there is a pattern of offenses, and so on. While a single underage drinking charge from high school may not become a serious issue, a string of them could. Likewise, a DUI charge, for instance, is much more serious because driving under the influence puts other people in danger, which of course not only reflects an alarming degree of irresponsibility, but also contradicts the very nature of the health professions.

There are two potential points at which a criminal history could become an issue: during the process of trying to be admitted to programs and during the professional licensure process, once you have completed the program. You should always be honest when you are filling out disclosure forms. Many programs, and the licensure process itself, will require that you submit at least a limited criminal background check, and if there are differences between what you yourself report and what the background check reveals, you could run into difficulties. Such a disparity would imply or reflect a degree of dishonesty which programs and state licensure boards are not likely to overlook.

If you already have charges on your record, then again, be honest during those parts of the application which ask you to disclose this information. During the licensure process there is usually an opportunity for you to offer an explanation of a mark on your record, and to explain what you learned from the experience. You can also add a similar addendum to program applications.

Additional admission information

The typical applicant to graduate-level PA programs is 24 or 25 years old, and has at least some patient care experience. However, this does not mean that those who are younger or who have less experience cannot become strong applicants. In fact, the average age of applicants to PA programs is falling. Every year, IUB students are accepted into PA programs around the country. While it is true that experienced RNs, EMTs, paramedics, and other healthcare professionals apply to PA programs, it is equally true that PAs come from a wide variety of professional and academic backgrounds, including those who have worked in non-health fields, and those applying directly from their undergraduate degree. PA programs have no inherent preference for older applicants. They simply choose the most promising from their entire applicant pool.

Physician Assistant Studies at Indiana University (proposed)

The proposed IU PA Program - general information

A Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program is currently undergoing accreditation within the Indiana University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS - Indianapolis campus). In September 2010, the proposal for the program was approved by the University, and by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. The IU program will be one of a relatively small number of PA programs affiliated with a medical school. The MPAS degree will be offered through SHRS in collaboration with the IU School of Medicine.

The IUB Health Professions and Prelaw Center has posted details about the program's admission requirements throughout this webpage, and we will post more information as it becomes available.

The first cohort of IU PA students will begin PA classes in May of 2012, which means that qualified IUB students will be able to apply in fall 2011 for admission at the end of the spring 2012 semester.

In addition, we can tell you that a PA program director has been appointed – Dr. Gaylen Kelton, Indiana University School of Medicine. Dr. Kelton, who has a long history of working alongside physician assistants, is excepted to begin his official appointment in January 2011.

If you are interested in the IU PA program, we encourage you to read the SHRS PA program letter of introduction, and provide them with your contact information, as they suggest in the letter. In addition, read the SHRS PA Frequently Asked Questions.

Finally, we urge all interested IUB students and alumni who have an IU email, IU alumni email, or IU gmail account to join the HPPLC pre-PA email list from our homepage, through which we will continue to send out the latest information. We will also continue to post the latest information to the HPPLC PA site as soon as it becomes available. Be sure to utilize the HPPLC PA page, as our site contains critical information, suggestions, and resources beyond what is covered on PA school web sites.

Description of the IU Physician Assistant Program

IU Bloomington does not offer a physician assistant program, but pre-PA students may fulfill the admission requirements at IUB and then apply for admission to the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at IUPUI (IU's Indianapolis campus) to complete the Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree. Admission to the IU MPAS program requires successful completion of a baccalaureate degree, prerequisite courses (which can be worked into most undergraduate degrees), and other admission criteria, as explained throughout this page.

You may choose almost any undergraduate major as long as you also complete the PA prerequisite courses. The IU PA program shows no preference for one degree or major over another. Indiana University does not offer an undergraduate PA major (most schools do not).

The IU MPAS professional coursework will begin in May of each year. For those who plan to begin PA school immediately after graduating, the May start time means there will be little, if any, break in between the end of your undergraduate degree and the start of your graduate coursework.

The IU PA program consists of 7 consecutive semesters spanning 27 months, including 75 credit hours of didactic courses (i.e., classroom and lab instruction) and 36 hours of clinical rotations, for a total of 111 credit hours. The program requires courses or clinicals during all three summers - at the start of the program, in the middle, and at the end.

For a detailed overview of the IU PA coursework itself (as distinguished from the prerequisite coursework), see the links on the IU School of Health and Rehabilitation Science's MPAS homepage.

IU PA admission overview

NOTE that each PA program has its own set of admission requirements and policies. You must thoroughly research other programs in order to plan your prerequisites and other admission requirements, and to determine the timing of your courses and the application itself.

Admission to the IU Physician Assistant Program is very competitive. Clinical observation (job shadowing) of PAs, significant patient care experience, successful completion of prerequisite coursework, admission exam scores (GRE or MCAT), an admission essay, letters of recommendation, application through CASPA, and an admission interview (for those who qualify) are all part of the admission process. Admission requirements are not weighted by percentage in terms of their importance during the admission process. They will be considered together as a complete application portfolio.

In-state and out-of-state applicants will be considered equally, as the program simply wants to admit the most qualified students. In-state PA students will, however, pay half the rate of tuition as out-of-state students, which is fairly common practice among graduate programs.

Important details and suggestions pertaining to each aspect of the PA admission process are explained throughout this page. To view the IU School of Health and Rehabilitation Science's own list of their PA admission requirements, see SHRS's What are the admission requirements? FAQ. But, again, it's very important that you utilize the information and resources on the HPPLC PA site as well.

Prerequisite Courses Required for IU PA Admission

Some important points to bear in mind as you plan your PA prerequisite courses

Each PA program has its own set of prerequisites, minimum grade and GPA requirements, and so on. We urge you to research and apply to multiple programs.
For a list of the generic IU PA admission prerequisites, see the Prerequisite Course Completion Form link, on the IU School of Health and Rehabilitation Science's MPAS homepage.
The minimum cumulative GPA required to apply to IU PA is 3.00. Neither a math / science nor a prerequisite GPA will be calculated separately.
A minimum grade of "C" is required in all IU PA prerequisite courses (C- not acceptable). Most other PA programs will require similar or higher minimum prereq grades. Some may require only a C-, but low grades can make you ineligible to apply to additional programs, and less competitive for admission.
Regarding course re-takes, IU PA will honor IUB's Extended X re-take policy. They will, therefore, take the second grade (whether higher or lower than the first) if you re-take a course and file a valid X petition to have the first grade replaced. If you re-take a course but do not file or do not qualify for the X grade replacement, then both the first and second grade will be on your transcript, and the PA program will therefore calculate both grades into your GPA. Note that different PA programs have different policies with regard to re-takes. For instance, some will effectively average the two grades by simply calculating both of them into your GPA.
You must complete all but one of the prerequisites prior to the fall in which you submit your application to the IU PA program through CASPA. You would then need to complete the one remaining prerequisite by May of the year in which you would begin the PA professional coursework. (Many other programs have similar policies, which you must research in order to plan the timing of your prerequisites.)
Remember that many programs begin the professional coursework during the summer.
IMPORTANT: Some programs may not accept Advanced Placement (AP) credit, credit-by-exam, or exemption from degree requirements in place of admission requirements, or may only accept such credit under specific circumstances. Check with each program to confirm its policies.
- The IU PA program will accept unlimited AP credit, in accordance with the standards and policies of the applicant's home institution. In other words, for an IUB student, the PA program will award AP credit for a given prerequisite course(s) as long as IUB awarded AP credit for the given course(s). If IUB did not grant AP credit, or only awarded "undistributed (UN)" credit, neither will the IU PA program grant credit for the given course(s). The policy can be viewed in the FAQs, linked from the IU School of Health and Rehabilitation Science's MPAS homepage.
It is best to avoid overlapping multiple lecture / lab courses (for instance, avoid taking CHEM-C 117 and ANAT-A 215 together). Students usually struggle when they take these classes in the same semester. Avoiding this overlap may necessitate consistently taking one lab course most semesters.
We encourage you to meet with the Health Professions and Prelaw Center's pre-physician assistant advisor to discuss your circumstances, career goals, research process, and so on.
Carefully read the IMPORTANT NOTES associated with the courses listed below.

