Physician Associate/Assistant School Requirements
A Guide to Course Requirements for the Physician Assistant Track
Hunter College does not offer a Physician Assistant Program.
This is an overview and should not substitute for personally reviewing the requirements of each school. Please visit the respective school's website, as these requirements are subject to change. Each school has additional requirements regarding social sciences, humanities, and writing. This is only an overview of the science pre-requisites. For all non-science course requirements, please visit each PA School's website.
General Information
Per the American Academy of Physician Assistants, PAs are medical professionals who diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and often serve as a patient's principal healthcare provider. With thousands of hours of medical training, PAs are versatile and collaborative and practice in every state and in every medical setting and specialty, improving healthcare access and quality.
The PA profession is a social innovation that evolved to help fill health care gaps, first in primary care and today, in all medical and surgical specialties and subspecialties. The PA profession is continuing to have a positive impact on healthcare, growing from 103 PAs for every 1,000 physicians in the U.S. in 2015 to 156 in 2019. PAs work in over 69 different medical and surgical specialties and subspecialties.
Major Recommendations
Physician Assistant programs prefer that students complete courses at 4-year institutions with rigorous science programs. Students who are biology majors or who have taken more upper level science courses are generally better applicants.
The Graduate Admissions Process
Most Physician Assistant programs accept between 30-50 students a year making admissions very competitive. Many Physician Assistant programs require that applicants take the GRE (Graduate Record Examinations). Remember, the information above only applies to Physician Assistant programs in New York State but there are many other programs throughout the country.
There are 29 Accreditation Review Commission Physician Assistant programs in New York State. For specific information regarding a physician assistant graduate program, check the Physician Assistant Education Association website's Graduate Programs page.
Academics:
Applicants are expected to complete an undergraduate degree, as well as an accredited graduate program. Please check each institution for their prerequisites for admission. In general, a minimum 3.34 science GPA and a 3.6 overall GPA is considered competitive. Please check website admissions for each school for more specific information.
Admissions Exams:
- GRE: Currently, 18 of 29 New York State schools do not require the GRE. Please refer to the individual school to check on their policy as they change from cycle to cycle. A competitive GRE score is above the 50th percentile with a score between 300 and 310 or above and a 3.5 score on the writing section.
- PA-CAT: Not required by any institution.
Applying:
The Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) opens on the last Thursday of April and closes April 1 of the following year. Be sure to get in your transcripts and application early!
CASPA Costs: FEE waivers are available. Please apply and apply early.
Although a Hunter College Committee Letter is not required to apply to graduate PA programs, it makes sense to register as a Pre-Health student to take advantage of advising services and letters of recommendation storage and upload to CASPA.
Recommended Activities & Student Statistics
Physician Assistant programs require extensive health care experience. While every school has its own minimum requirement, most schools require between 500-1000 documented hours of health care experience—particularly direct patient care.
Each school also feels differently about volunteering versus getting paid. Some would even like applicants to have non-health care related community service hours in addition to their health care experience.
Other schools would like students to have experience in more than one health care setting.
Check with each school for its preferences. Generally, the more hours of experience you earn the better candidate you become.
Below is a partial list of recognized experiences:
- Emergency Medical Technician
- Paramedic
- Medical Assistant
- Surgical Technologist
- Licensed Practical or Registered Nurse
- Dental Assistant
- Dental Hygienist
- Patient Interactive Scribe
- Certified Nursing Assistant
- Home Health Aide
- Residential Aide
- Physical Therapy Assistant
- Physical Therapy Aide
- Occupational Therapy Assistant
- Occupational Therapy Aide
- Respiratory Therapist
- Perfusionist
- Electrocardiographic (EKG) Technician
- Opthalmalogic Technician
- Volunteer Work involving Direct Patient Care
Working with the Pre-Health Office & Opening Your Pre-Health File
If you plan to apply to Physician Assistant programs, you may choose to open a Pre-Health File with the Pre-Health Professions Advising Office so that you can have access to advising, resources, and opportunities. Our office can also assist you in application planning, personal statement review, and uploading your letters of recommendation to CASPA.
Moreover, if you are unsure whether you want to pursue medical school or physician assistant studies, then you should open a file with our office and begin collecting the appropriate evaluations and letters of recommendation. By doing so, you preserve your options and your ability to apply for a Committee Letter if you choose to apply to medical schools. You can do this by visiting our Links & Resources page.
Students applying to Physician Assistant programs are not required by any graduate school to receive Committee Letters. Therefore, the Pre-Health office does not offer a Committee Letter to Pre-PA applicants.
