PRE-HEALTH STUDIES PA

PRE-PA ADVISING SHEET

This sheet is designed to give typical pre-Physician Assistant (pre-PA) student a general understanding of course work

requirements for applying to PA Programs. This document may not be equally suitable for all students and should be

used solely as an initial guide since specific pre-requisite course requirements vary between medical schools. This

variation can include how these schools view credit awarded for AP/IB credit and courses taken online, as well as the

types of courses and number of credit hours required in each subject. Therefore, students are responsible for checking

the specific admission prerequisites for each PA program to which they apply.

Typical PA School Requirements:

*General/Inorganic/Analytical Chemistry with Lab (CH 105 and CH 106)

*Organic Chemistry with Lab (CH 351 and CH352)

*Biology Related Courses (Listed below are the most commonly required courses for PA programs. A student must

complete five biology related courses for the Butler PA Program. It is encouraged to complete these courses.

• General Biology with lab

o Genetics (BI 210)

o Cellular & Molecular Biology (BI 220)

• Anatomy and Physiology with lab

o Human Anatomy & Physiology I (BSHS 334) and Human Anatomy & Physiology II (BSHS 335) or

o Human Anatomy & Physiology (BI 257) and Principles of Physiology (BI 411) - Bio majors only

▪ Make sure to check with PA Programs you are interested in applying to to see if the BI257 &

BI411 combination are acceptable to fulfill their prerequisites. Most will prefer BSHS 334 & 335.

• Microbiology with lab

o Principles of Pathogenic Microbiology (BI 325) - for COPHS students only or by permission or

o Microbiology (BI 438) - For Biology majors only. BI 230 is prerequisite

• Biochemistry

o Introduction to Biochemistry (CH 361) – CH 352 is prerequisite (Intended for Pre-Professional apps) or

o Biochemistry I & II (CH 362 & CH462) – BI 220 & CH 352 are prerequisites. (Intended for Pre-Med apps)

o Clinical Biochemistry & Metabolism (RX312) – CH 352 is prerequisite. (For COPHS students only)

• Additional 200 level or higher biology related options to fulfill the Butler PA Program prerequisites could

include courses in, but are not limited to: kinesiology, genetics, cellular biology, immunology, physics, exercise

science, neuroscience, zoology, nutrition.

*Statistics (MA162, AR 210-MA, BSHS 450, or a major-specific statistic course)

*Psychology (SW 250-PS or a specific psychology course)

*Sociology (SW 200-SO or a specific sociology course)

Medical Terminology (BSHS 215)

*Indicates courses required for the Butler University PA Program.

Listing of PA Programs in the United States: Currently there are over 250 PA programs in the United States all with

varying levels of accreditation. For a full listing of programs and more specific information regarding their accreditation

status, mission, degrees offered, prerequisites, etc. visit https://paeaonline.org/our-programs.

Applying to PA Programs: In addition to the possible prerequisite courses listed on the previous page, below are

additional admission requirements many PA Programs will require. Again, students are responsible for checking the

specific admission requirements for each PA program to which they apply.

Bachelor’s Degree: A bachelor’s degree earned in any major from a regionally accredited institution is required.

*Some programs will require a degree earned in the natural or social sciences.

Minimum GPA: Minimum GPA requirements range from 2.75-3.4. PA Programs may require a minimum overall

GPA as well as a minimum science or biology-chemistry-physics (BCP) GPA.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE): A student interested in pursuing admission to a PA Program will

typically prepare for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) during their junior year (fall/winter) and then take

the exam in winter/spring of their junior year. For more information, visit the GRE website at

https://www.ets.org/gre. Most programs do not require a minimum GRE score.

Letters of Recommendation: Pre-PA students should be prepared to ask for three letters of recommendation.

Typically, one letter is required to be from a current PA or other medical professional. Professors, advisors,

employers, coaches, etc. could write other required letters.

Healthcare Experience: Each PA Program requires a range of direct patient care hours of applicants from zero -

2000 hours. If a program does not require hours, they generally encourage some experience in order for the

student to discern their desired profession. Other programs give preference to students who apply with some

healthcare experience reported.

Application timeline: The Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) application opens each

year in late April. Application due dates vary by PA Program with the earliest deadline being August 1. Pre-PA

students will want to submit their application as soon as possible as some programs offer rolling admission. The

application and additional information can be found at https://caspa.liaisoncas.com/.

Pre-PA Advising:

Butler University PA Program: If you have specific questions about the Butler University PA Program, visit the

Butler PA Website (https://butler.edu/pharmacy-health/physician-assistant/) or contact admissions as needed.

Pre-Health Advising: Pre-Health Advisors offer a wealth of information for preprofessional students. Students

are encouraged to visit https://butler.edu/academic-services/pre-health-advising to view the services and

events (i.e. Personal Statement Workshops, Planning Your Application sessions, etc.) offered by pre-health

advisors.