Indiana University Physician Assistant Program prerequisite courses

(Updated March 2011. The IU PA prerequisites below should still be considered subject to change, though we do not expect major revisions for the 2011 application cycle. Any changes will be immediately posted to the grid below.)

IMPORTANT: COURSES REQUIRED FOR ADMISSION VARY BY PROGRAM. THE GRID BELOW INCLUDES IUB EQUIVELANTS TO THE PROPOSED INDIANA UNIVERSITY PHYSICAN ASSISTANT PROGRAM PREREQUISITES. IT IS ONLY THROUGH RESEARCHING OTHER PA PROGRAMS TO WHICH YOU THINK YOU MAY APPLY THAT YOU WILL LEARN WHAT, IF ANY, ADDITONAL PREREQUISITES YOU MUST COMPLETE.

For complete prerequisite information and descriptions for courses listed below, refer to IUB Academic Bulletins.

P: = prerequisite (must be taken prior to the given course) C: = corequisite (can be taken with the given class)

Chemistry: There are essentially two possible chemistry sequences IUB pre-PA students can follow in order to fulfill the chem requirement for admission to the proposed IU PA program. In addition to including the PA prerequisites themselves, the sample sequences below incorporate the required chemistry department prerequisites for the courses. The courses are listed in the order in which they are best completed. Before taking CHEM-C 117 you must take the Chemistry Placement Exam (CPE), and meet other requirements. (Note - If you are also considering other professions which recommend N330 among their prerequisites, you may wish to complete the N330 chem sequence. If you are focused exclusively on PA, PT, or OT, then in most cases, the C118 sequence would be fine.)	Credits
Chemistry sequence sample 1:	Cr
Principles of Chemistry and Biochemistry I: CHEM-C 117 ¹	5
Organic Chemistry I Lectures: CHEM-C 341 (P: C117)	3
Organic Chemistry II Lectures: CHEM-C 342 (P: C341; may be taken concurrently with C343) ^{2, 4}	3
Organic Chemistry I Laboratory: CHEM-C 343 (P or C: C342) ⁴	2
Intermediate Inorganic Chemistry: CHEM–N 330 (Fall, Spr, Sum; P: C342 and C343)	5
Chemistry sequence sample 2:	Cr
Principles of Chemistry and Biochemistry I: CHEM-C 117 ¹	5
Principles of Chemistry and Biochemistry II: CHEM-C 118 (Fall only; P: C117)	5
Organic Chemistry I Lectures: CHEM-C 341 (P: C117)	3
Organic Chemistry II Lectures: CHEM-C 342 (P: C341; may be taken concurrently with C343) ^{2, 4}	2
Organic Chemistry I Laboratory: CHEM-C 343 (P or C: C342) ⁴	3
Biological Sciences	Credits
General Biology: BIOL-L 112 Biological Mechanisms or BIOL-L 111 Evolution and Diversity (Note - BIOL-L 112 is a prerequisite or corequisite to the L113 lab, below. If you choose to take L111 in addition to L112 and L113, SHRS will calculate the two highest semester grades from the three into your GPA at the time of application.)	3
Biology Laboratory: BIOL-L 113	3
Microbiology: BIOL-M 200 and M215 (designed for preprofessional students / non-biology majors) or M250 and M255 (P. two semesters of college chemistry prior to 250 / 255) ⁵	4 - 5 total
Human Anatomy: ANAT-A 215 (be sure to closely follow the A215 study tips)	5
Human Physiology: PHSL-P 215 (recommended prerequisite: ANAT-A 215) (Note - IU MPAS will accept BIOL-P 451 Integrative Human Physiology in place of PHSL-P 215; however, you must confirm that P451 will work for all programs to which you plan to apply.)	5
Communication	Credits
English Composition: ENG-W 131 or W170; or CMLT-C 110	3
Verbal Communication: CMCL-C 121 Public Speaking or CMCL-C 122 Interpersonal Communication	3
Other Prerequisites	Credits
Statistics or Biostatistics: choose from MATH, PSY, SPEA-K 300; MATH or PSY-K 310; STAT-S 300; or equivalent statistics course ³	3 - 4
Psychology or Sociology: PSY-P 101, SOC-S 100, or any 3 credit equivalent	3
Medical Terminology: CLAS-C 209	2
Health Promotion/Wellness/Nutrition or equivalent: HPER-N 231 Human Nutrition or HPER-N 220 Nutrition for Health strongly preferred. Other options include various HPER-H courses; consult with HPPLC pre-PA advisor if you wish to discuss options. (First Aid and EMT courses do not count.)	3

Important prerequisite course notes (pertaining to the table above):

Before taking CHEM-C 117 you must take the Chemistry Placement Exam (CPE), and meet certain other requirements.
While CHEM-C 342: Organic Chemistry 2 Lectures is not technically required for admission to the IU PA program, it is a required prerequisite for certain IUB chemistry courses which are required for admission.
Statistics courses generally assume minimum proficiency at the MATH-M 014 (algebra) level, but some assume more previous math experience. For instance, finite math (MATH-M 118, A118, or D116/117) is a suggested prerequisite for K300. MATH-M 119 is a required prerequisite for K 310. See bulletins for detailed prerequisite information.
C342 recommended taken concurrently with C343, though many students do split them up. Note that while this combination is 5 credits, the workload is more akin to 7 or 8 credits. Students often report having to spend about 20 hours per week between 342 and 343 (10 or more on 343 alone), so you may wish to reduce your course load to 12 or 13 hours that semester if you take them together. (As always, your options and necessities will depend on your circumstances.)
Biology majors and minors, bear in mind that M200 and 215 do not count toward biology department requirements, where as M250 and 255 can.

Possible Prerequisites for other PA program (varies by program)

The chart below contains some additional prerequisites you might encounter as you research other physician assistant programs. IT IS ONLY THROUGH RESEARCHING OTHER PA PROGRAMS TO WHICH YOU THINK YOU MGIHT APPLY THAT YOU WILL LEARN WHAT, IF ANY, ADDITONAL PREREQUISITES YOU MUST COMPLETE. COURSES REQUIRED FOR ADMISSION VARY BY PROGRAM.

*Other Possible* Prerequisites**	Credits
Additional Chemistry: You will need to research the programs to which you think you might apply in order to determine what, if any, additional chemistry you might need. Note, for instance, that some programs require biological chemistry ("biochem").	varies
Molecular Biology: BIOL-L 211 (p. BIOL-L112 and CHEM-C 117)	3
Genetics: BIOL-L 311 (p. BIOL-L 211)	3
Lifespan Development or Developmental Psychology: HPER-F 150, EDUC-P 314, or PSY-P 315¹. (PSY-P 315 may be a more flexible option, depending on program preferences. If you take Developmental Psychology, it must cover the full lifespan, birth to death.)	3
General Physics, up to one or two semesters: PHYS-P 201 / 202 (or 221 / 222) ²	5 - 10
Humanities: some programs require a certain minimum number of humanities courses. For options, refer to the College of Arts and Sciences bulletin, distribution course listing	varies

Important prerequisite course notes (pertaining to the table above):

Officially, the prerequisite or corequisite for EDUC-P 314 is PSY-P 101 or P155. Prerequisite for PSY-P315 is PSY-P 101 and 102, or P155 by itself. (P155 is generally recommended only for psychology majors.)
Recommended prerequisite for physics is high school or college trigonometry.