Helpful Websites
Stony Brook Physician Assistant Program
Minimum GPA: 3.00
Prerequisite Coursework:
- 1 year of Biology with Lab (BIOL 100 + BIOL 102)
- 1 year of General Chemistry (CHEM 102 + CHEM 104)
- General Chemistry Lab (CHEM 106 includes 102 + 104)
- 1 semester of Organic Chemistry and lab (CHEM 222 + CHEM 223)
- 1 year of Physics with Lab (PHYS 110 + 120)
- Microbiology (BIOL 230)
- Genetics (BIOL 203)
- 1 semester of Biochemistry (BIOL 301)
- 1 year of Anatomy & Physiology (BIOL 120 + BIOL 122)
- 1 semester of English/Writing-Intensive
- 9 credit hours of Social/Behavioral Sciences
- 6 credit hours of Arts/Humanities
- Statistics (STAT 213)
Website: https://healthtechnology.stonybrookmedicine.edu/programs/pa/elpa/admissions/requirements
Weill Cornell Physician Assistant Program
Minimum GPA: 3.00
Prerequisite Coursework:
- 2 courses of Biology with Lab (BIOL 100 + BIOL 102)
- 2 courses of General Chemistry (CHEM 102 + CHEM 104)
- 1 course of Microbiology (lab component strongly recommended)
- 1 course of Biochemistry (lap component strongly recommended) (BIOL 301)
- Anatomy and Physiology (BIOL 230)
- 1 course of English Composition
Website: https://gradschool.weill.cornell.edu/programs/health-sciences-physician-assistants
Long Island University Physician Assistant Program
Minimum GPA: 3.00
Prerequisite Coursework:
- 1 year of Biology with Lab (BIOL 100 + BIOL 102)
- 1 year of General Chemistry (CHEM 102 + CHEM 104)
- General Chemistry Lab (CHEM 106 includes 102 + 104)
- 1 year of Anatomy & Physiology (BIOL 120 + BIOL 122)
- Microbiology (BIOL 230)
- Statistics (STAT 213)
New York Institute of Technology Physician Assistant Studies
Minimum GPA: 3.00
Prerequisite Coursework:
- 1 year of Biology with Lab (BIOL 100 + BIOL 102)
- 1 year of Anatomy & Physiology (BIOL 120 + BIOL 122)
- 1 year of General Chemistry (CHEM 102 + CHEM 104)
- General Chemistry Lab (CHEM 106 includes 102 + 104)
- 1 semester of Organic Chemistry (CHEM 222 + CHEM 223)
- 1 semester of Biochemistry (BIOL 300)
- Microbiology (BIOL 230)
- 1 semester of Psychology (PSYCH 100)
- 2 semesters of college math; one of these courses must be Statistics (STAT 213)
Website: https://www.nyit.edu/health_professions/physician_assistant_studies_admissions
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Physican Assistant Program
Minimum GPA: 3.00
Prerequisite Coursework:
- 1 year of Biology with Lab (BIOL 100 + BIOL 102)
- 1 year of Anatomy & Physiology (BIOL 120 + BIOL 122)
- 1 year of General Chemistry Lab (CHEM 102 + CHEM 104)
- General Chemistry Lab (CHEM 106 includes 102 + 104)
- Microbiology (BIOL 230)
- Mathematics (not remedial math nor statistics)
- 1 semester of General Psychology (PSYCH 100)
- 1 semester of Abnormal Psychology (PSYCH 223) or Life Span Psychology 1
- Humanities or Social Science courses 2
- One upper division science course 3
- 6 credits of English
1 More than one course may be required to fulfill the Life Span Psychology pre-requisite requirement. Course must cover from birth to aging.
2 Preferably writing intensive courses. Applicants may be required to submit a course description.
3 Upper division science courses are generally physical/life science courses numbered 300 level or higher. They require prerequisite course work or are designated as such by the institution. They are generally completed at 4-year colleges/universities (at the junior or senior year level). Applicants will need to consult with the Registrar's Office at their home school to be sure the course is at an upper division level. Upper division science courses completed at community colleges will be accepted. However, applicants may be required to submit proof of the upper-division status of the course.
