Pre-Physician’s Assistant

General Information:

David Zimmerman, advisor

Students interested in Physician’s Assistant (PA) training must first complete a Bachelor of Science degree. PA Master’s Degree programs do not require a particular major. Every PA program has slightly different prerequisites which can be found by going to the Web site of that school. The student is encouraged to investigate the requirements of the PA schools he or she may wish to attend during the beginning of undergraduate studies. The following is a list of College of the Ozarks courses that are required by the majority of PA programs.

Recommended:

Biology:

• BIO 375 - Human Anatomy
• BIO 434 - Human Physiology
• BIO 304 - Microbiology
• BIO 444 - Genetics and Genomics
• Upper division Biology courses have prerequisites that require additional hours in biology and chemistry. See College catalog for course listings.

Chemistry:

• CHE 114 - General Chemistry I
• CHE 124 - General Chemistry II
• CHE 215 - Organic Chemistry I
• CHE 225 - Organic Chemistry II (check PA school program requirements)
• CHE 444 - Biochemistry I (check PA school for program requirements)

Mathematics:

• MAT 143 - Statistics

Medical Terminology:

• FCN 311 - Medical Terminology

Psychology:

• PSY 103 - Introduction to Psychology

Shadowing and Healthcare experience:

Most PA programs require a large number of hours of healthcare experience prior to application. This experience is very important to admission into PA programs. Investigate the specific requirements of individual PA programs for details.