Optional EMT or CNA certification

Many physician assistant programs require or recommend that applicants garner patient care experience. You can find detailed information elsewhere on this page. Some pre-PA students choose to earn their Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification, whether through IU coursework or through another training program. Others choose to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), which might enable them to, for instance, secure a paid position at a nursing home, or enable them to volunteer in a more patient-care-oriented capacity. There are many additional opportunities to garner patient care experience, as indicated elsewhere on this page.

The EMT and CNA options are just that - options. Few if any PA programs actually require any such certification among their admission requirements, though some recommend it.

CNA training: For programs in Indiana, use the IN.gov site, www.in.gov/isdh/reports/QAMIS/nat/search.htm. Other states will have similar listings of certified programs on the state's Department of Health site or something similar. Don't hesitate to call or email the state government if you can't locate the resource.

EMT training: Taking the IU courses listed in the grid below and passing the certification exam is one way to earn your EMT. For a list of other EMS training providers in Indiana, visit www.in.gov/dhs/ > IDHS Training Calendar (right hand menu) > EMS Training. (EMT Basic may be a better choice than First Responder, which is a lesser certification.) The list is continually updated, and other states should have similar listings of certified programs on state's Department of Health site or something similar. Don't hesitate to call or email the state government if you can't locate the resource. The cost of EMT courses in Indiana ranges from about $400-$600, and programs can last weeks or months depending upon how often classes meet.

IC EMS, the Indiana University Bloomington student-run EMS service, frequently offers first aid and CPR training and certification. For details, see their website or contact them.

IUB courses for EMT certification

Emergency Medical Technician Certification (EMT)	Cr
First Aid and Emergency Care (First Aid Certification): HPER-H 160 ^*	3
EMT Training: HPER-H401 and 404, taken together	4 total

* First aid certification earned through IC EMS, the Red Cross, hospitals, etc. does not exempt students from H160. First Responder certification may in rare cases allow exemption from H160. H160 is the official prerequisite or corequisite for H401 / 404 because it garners students a significant proportion of the training hours ultimately required for EMT certification.

Additional Admission Requirements

A word about the pre-PA timeline

Because of the nature of the admission requirements and the application process, pre-PA students usually find that the year before they apply, and the application period itself, are their busiest times. One of the keys to a successful, less stressful application process is planning ahead. Pay attention to the tips throughout this page related to timelines.

While many pre-PA students apply to programs during their junior summer / senior fall, it is also extremely common for people to wait an extra year or more to apply so they can finish prerequisites, garner more patient care experience, and so on. Feel free to discuss options, and your particular circumstances, with the HPPLC pre-PA advisor.

A word about the IU PA admission requirements

Important details and suggestions pertaining to each aspect of the admission process are explained below. To view the IU School of Health and Rehabilitation Science's own list of their PA admission requirements, see SHRS's What are the admission requirements? FAQ. But, again, it's very important that you utilize the information and resources on the HPPLC PA site as well.

Professional conduct during your research and application process

As you embark upon the process of researching and applying to programs, the Health Professions and Prelaw Center wants to remind you of how critically important it is that you conduct yourself in a professional manner as you prepare for admission to professional school. Please thoroughly read and act upon the following:

It is crucial that you are polite and professional in every single contact you have with every professional school, whether by phone, in person, or via email, and regardless of whether the person with whom you are communicating is a receptionist or the Dean of Admissions at the school. Never be anything less than completely professional when contacting a program to inquire about whether they have received recommendation letters, about the status of your application, and so on.

No matter how strong your credentials may be, less-than-professional behavior will be noted, and will likely result in your rejection by the program. Professional programs understandably bristle at unprofessional behavior, nor do they look favorably upon applicants who possess a sense of entitlement.

By the same token, if you maintain your composure in conducting business with programs, even when you are under pressure, it will reflect well on your professionalism, and can enhance your success during the admission process. (It is also, of course, important that you conduct yourself in a professional manner with your professors, some of whom may be writing a recommendation letter for you.)

Combine confidence with humility at all times, whether it is during informal contact, or during more formal interactions like admission interviews.

In addition, the Health Professions and Prelaw Center itself expects that all students will conduct themselves in an honest, polite, and professional manner while conducting business with our office staff, and that all students using the HPPLC Recommendation Service will abide by its established policies.

Finally, for further advice on professional etiquette and conduct, please consult the HPPLC website's section on on professionalism.

Job shadowing (clinical observation)

Job shadowing (sometimes called "clinical observation") is the best way for you to determine whether a PA career is something you wish to pursue. In addition, most health professions programs require some job shadowing, and these experiences can help build your credibility with program admission committees by showing them that you have thoroughly researched the profession. Along those lines, extensive shadowing can greatly strengthen personal statements, letters of recommendation, and admission interviews.

IMPORTANT: Shadowing opportunities and suggestions

Be sure to read our Clinical Observation page for important details about how to arrange clinical observation, how to log your hours, and how to document your experiences for the benefit of your personal statement and possible admission interviews.

You might also look over Butler University's list of shadowing opportunities, which includes a number of options in central Indiana, including the Bloomington / Indianapolis / Columbus area.

Indiana University Physician Assistant Program and shadowing

The IU PA program requires that applicants garner 500 hours of direct patient contact, which can be any combination of hours from clinical observation and / or patient care experience. The hours must include experience from at least two different health care settings, within the 5 years prior to applying. The IU PA program has no preference of paid or voluntary, and it does not matter what proportion of the experience is from clinical observation or patient care, though, as indicated below, many programs require or prefer direct patient care, and many have separate clinical observation requirements.

The IU program strongly encourages applicants to gain experience working with underserved and/or rural populations. The latter preference reflects the program's philosophical and practical emphasis, and clinical observation and / or patient care in such settings is preferred.

Though the IU PA program does not have a formal shadowing requirement, per se, though many programs do. IU PA will nonetheless expect that applicants have undertaken clinical observation of PAs. Shadowing physicians is also recommended.

You will find a link to the IU MPAS form for recording clinical observation and / or patient care experience on the SHRS PA page.

Patient care experience

Indiana University Physician Assistant Program patient care requirement

You will find a link to the IU MPAS form for recording clinical observation and / or patient care experience on the SHRS PA page.

General patient care information

Many physician assistant programs require that applicants garner patient care experience, or at least prefer applicants who have such experience. Patient care experiences can also help you determine whether a career in healthcare and PA is something you wish to pursue. In addition, these experiences can help build your credibility with program admission committees by showing them that you are devoted to healthcare and are comfortable in healthcare settings. Along those lines, extensive patient care experience can strengthen personal statements, letters of recommendation, and admission interviews.

We suggest you begin garnering patient care experience pretty early on. Allow yourself some time during freshman year to acclimate yourself to college, but at least begin researching options and arranging patient care experiences by springtime. More information below.

Etiquette (IMPORTANT)

Remember: it is critically important that you conduct yourself in a thoroughly professional manner during all such interactions. Review the HPPLC page on professional etiquette, and the section above on professional conduct. Adopt any of the suggestions you have not already incorporated into your own conduct.