SUNY Upstate Physician Assistant Program
Minimum GPA: 3.00
Prerequisite Coursework:
- 2 courses of Biology with Lab (BIOL 100 + BIOL 102)
- 2 courses of General Chemistry (CHEM 102 + CHEM 104)
- 1 course of Microbiology with Lab
- 1 course of Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry with Lab
- Two courses of Anatomy and/or Physiology with Lab
- Genetics
- 1 course of English Composition
- English Elective
- Statistics
- Medical Terminology (0-3 credits)
- Behavioral or Social Science (2 courses from the list are required)
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Cultural Studies
- History
- Anthropology
- Political Science
- Economics
- Government
Website: https://www.upstate.edu/chp/programs/pa/pre_reqs.php
CUNY York College Physician Assistant Program
Minimum GPA: 3.00
Prerequisite Coursework:
- 1 year of Biology with Lab (BIOL 100 + BIOL 102)
- 1 year of Anatomy & Physiology (BIOL 120 + BIOL 122)
- 1 year of General Chemistry Lab (CHEM 102 + CHEM 104)
- General Chemistry Lab (CHEM 106 includes 102 + 104)
- 1 semester of Biochemistry (BIOL 300)
- Microbiology (BIOL 230)
- Statistics (STAT 213)
- 1 year of Behavioral Sciences
- Must include 1 semester of Psychology (PSYCH 100)
- Other course could be psychology, sociology, or anthropology
Recommended Coursework:
- Organic Chemistry
Website: https://www.york.cuny.edu/health-professions/physician-assistant
Pace University Physician Assistant Program
Minimum GPA: 3.00
Prerequisite Coursework:
- 1 year of Biology with Lab (BIOL 100 + BIOL 102)
- 1 year of General Chemistry (CHEM 102 + CHEM 104)
- General Chemistry Lab (CHEM 106 includes 102 + 104)
- 1 semester of Biochemistry (BIOL 300)
- Microbiology (BIOL 230)
- Statisitics (STAT 213)
- 1 year of Behavioral Sciences (CHEM 222) + Organic Chemistry I Lab (CHEM 224) OR Biochemistry + Lab (BIOL 300)
- Organic Chemistry II Lab (CHEM 225)
- 1 year of Anatomy & Physiology (BIOL 120 + 122)
- Mathematics 1
1 Pre-Calculus or Statistics
Website: https://www.pace.edu/college-health-professions/academic-prerequisites
St. John's University MS in Physician Assistant
Prerequisite Coursework:
- 1 year of Biology with Lab (BIOL 100 + BIOL 102)
- 1 year of General Chemistry (CHEM 102 + CHEM 104)
- General Chemistry Lab (CHEM 106 includes 102 + 104)
- 1 year of Organic Chemistry with Lab (CHEM 222, CHEM 223 + CHEM 224, CHEM 225) OR 1 semester of Organic Chemistry with lab AND one semester of Biochemistry (BIOL 300)
- 1 year of Anatomy & Physiology (BIOL 120 + 122)
- Microbiology (BIOL 230)
- 6 credits of Behavioral Sciences
- Calculus (MATH 150) or higher level math
Website: https://www.stjohns.edu/academics/programs/physician-assistant-master-science
CUNY CCNY MS in Physician Assistant
Minimum GPA: 3.00
Prerequisite Coursework:
- 1 year of Biology with Lab (BIOL 100 + BIOL 102)
- 1 year of General Chemistry with Lab
- 3 credits in Microbiology with Lab
- 3 credits in Statistics
- Two of the following courses :
- Cell & Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Anatomy & Physiology I & II with Lab
- Mammalian Physiology
- Biochemistry
Website: https://medicine.cuny.edu/physician-assistant-program/
Corresponding Courses at Hunter College
- BIOL 100 General Biology I (with Lab) — spring and summer
- BIOL 102 General Biology II (with Lab) — fall
- BIOL 120 Anatomy and Physiology I — fall
- BIOL 122 Anatomy and Physiology II (with lab) — spring
- BIOL 203 Genetics — spring
- BIOL 230 Microbiology — spring
- BIOL 270 Intro to Neuroscience — fall
- BIOL 300 orCHEM 376 Biochemistry
- CHEM 102 General Chemistry I Lecture
- CHEM 104 General Chemistry II Lecture
- CHEM 106 General Chemistry Lab I and II
- CHEM 222 Organic Chemistry I Lecture
- CHEM 223 Organic Chemistry I Lab
- CHEM 224 Organic Chemistry II Lecture
- CHEM 225 Organic Chemistry II Lab
- PHYS 110 General Physics I (with Lab)
- PHYS 120 General Physics II (with Lab)
- MATH 150 Calculus I
- MATH 155 Calculus II
- STAT 213 Statistics
- ENGL 120 Expository Writing
- ENGL 220 Introduction to Writing about Literature (or any writing-intensive course)
- Medical Terminology—no corresponding course at Hunter. You must ePermit the course.
- ECO 100 Introduction to Economics
- SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
- PSYCH 100 Introduction to Psychology (or introduction to any of the behavioral sciences)
- PSYCH 150 Developmental: The Development of the Life Span (or introduction to any of the behavioral sciences)
- Public Speaking—any course where you are required to give classroom presentations
PPAP 1000—Interviewing 101 for Pre-Health Students