Career Center
Prepare for
Prepare for
Physician Assistant School
Confirm your interest in PA, prepare academically and develop the necessary skills and experience:
ACADEMIC PREREQUSITES
COMPARE PRE-REQS OF CALIFORNIA PA SCHOOLS
Identify School Pre-Requisites and the UC San Diego classes you can take to meet them. The list provided by Health Beat is a general guideline for courses. Students are expected to check individual schools for their specific pre-requisites.
This is a general guideline. Please check individual schools for their specific prerequisites:
- One year of biology
- BILD 1, 2, 3, & any upper division Biology lab course (must be at least 4 quarter units)
- One year of general chemistry
- CHEM 6A, 6B, 6C, & lab 7L (lab)
- One year of organic chemistry (FAQ)
- CHEM 40A, 40B, & 43A (lab), or
- Student who are Chem/Biochem, or Engineering majors will use: CHEM 41A, 41B, 41C, & 43A (lab),
- One biochemistry course
- One of the following: BIBC 100, BIBC 102, CHEM 114A, or CHEM 114B
- One year of anatomy and physiology
- Anatomy + lab (BILD X13 at UC San Diego Extended Studies, or community college)
- Human Physiology (BIPN 26, BIPN 100, or BIPN 102) & BIPN 105 (lab)
- Microbiology
- BIMM 120 & BIMM 121 (lab)
- Statistics
- MATH 11 Or PSYC 60
- Genetics
- BICD 100
RECOMMENDED COURSES
- General Psychology
- PSYC 1 Psychology, or
- An abnormal psychology course
- Nutrition
- BILD 22 Human Nutrition
- Medical Terminology
- FPM-40632 at UC San Diego Extended Studies, or
- Alternatively community college coursework
- Medical Spanish or Spanish
- LASP-40150 at UC San Diego Extended Studies, or
- Alternatively students take general education spanish courses.
- Advanced/Upper Division Biology Courses
- BICD 110 Cell Biology
- BIMM 100 Molecular Biology
4-Year Timeline Sample Plan (with 1 or 2 gap years)
Experience
- Steps to Become a PA
- Many PA schools want applicants with extensive direct patient care experience. Consider training to become an EMT/paramedic, medical assistant, nurse (RN, LVN or CNA), phlebotomist or other Allied Health.
- ALLIED HEALTH CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS
Student Organizations
PA-related student groups include the following:
The Pre-Physician Assistant Student Organization provides excellent opportunities to meet other pre-PA students, local PAs, and visiting PA programs.
Additional Preparation Information
Learn more about gaining experience - clinical, service, leadership, and research.