Tips and FAQs to bear in mind as you set about garnering patient care experience

It is extremely important that you document your patient care experiences by keeping an informal journal of your observations, according to the same suggestions as noted in the shadowing section, above.
"Patient care" is not the same thing as shadowing or clinical observation. Patient care is exactly what it sounds like: you are engaged in some capacity which involves offering some form of care to patients or clients in some kind of healthcare setting.
Different PA programs define "patient care" differently, and count "patient care hours" differently:
- For instance, some programs which require or recommend patient care experience prefer paid experience. Others have no preference as to whether the work is paid or voluntary. Still others may express a preference for paid work, but might nonetheless look favorably upon extensive volunteer patient care experience. (Programs that prefer paid over voluntary are probably less common than programs which have no strong preference.)
- With regard to patient care hours, some programs require or prefer "300 hours," while others might state "3000 hours" as the required amount. However, what these numbers actually mean in practice can vary, so unless the program's website makes it very clear how you should count patient care hours, and what kind of experiences will fulfill the hours, we suggest you contact them to find out. In the latter example, you could ask the program if the average successful applicant does indeed accumulate literally "3000 hours" of carefully documented patient care; or whether, for instance, simply working consistently for a full calendar year would be looked upon as something equivalent; or whether some kind of certification (e.g., EMT or CNA) in and of itself counts toward the patient care requirement, or would be looked upon favorably.
- Bottom line: check the websites of the programs you have in mind and see if they state clear preferences. If not, you might contact them and politely ask for clarification.

Examples of patient care opportunities

Below you will find examples of some types of patient care that pre-PA students commonly pursue. Remember that some PA programs might prefer paid over voluntary work, though these are probably less common than programs which have no strong preference.

These are only examples, and you are not obligated to pursue any of them. You may in fact find other opportunities which better suit your needs and interests.

Hospice (voluntary - training and certification required, and is usually free). A simple web search (e.g., bloomington indiana hospice) identifies several possibilities. Note that hospice work involves a bit more of a long term, consistent commitment than some other opportunities (oftentimes one year, a couple of hours each week, though this is often negotiable).
Volunteering at local health or rehabilitation clinics, such as Volunteers in Medicine (VIM). (If you pursue VIM, you must fill out the application as early as possible, and make sure they know you are seeking patient care experience. If you have any certifications, such as first aid, BLS, CNA, or EMT, be sure to include it on the application.)
Volunteering as a "sidewalker" with People & Animal Learning Services, Inc., or the Horseshoes of Hope Equine Academy (HHEA). (Note that sidewalking is about the only role with these organizations that most PA programs would consider "patient care.")
Volunteering for summer therapeutic recreation camps at Bradford Woods. In this setting you would be working as something resembling a therapeutic recreation assistant, helping campers with their personal care needs: toileting, bathing, and during meal times; and helping campers keep on task during activities. (If interested, contact them for information about the summer camp schedule, mandatory background check and reference forms, and volunteer application.)
Working with developmentally disabled clients through AccessAbilities, Inc. (opportunities working with physically disabled people will likely be added in the future). Each client's needs are unique, but AccessAbilities fully trains its staff. In general, the job involves spending time with disabled people in their home environment, interacting with them and helping them as needed. AccessAbilities fills paid positions as needed. Part time and weekend hours are available, as well as overnight shifts, and students are often hired. You must have your own transportation, as the job involves driving from client to client within the given area (currently, there are branches in Bloomington, Indianapolis, and Merrillville).
Earning your Certified Nursing Assistant or Emergency Medical Technician certification (CNA or EMT) and pursuing related work (paid and / or voluntary). Sometimes a CNA can more easily garner patient care hours on a paid or voluntary basis; however, personal preference is also important, in terms of choosing what sort of experience you would prefer.
Working with patients in nursing homes (paid and / or voluntary). Many PA programs will accept helping patients in the activity room or dining room as patient care. It may be difficult to find more medically-oriented patient care opportunities in nursing homes unless you have your CNA. If you do not have your CNA, try contacting nursing homes and specifying that you would like to help patients eat and keep them company in the dining area, or interact with them in the recreation or activity room. (To locate local nursing homes, try a web search for "nursing homes bloomington indiana" or "long term care facilities bloomington indiana".)
IC EMS (Indiana Collegiate Emergency Medical Service) - Indiana University Bloomington's student-run emergency medical service (voluntary; IC EMS offers CPR and first aid training, or you can garner first aid certification by taking HPER-H 160 First Aid and Emergency Care, or through the American Red Cross or another provider).
Patient tech; post- or pre-op tech; out-patient tech (usually voluntary, sometimes paid, usually on-sight training at the hospital offering the opportunity, usually no certification is required).
Phlebotomy (usually paid, training required).
(Note that many programs, including the IU PA program, will not count lifeguarding as patient care experience - check with your programs to confirm. Depending on your specific experiences while lifeguarding, you could possibly make use of it in your personal essay, especially if you participated in any saves, back-boardings, or resuscitations. And certainly you would want to list any and all related certifications on your CASPA application, and on non-CASPA applications.)

Volunteering and other professional development

How much and what kind of other professional development activities you should undertake in addition to shadowing and patient care, depends on your circumstances, and on whether any of your prospective PA programs express preferences. Academics - developing excellent time management, reading comprehension, and writing skills; mastering course material and earning excellent grades; and so on - must be your top priority. At the same time, it is also true that effective time management can make room for a variety of activities during your undergraduate years which can help you become a more experienced, professionalized applicant. If you wish to explore options, visit the HPPLC Professional Development page, and perhaps pay particular attention to the Events, Clubs, and Organizations section, and the Volunteer Opportunities section.

Personal statement / essay

Indiana University Physician Assistant Program essay requirement

The IU MPAS program requires that applicants submit a 500 word personal statement, which should, among other things, demonstrate a desire to work with underserved populations. The latter reflects the program's philosophical and practical "commitment to provide health care in underserved and rural communities." This does not, however, mean your entire essay should focus on this one aspect of healthcare. You can include some related content while still fashioning an essay that is relevant to all PA programs, and which can be submitted through CASPA - the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants.

General personal statement information

Note: Some programs may also require you to submit written responses to additional questions during a secondary application process once you have submitted the primary application (whether through CASPA or directly to the PA program itself). Applicants can often pull paragraphs or sections from their primary essay and revise them according to secondary application questions.

Essay timeline: Sometimes applicants begin generating ideas for their personal essay early on, but they usually wait until the year prior to applying before they begin in earnest to spend time writing the essay itself. Draft your essay over time; do not rush the process! The essay can carry great weight with some programs, so rushing it could undermine an otherwise strong application. We recommend that you complete your final draft close to the opening of your earliest rolling admissions cycle.

Tips for drafting your personal statement

The profession is called physician assistant (or, with a few programs, physician associate) - NOT "physicians assistant" or "physician's assistant".
Some programs have specific essay requirements or particular questions they want you to address, so check the web sites of individual programs to which you plan to apply. Check the same with regard to possible secondary applications.
Personal statements can take many different forms, both stylistically and content-wise. One central purpose they should all share is building the applicant's credibility: it is important that you demonstrate to admission committees that you are 100% devoted to pursuing PA; that you have worked hard to develop the academic and personal skills, and gained the experience necessary, for success in graduate school; and that you are equally devoted to excelling within the profession itself.
Most applicants find that the question, "Why do I want to be a PA?" becomes an integral part of their personal statement.
Following from the above points, remember that within the health professions the focus is always on service to patients; on the caregiver-patient relationship; on effective rapport-building and communication within that relationship; on working effectively with other healthcare professionals on behalf of your patient; and on patient advocacy. Some aspect of this patient-centric approach should play a role in your personal essay. In other words, not to put too fine a point on it, but it's not all about what the profession can do for you (though certainly you want to find your career personally fulfilling), it's about the patient.
Use your shadowing journal as a launch pad or brainstorming tool for your personal statement.
- Looking back over your journal (or thinking back to your shadowing and patient care experiences, if you did not keep a journal), reflect on the variety of skills and attributes exhibited by the PAs you shadowed, as well as the skills and attributes you developed or strengthened during your own patient care experiences - especially ones you believe are important to successful practice as a physician assistant. Think about what you learned about yourself and the profession which you did not know previous to these experiences. How did your experiences refine your impressions of the profession? How did your experiences help confirm that you wish to enter a service profession - more specifically, a career in healthcare, and PA in particular?
Recall in detail some specific patient care experiences you have had, and some interactions you had with a given PA while shadowing, which impacted your decision to pursue the profession, or which taught you something you did not previously know about yourself in relation to PA. It is not mandatory that you include detailed accounts of shadowing or patient care experiences in your essay, but many applicants find that doing so helps them demonstrate their interest in the profession, and their preparedness for embarking upon the intensive formal training process. Vagueness and over-generalization are the enemies of a strong personal essay. In fact, applicants will sometimes be as specific in their essay as, "...For instance, once, when shadowing a PA at such and such a place, I observed this and that, and here is specifically how that particular experience reinforced my understanding of the profession / my decision to be a PA / my own related skills and attributes, such as this particular skill and this specific attribute." This level of specificity can greatly enhance a personal statement. It can reduce the chances that admission committees will have to read between the lines and guess what you mean, or, worse, assume that you really have not thought much about your goals and your reasons for pursuing them.
Following from the above, since the average personal essay runs about 500 or 600 words (CASPA, for instance, limits the number of characters you can use), you will also need to be selective and very pointed with what you do choose to write about, and what you decide to describe in more detail.
The above points all reflect another core purpose of the personal essay, and one to which most admission committees pay close attention: your ability to self-assess - to reflect upon your own experiences and draw conclusions from them about your goals, skills, and attributes; your ability to learn from your experiences; perhaps your dedication to learning from your mistakes, or willingness to challenge your own preconceptions; your ability to effectively assess your goals and your reasons for pursing them; and, equally important, your ability to convey this information in a coherent, professional manner.
Stylistically, it is common practice to write the personal statement from the first person (I / me) perspective. This is your opportunity to tell admission committees the three or four most important things about yourself and your pre-PA experience prior to (hopefully) the interview. You could look upon the personal essay as the interview before the interview.
Avoid needless redundancy; avoid repeating the same thought, sentence, or phrase unless there is a valid stylistic or rhetorical reason for doing so.
Along the same lines, remember that vagueness and over-generalization are the enemies of a strong personal essay. Specificity is key.
Avoid clichés like, "I am very passionate..." Generalities and clichés can give the impression that you have not thought in detail about your reasons for pursuing the profession, and have not done a thorough assessment of the specific experiences and attributes that will enable you to be a successful graduate student, and an excellent practitioner in the profession. Generalities and cliche's tell admission committees nothing about you. You may indeed feel passionate about pursuing the profession (in fact, if you don't, you should be pursuing something else!), but you need to demonstrate how the passion developed, and how you have channeled that energy into your preparation. Do so by using specific language to describe how your shadowing, patient care experience, academics, and so on, clearly reflect your devotion to the profession.
Your essay should be perfectly free of typos and spelling / grammatical errors. Some admission committees stop reading after two or three such mistakes, and literally drop the offending essay onto the "No" pile. Professionalism is crucial. Just as college is a step up from high school, graduate school is a step (or two) up from your undergraduate degree.
Regarding the CASPA Narrative (Personal Statement): the CASPA application limits the number of characters (not words) you can input. See the CASPA personal statement FAQ for important instructions and recommendations.

Letters of recommendation; CASPA (Central Application Service for Physician Assistants)

Indiana University Physician Assistant Program recommendation requirement

The IU PA program requires that applicants submit three (3) letters of reference, one of which must come from a healthcare professional. HPPLC recommends that you submit at least one letter from a PA with whom you have spent considerable time doing clinical observation. The others could come from teaching faculty and/or additional healthcare professionals.

The IU PA program requires that applicants apply through CASPA (Central Application Service for Physician Assistants), and so you will also submit your letters through CASPA. Further CASPA information linked below.

How, from whom, and when to collect and submit letters of recommendation

Most PA programs require that you submit two or three letters of recommendation (often called "letters of reference" - it's the same thing). Read and utilize the Health Professions and Prelaw Center resource, Gathering and Submitting Letters of Recommendation (for pre-OT, PA, and PT students). It offers detailed information and suggestions about how, from whom, and when to collect and submit letters of recommendation, as well as information about central application services, like CASPA , through which many programs require you apply.

In addition, it is very important that in the year leading up to your application, you carefully read the HPPLC document, Application Information for Physician Assistant Programs, which has additional information about submitting letters of recommendation through CASPA, and additional tips related to the CASPA application itself (including the most common mistakes to avoid on the application).

Graduate Record Exam (GRE - revised General Test)

As part of the application process, most physican assistant gradaute progarms require that you take the GRE revised General Test.

IMPORTANT: For detailed information and suggestions about when to take the GRE, preparing for and arranging to take the exam, how scores are reported, and how to decide whether or not to retake the exam, thoroughly read our page devoted to the Graduate Record Exam (GRE Revised General Test).

Some PA programs will accept MCAT scores in place of the GRE. See MCAT scores and PA programs, below, for further explanation.

For related application cycle information, refer to the above section on Letters of recommendation; CASPA (Central Application Service for Physician Assistants).

Indiana University Physician Assistant Program admission exam requirement

The IU PA program requires GRE or MCAT scores taken within the past 5 years. No minimum score has been set (obviously the higher your scores the better), nor is there a set value in terms of how significant a role the exam will play during the admission process. Scores will be considered as part of your total application portfolio.

MCAT scores and PA programs

Some PA programs will accept scores from the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) in place of GRE scores. (Program websites should indicate if this is the case.) The MCAT option sometimes arises when a premed student who has already taken the MCAT switches to pre-PA, or wants to apply to both medical school and PA programs. If you think you might be in this situation, consult with a HPPLC advisor to discuss pros, cons, and options. If you are not thinking of applying to medical school and have not yet taken the MCAT, then opt for the GRE instead (assuming you are applying to PA programs which require the GRE).

Admission interview

Indiana University Physician Assistant Program admission interview

The IU PA Program will conduct admission interviews with qualified applicants. HPPLC will post details here as they become available.

General interview information

Each year, hundreds or even thousands of people apply to any given physician assistant program. Therefore, most programs cannot interview every applicant.

After you have submitted your application, double-check with CASPA that your application is complete (for non-CASPA programs, check with the program itself).

We recommend that you then send a professionally written follow-up email to each program to which you are applying, in which you reiterate your interest in the program, thank them for considering your application, and express your hope that you will have the opportunity to discuss both their program and your interest in it in more detail.

Interviews are held in mid to late fall, and throughout spring. The timing varies by program.

Common interview formats

Each program will have its own way of deciding which applicants they will interview, as well as its own manner of conducting interviews. To learn these details, first read program websites, including FAQs. If the interview process is not described either on the web or in the letter inviting you for an interview, we suggest you call the program to learn more.

Some interview processes may last half a day, others an entire day. It is less common for interviews to be only an hour or two. (Interviewees are responsible for paying their travel expenses and getting themselves to the site on time.)
Some programs will have interviewees meet one-on-one with a panel, or with individual members of the interview committee (which is usually comprised of program faculty, community partners like PAs, and/or the chair or director of the program).
Interviews might also involve a combination of individual and group interviews.
Some programs assign a brief group project to assess, among other things, how effectively applicants work with others. For example, a school whose didactic style includes problem based learning might assign groups of interviewees such a problem, and then watch how each applicant conducts himself or herself interpersonally, and also to some extent how each applicant does in terms of their critical thinking and problem solving.
Some programs may have interviewees move through various interview stations. For example, one program we know of has interviewees interpret chest x-rays. The point is not for the applicant to demonstrate expertise - that sort of expertise will be taught in PA school - but, rather, for applicants to show some knowledge of physiology, and demonstrate the ability to think on their toes. At a different station during the same interview process, interviewees were taught how to tie a suture knot using surgical tools, and were then asked to teach what they had learned back to the interviewer. The point of this exercise is most probably to assess the interviewee's ability to learn, and their ability to clearly convey information accurately, and in a clear and articulate manner.
Whatever the interview format, expect to be asked questions that address core competencies such as communication skills, ethical and moral reasoning, professionalism, and knowledge of the profession. (Refer to the section, below.)

So: learn as much as you can about the interview ahead of time, and you will feel less stressed and more well-prepared going into it!

Examples of questions you might be asked during an admission interview

What does a physician assistant do?
What is the most important quality a PA should posses?
Why do you want to be a physician assistant?
Tell us about some of your clinical observation / shadowing experiences. What did you learn about the PA profession? How did these experiences inform your decision to pursue PA?
Have you researched and / or shadowed other professions? If so, how did these experiences inform your decision to pursue PA?
Why did you choose your particular undergraduate degree / major?
How is a PA different from and similar to a physician (whether an MD or a DO).
What do you think the career prospects are for the PA profession?
What about the healthcare industry is interesting to you?
Describe some of the current controversies surrounding healthcare reform. (Hint: become at least generally familiar with the Affordable Care Act, and the related controversies.)
Describe some of the challenges faced by the healthcare industry today.
Why did you apply to this particular PA program?
What will you do if you are not accepted into this program? (Hint: You should be applying to a good many PA programs.)
Are you a leader or a follower?
How do you handle stress?
What is your greatest strength / quality?
What is your greatest weakness? (And the sometimes unspoken question, How have you turned it into a strength, or learned from it?)
Describe a time when you had to make a choice that was not popular. What was the outcome / What did you learn?
Why will you be an effective PA?
What strengths and attributes would you bring to our PA program, and to the profession? How will your presence be a good addition to our PA program?
An interviewer might present you with a theoretical ethical dilemma, and ask you to explain how you would respond if you were to find yourself in that situation.
Do you have any questions for us? (It is not good to arrive with no questions! See pointers, below.)

Interview pointers

If you follow our advice and apply to multiple PA programs, the pointers below can be of some help as you prepare for interviews (which usually take place in late fall or early spring):

The profession is called physician assistant (or, with a few programs, physician associate) - NOT "physicians assistant" or "physician's assistant".
From the perspective of the interview committee, one central purpose of any admission interview is to determine whether you, the applicant, have done your research, and not only understand what the profession involves, but have also taken the time to become familiar with the given PA program.
The Interviewers will also be gauging your communication skills, and your level of professionalism.
Oftentimes, a certain question is posed not because there is a particular right or wrong answer, but in order for the interviewers to gauge how well you think on your feet, or to gain some insight into your thought processes, your personality, or how you might interact with peers, clients, and colleagues when the time comes.
As you consider your responses, remember that your top priorities as a practitioner in your field will be to do no harm to your patient, to act as an advocate on behalf of your patient, and to conduct yourself ethically and with professionalism with regard to both patients and colleagues.
There is always a way to respond to a question in a manner which is both honest and which illustrates your strengths (even the "What is your greatest weakness" question!).
Before the interview, re-read your personal statement.
Don't try to anticipate every question or memorize canned answers beforehand. Being well-prepared (by researching the profession, the schools, your reasons for choosing this career) will allow you to be spontaneous during the interview, which will in turn help you be more relaxed and natural.
Become at least somewhat familiar with the city / area in which the program is located. Oftentimes university websites post and / or link such information for prospective students. You can also roam around the city and state tourist bureau websites.
The interview is also your opportunity to ask questions about the program, and to gauge whether the program seems like a good fit for you. Research the program as part of your interview preparation, and come prepared with two or three questions you want to ask; for instance, about the program, the faculty, the clinicals. You can ask anything relevant, and to which there is no obvious answer to be found on the program's website, or for which you would like additional details not provided elsewhere. Going to the interview prepared in this way also shows that you are conscientious and inquisitive, two characteristics that are critical to success as both a PA student and a PA practitioner.
Check the web sites of individual programs and see if they provide more specific information about the manner in which they conduct interviews. It also okay to contact programs and ask if they can tell you a little bit about the interview process. Some programs have applicants meet one-on-one with two or three different program representatives (faculty, admission directors, etc.); others have interview committees; some hold individual interviews, some hold group interviews; and so on.

Conduct yourself professionally, and dress at least business casual. The IU Career Development Center has some useful suggestions related to manner of dress. (Focus on the section, "Suggestions for dressing business casual.")
Bring a note pad and pen / pencil to the interview. It's okay to jot down notes, or the gist of a question you are asked, so that you have something to refer back to as you respond.
You might bring copies of your résumé to offer during the interview. Even if they decline to take them, at least you've offered.
It's fine, and probably advisable, to bring a bottle of water to the interview, but set it aside and don't cling to it as a security blanket.
After the interview, send a brief, professorially written email thanking the admission committee for the interview, and for taking the time to answer your questions. Reiterate your interest in the program, and tell them that you look forward to hearing back from them.

Misdemeanors, felonies, and background checks

Many programs require applicants to submit at least a limited criminal history check either as part of the application process or once an applicant has been provisionally admitted. Background checks are also a part of the licensure process in most states. Click here for important information.

Researching Accredited Physician Assistant Programs

To begin with...

If you are currently an IUB student or a graduate of IUB, and have not yet met with the HPPLC pre-PA advisor, call 812.855.1873 to set up an initial appointment. It is never too early or too late to do so (but don't wait too long). Even if you have not decided for sure that you will pursue this profession, we strongly suggest that you meet with a HPPLC advisor to discuss your options. We can help you with your decision.

Applying to multiple PA programs

As a rule, most pre-PA students should make a point of researching and applying to multiple PA programs, including ones outside of Indiana or their home state. Most well-organized pre-physician assistant students apply to at least 6 or 8 programs, and some apply to as many as a dozen. If you are admitted to more than one program, great! Then you simply have more options. Perhaps one will offer more tuition incentives than another, or perhaps unforeseen circumstances will make you glad you have more than one choice when the time comes. The application process can be somewhat expensive; but, in the long run, if you do thorough program research, you can increase your admission opportunities, thus making the investment worth it.

Having clear, realistic projected GPA information is especially important for preprofessional students, who are usually pursuing admission to programs with moderately or highly competitive admissions. This is one of the reasons we recommend applying to multiple programs. For examples of some useful GPA calculators, click here.

It is also true that you need to make your decisions based upon your own circumstances. There is not a one-size-fits-all answer in terms of which or how many programs to apply to, so feel free to meet with a HPPLC advisor to discuss your particular situation.

How to decide where to apply

As with the number of programs to which you might apply, there is no one-size-fits-all with regard to which particular programs you might pursue. The resources and tips on this part of the PA site can help you decide which factors are most practical or important within your circumstances as you choose where to apply.

For instance, sometimes GPA or GRE scores can prevent someone from applying to certain programs that have more competitive admission. It could be that class size or the faculty to student ratio is especially important to you. Or sometimes a given program may require additional prerequisites, and you must decide whether you have the time, resources, and inclination to take them. Many pre-professional students consider the percentage of students who pass their licensure exams the first time to be a critical factor. The GPA example reflects a practical restriction, the class size and licensure examples reflect matters of preference, and the prerequisite example could be either a practical consideration or a matter of preference, depending on your situation.

Hint

If you feel like your GPA is borderline for competitiveness, you might consider applying to a number of new PA programs, including ones that have been granted provisional accreditation*. These programs are often less competitive than more established programs. For this particular kind of research, refer to the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) PA program listing, which indicates the date each was first accredited (so you can tell how new or established they are), as well as whether the program is provisionally accredited. The list is updated every March and September.

* All PA programs must attain "provisional accreditation" as part of the process of attaining "full accreditation." When a programs has been granted provisional accreditation, it means it has been approved by ARC-PA to admit its first class of PA students. By this point, the program has undergone rigorous scrutiny to assure that it has the capacity to train and graduate PAs. A program does not become fully accredited until it has graduated its first cohort of physician assistants. Again, this step is part of the accreditation process. Those who graduate from a provisionally accredited program, and pass their boards, become fully licensed PAs, whose credentials are indistinguishable from those who have graduated from more well-established programs. They have, in essence, graduated from an accredited PA program. Potential employers do not distinguish between those who graduated from provisionally accredited and more established programs.

Confirm your career decision; begin to look at programs

To begin researching the PA profession, we suggest that you arrange job shadowing (clinical observation) of PAs. Shadowing is the best way to research the profession.

One of the simplest ways to become familiar with PA education and career possibilities is to explore related web resources. Other people have already done much of your research for you, so take advantage of it. In this section of our site, and in subsequent sections, you will find links to PA professional organizations, career web sites, program listings, and many other resources.
With a word of caution, we can also refer you to some resources at the IU Wells Library Graduate School page.
- Here is the word of caution: While each of the resources listed on the Wells Library page can be useful in a general sense, please realize that even some of the most well-known resources are not as objective as they appear to be. For example, while the rankings in US News and World Report's "America's Best Graduate Schools" can be interesting and somewhat useful to look over, and are commonly cited, do not make the mistake of thinking it is the final word in whether a given school or program is "good," or would be a good fit for you. Such resources can serve a purpose in your research, but should in no way prompt you to ignore schools that are not in the lists of so-called "top" programs, nor focus too much attention on those which are.
Pre-PA students often ask if the specific PA program they attend will make a difference in their job prospects. As long as the PA degree is from an accredited program, and you make it clear in job interviews that you are devoted to the profession, as well as competent, prospective employers aren't going to be too concerned with where you earned your degree. (As we have indicated elsewhere, most pre-PA students choose masters degree programs over the other types.) Thus, do not become overly concerned with the "prestige" or "rankings" factors when deciding which programs to pursue (again noting what we said above with regard to the shortcomings of rankings lists). Choosing a given program based on the notion that graduating from that school will have any sort of predictable and significant impact on employment options is at best a risky, unreliable prospect.

Perform detailed program research; contact programs; organize your information

Remember that admission prerequisites, other requirements, and the level of competitiveness all vary considerably from one program to another. Check admission requirements periodically, and keep in touch with programs to garner the most current information. Review the section on important points to bear in mind as you plan your PA prerequisite courses.
The Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) maintains a simple list of accredited PA programs. You can use the list to locate program web sites, where you can look over prerequisites and get a sense of what additional courses you might need to take.
If you are seriously contemplating PA you might consider paying the fee for a one-year subscription to the full program database of information published online by PAEA - $35 as of 2010. Using the subscription database can save you time and labor throughout your research process.
- In the paid version, click the name of the PA program to view a summary of admission requirements and related information.
- Caution: In the paid version, the information about application cycles and deadlines is useful in only the most general sense. You must take it a step further and check whether your programs have "rolling admissions," i.e., whether they begin filling spaces as soon as the program's application cycle opens for the given year. For programs with rolling admissions, we recommend that you submit your completed application to the program at the start of the application cycle. Applying too late during rolling admissions can greatly decrease your chances of being admitted.
The HPPLC document, Questions To Ask PT OT PA Programs is a good place to begin your more detailed program research. If you wish, you can right click this link, select Save Target As..., and save a copy of the document to your computer or other device. You can then customize the list by adding, deleting, and rearranging questions to suit your needs.
Minimum admission requirements can be deceptive. For instance, just because a minimum CGPA of 3.00 is required to apply to a given program does not mean that a 3.00 is high enough to be competitive for admission. The same might hold true for minimum GRE scores (if required), patient care hours, and so on. Oftentimes applicants must exceed minimums to be competitive.
One concrete factor you might use as part of your decision-making is the rate at which graduates from a given program pass their licensure exam the first time they take it. It is fairly safe to conclude that the higher the pass rate, the better the program and/or the students it admits. 90% or above is generally considered pretty solid. At the same time, first time pass rates should not be the only factor you consider.
Once you have done preliminary research on the web, and have somewhat narrowed your list of possible programs, talk with an admissions representative from each of the programs you are considering. Feel free to ask for clarification about admission requirements or policies, program features, and the like.
Keep a log for each school you contact - keep the log in a hard file, a word processing document (for instance, the HPPLC Questions To Ask PT OT PA Programs doc), a spreadsheet - whatever works best for you. Record information for each program so you can do side-by-side comparisons. Also record both your questions and the answers you get from program representatives or other sources, as well as the name of the person with whom you had contact.
Be patient but politely persistent over the phone and through email, as program staffing is usually very limited. It can be very difficult for them to quickly field questions during busy times like the height of the application cycle, or near graduation. Phone calls may be most efficient. Record the names and extension numbers of the people you talk with, including reception staff. Ask if they can suggest the best times / days / methods of reaching the other people you wish to speak with.
When you gather information during a phone call, confirm the person's email address (and extension, if they will provide it). In certain instances, you might follow up with a polite, professionally written email to make sure you correctly understood what they told you. This way you won’t have to ask the same questions twice. Also, it's just a good idea to have at least an informal email confirmation with regard to prerequisites and other admission requirements and program preferences, and as related to AP credit, whether a given IU course will fulfill a given program's requirement, and so on.
If you have the opportunity to visit programs and meet faculty and admission representatives in person, then you may wish to do so once you have really narrowed your list of possible programs. Visiting programs can be expensive and time consuming, so do not feel obligated to do so. PA programs realize that the vast majority of applicants simply do not have the time or resources for visits.
It is critically important that you conduct yourself in a thoroughly professional manner during all interactions with program representatives, whether on the phone, via email, or in person. Review the HPPLC page on professional etiquette, and the PA section on professional conduct. Adopt any of the suggestions you have not already incorporated into your own conduct.

Finish gathering information; make final program decisions

In the final stage of your research, if you have not done so, double-check with each of your programs to make sure the IUB, and any other courses you have in mind, will indeed fulfill admission requirements for every program to which you think you might apply.
It is very important that you get a clear sense of when you must submit your application to each program. Confirm the application process and the application cycle for each of your programs: which ones have rolling admissions (i.e., programs which begin filling spots as soon as their application cycle opens)? Which ones require that you apply through CASPA (Central Application Service for Physician Assistants)? We suggest you treat the opening of your earliest rolling admission cycle as your own soft application deadline. It isn't absolutely critical that you have your application in by the first day the rolling admission cycle opens, but, generally speaking, it's good to have your application complete within a couple of weeks of that, if possible.
Following from the above point, thoroughly read the HPPLC document, Application Information for Physician Assistant Programs, which explains important details and points out common mistakes to avoid as you get ready to apply. In addition, carefully read through the other admission information on the HPPLC PA page as you plan your application. (For instance, the timing of when you take the GRE must take into account application cycles.)
Review all of your research, and the criteria you have established by which to vet programs, and make your final decisions about where you will apply.

Throughout your research process, continue with shadowing and garnering patient care experience, according to your particular circumstances.

For suggestions and resources related to researching scholarships and grants, consult the Health Professions and Prelaw Center page, Researching Scholarships and Educational Grants.

Have a Plan B back-up plan

It is not uncommon for people to change their goals and ambitions, or for circumstances to arise which impede plans or necessitate their deferral. Consider developing a Plan B, just in case. At the very least, we urge you to use available resources (e.g., our Other Health Professions page; the Career Development Center) to explore a number of career options. You might discover something you had never considered before, or, at the very least, you might confirm that the path you are on is indeed the one which best suits you.

Click the center of the video box below to play a lighthearted but informative short cartoon about the importance of having a Plan B.

HPPLC tip video: Miri wishes she had developed a Plan B

Application information

Indiana University Physician Assistant Program application

The IU PA program requires that applicants apply through CASPA.
The application window will be sometime in the summer/fall, perhaps August through September. No firm dates have been set yet, but HPPLC will post additional information here as it becomes available.
The IU program does not have rolling admissions; meaning, they will wait until the application deadline before filling spots. Nonetheless, pay attention to the advice given on this page regarding the timing of your applications to your various programs; for instance, that you ought to submit all your application materials at least four weeks prior to when you want your application to be complete, thus leaving yourself leeway to resolve errors or oversights.

When to apply

Some pre-PA students choose to apply during the summer and fall after Junior year (or the year before they intend to begin a PA professional program). Others choose to (or find that they must) defer their application for a year or more while they garner more patient care experience, complete their program research, work in additional prerequisites, and so on.

IMPORTANT: At least a full year before you intend to apply, thoroughly read the HPPLC handout, Application Information for Physician Assistant Programs. Doing so will help your application process be more trouble-free.
More than 2/3 of all US PA programs require applicants to submit an application, letters of reference, and other materials through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). See details and deadlines at the CASPA home page. (Note that CASPA programs usually require that additional forms or a secondary application be submitted directly to the school itself.)
The CASPA application deadline falls in the first half of April, but many PA programs have much earlier deadlines. In addition, many programs have "rolling admissions," i.e., they begin filling spaces as soon as the program's application cycle opens for the given year. For programs with rolling admissions, we recommend that you submit your completed application to the program toward the start of the application cycle. Applying late during rolling admissions can greatly decrease your chances of being admitted to some programs.
For programs that do not have rolling admissions - i.e., ones that do not fill spaces until after the program's application deadline - you should still turn in all application materials several weeks before the deadline if at all possible, just in case there are mistakes, oversights, or other delays.
If you have specific questions about CASPA procedures, please contact CASPA directly.
Don't hesitate to contact PA programs directly to ask questions about their application process, or anything else pertaining to their program. They expect such contact.
Read and utilize the Health Professions and Prelaw Center resource, letter of reference information for pre-PA students

Additional PA Information and Resources

If you are not on the HPPLC PA email list, visit our homepage and join today. We send important announcements about visiting PA programs, PA group advising sessions, the GRE, and so on. The email list is also where you will learn details about the new Indiana University PA program as information becomes available.
Follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/@HPPLCPA)! Our PA Tweets will include not only the announcements we send through the regular HPPLC PA email list, but also pre-PA tips, resources, and factoids. Keep yourself in the loop: follow us on Twitter!
GPA calculators: Having clear, realistic projected GPA information is especially important for preprofessional students, who are usually pursuing admission to programs with moderately or highly competitive admissions. For examples of some useful GPA calculators, click here.
For suggestions and resources related to researching scholarships and grants, consult the Health Professions and Prelaw Center page, Researching Scholarships and Educational Grants.
Utilize the HPPLC ANAT-A 215 Human Anatomy Study Tips page. We strongly urge you to closely follow the advice outlined there, all of which comes from students who succeeded in this very challenging course.
We also encourage you to visit the IU Pre-Physician Assistant Club's Facebook and attend PA Club meetings. Watch the HPPLC PA email list for announcements.

IU Physician Assistant Program contact information

(Indianapolis campus)

Dawn Lipker
Student Enrollment Services Coordinator
IU School of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS)
Coleman Hall 120
1140 W. Michigan St.
Indianapolis, IN 46202-5119
Phone: 317.274.7238
email: dlipker@iupui.edu
Web: www.shrs.iupui.edu/; http://shrs.iupui.edu/health_sciences/degrees/physician_assistant.html

PA research resources

Visit the US Department of Labor / Bureau of Labor Statistics / Occupational Outlook Handbook PA entry for projected salary and other career information. Also, the Bureau of Labor Statistics home page and the Handbook's alphabetical listing of careers
American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA)
Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) home page
PAEA simple and more robust subscription listings of PA programs
Physician Assistant History Center (Duke University) Additional information, articles, and ephemera describing the history of the physician assistant profession.
American Academy of Surgical Physician Assistants (AASPA)
Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (JAAPA) Available for free online. We suggest you read around in the journal each month to help you become familiar with the kinds of issues and topics that are of concern to PAs.
Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA)
CASPA instructions and FAQs
National Commission of Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA)
Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA)
Butler University PA home page
Indiana State University PA home page
Indiana University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS)
Saint Frances University PA home page, and admission criteria / facts page

Professional Development is a critical part of any undergraduate degree. Carefully consider the suggestions on the HPPLC Professional Development page.

If you are interested in other health professions that are advised through HPPLC, we encourage you to sign up for the HPPLC email list associated with your program(s) of interest. Feel free to sign up for more than one list. Also refer to the HPPLC handout, Health Professions Descriptions.

Important

This information was prepared for Indiana University Bloomington students by the Health Professions and Prelaw Center. Please note that specific requirements and policies can change at any time without notice. Students are responsible for obtaining the most current information directly from application and testing services, and the schools and programs in which they have an interest. Refer to each program's web pages, bulletins, and other publications for the most current information. Students are responsible for understanding degree course requirements, as well as other requirements, policies, and procedures related to the degree(s) they are pursuing; for enrolling in appropriate courses; for understanding IU policies/procedures; and for following through properly with regard to all of the preceding.

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Physician Assistant

Follow HPPLC Pre-PA on Twitter

Watch our fun, informative videos

How to Use this Webpage

Description of the Profession

Skills and characteristics important to the PA profession

Physician supervision of the physician assistant

"PA school versus medical school"

Physician Assistant compared to Nurse Practitioner

Description of Physician Assistant Programs

Types of PA programs

Choosing a degree and major

PA training: the classroom experience, clinicals

Overview of PA Admissions

Competitive admission

Other admission factors

Misdemeanors, felonies, and background checks

Additional admission information

Physician Assistant Studies at Indiana University (proposed)

The proposed IU PA Program - general information

Description of the IU Physician Assistant Program

IU PA admission overview

Prerequisite Courses Required for IU PA Admission

Some important points to bear in mind as you plan your PA prerequisite courses

Indiana University Physician Assistant Program prerequisite courses

(Updated March 2011. The IU PA prerequisites below should still be considered subject to change, though we do not expect major revisions for the 2011 application cycle. Any changes will be immediately posted to the grid below.)

Possible Prerequisites for other PA program (varies by program)

Optional EMT or CNA certification

Additional Admission Requirements

A word about the pre-PA timeline

A word about the IU PA admission requirements

Professional conduct during your research and application process

Job shadowing (clinical observation)

Patient care experience

Volunteering and other professional development

Personal statement / essay

Letters of recommendation; CASPA (Central Application Service for Physician Assistants)

Graduate Record Exam (GRE - revised General Test)

Admission interview

Misdemeanors, felonies, and background checks

Researching Accredited Physician Assistant Programs

To begin with...

Applying to multiple PA programs

How to decide where to apply

Have a Plan B back-up plan

Application information

Additional PA Information and Resources

IU Physician Assistant Program contact information

PA research resources

Important

Physician Assistant ›