Physician Assistant

Responsibilities – Physician Assistants assist licensed physicians with the examination, diagnosis and treatment of patients in all kinds of healthcare settings, from small private clinics to larger full-fledged hospitals. PAs are licensed to perform a broad spectrum of medical services that have been traditionally performed only by doctors. For extremely intricate and complex procedures, PAs have the potential to assist physicians.

Some of the job functions of a Physician Assistant include:

• Recording patients’ history
• Interpreting X-Rays and laboratory tests
• Patient examination
• Determining the course of treatment
• Treating minor illnesses and injuries
• Performing therapy
• Suturing
• Administering medications as well as injections
• Administering First Aid when necessary
• Assisting in surgical procedures
• Undertake managerial duties depending upon the job setting

Depending on the specialty you choose, there could be several variations in your job function as a physician assistant.

Salary Expectations – According to the 2024 AAPA Salary Report, in 2023, PA median compensation increased to $127,000 a year. Salaries can vary depending on several factors including the state and the type of healthcare setting you choose. Hospitals and other healthcare centers in urban areas pay considerable higher salaries as compared to rural healthcare settings.

Application Requirements:

Grade Point Ratio: PA programs will look at your Science/Math, overall, last 60 hours, and/or prerequisite GPR.  A 3.5 in all areas is considered competitive.

• Science and Math – This GPR varies per program and is not usually as big a component as the other GPRs considered.
• Last 60 hours – Your last 60 graded hours. This is an indication that the programs are looking at your grade trends (which need to be upward). It is a great opportunity to prove yourself academically especially if you had a rough academic start to your college career.
• Prerequisite GPR – The courses below should prepare you to apply to most Texas programs. Not all schools require the same prerequisites; please refer to the Physician Assistant handout for more details. Additionally, know that individual schools may change their prerequisites at any time, so take the responsibility to maintain contact with your target schools.
  • Biology – BIOL 111 & 112
  • Anatomy & Physiology – BIOL 319/320
  • Microbiology – BIOL 351 or VTPB 405
  • Genetics – GENE 301, 302 or GENE/BIMS 320
  • Biochemistry – BICH 303, 409 or 410
  • General Chemistry I & II (with Lab) – CHEM 101/111 & 102/112 or CHEM 119/120
  • Organic Chemistry I (with Lab) – CHEM 227/237 or CHEM 257
  • Medical Terminology – HLTH 354
  • Psychology – PBSI 107, plus 3 hours of PBSI or 3 hours of SOCI
  • Sociology – SOCI 205
  • Statistics – STAT 301, 302, 303 or 312
  • English

Specific Field Experience – Although experience it is not required by some programs, you won’t get accepted without it. PA programs want to be very sure you know what a PA does. You should get as much healthcare experience as possible, it all counts whether volunteering, shadowing, or working at a hospital or clinic and/or with a physician assistant, nurse practitioner or physician. Talk to the PA’s about more than just the patients, ask them about their jobs, their lifestyle, what they would change, what they like or do not like about the profession.

PA programs also want to see patient contact experience on your application. This is actually touching patients or being involved in their direct care. This is extremely valuable for acceptance.

GRE Score – The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is a multiple-choice, computer-based, standardized exam that is required for admission to Texas PA schools. This exam consists of 3 sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing. Achieving a 150 in the verbal and quantitative sections and a 3.5 in writing would be considered a solid score.

Most students take this exam in the spring or early summer of the year in which they apply. The exam can be taken on weekday mornings or afternoons and your score is given to you at the conclusion. You can take the exam more than once, yet you must wait 30 days in between testing.

Letters from evaluators – Every school differs in this regard. Some will want only evaluations filled out, some will want only letters, some will want both! Be prepared to ask a professor and two medical professionals/physician assistants. Stay in touch with all the PAs you spend time with you may need them to officially verify the time you spent with them when it is time to apply.

Community Service – A non-medical related type of community service is recommended (soup kitchen, Habitat). PA programs want to know that you care about your community and have leadership skills.

The CASPA – The Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) is a division of the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) that exists to make the application process fair and efficient for applicants and PA schools. CASPA becomes available at the end of April or beginning of May, it changes every year.

Application Timeline – Your first opportunity to apply is the summer after your junior year, which is when you should start getting your letters of recommendation, take the GRE and write your essays. To be a successful candidate you should be completely finished applying by mid/end of June the summer before you graduate.

The Application Cycle

• You should have or be waiting for the release of your GRE test score. It is a good idea to take an earlier test dates and help avoid delays.
• Confirm deadline dates for individual PA programs.
• Begin to fill out and submit applications for PA programs. If applicable, contact CASPA, or individual schools directly for specific questions that are not found in their instruction manuals.
• Have letters of recommendation sent to CASPA.
• CASPA verifies primary application & begins releasing application to schools within four weeks of receipt.
• Continue to work, volunteer, etc.

Last Stages of the Process

• Attend a Health Professions Interview Workshop with Graduate & Professional School Advising.
• ​PA programs begin to interview candidates.
• When interviews are completed, schools inform applicants of admission status. Admissions decision processes and timelines vary between PA programs.

What is the GRE? – The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is a multiple-choice, computer-based, standardized exam that is required for admission to most Texas PA schools. This exam consists of 3 sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing.

Most students take this exam in the spring or early summer of the year in which they apply. The exam can be taken on weekday mornings or afternoons and your score is given to you at the conclusion. You can take the exam more than once, yet you must wait 21 days in between testing.

When should I take it and how should I prepare? – You can start taking your first practice GRE as soon as you know you are interested in PA. Kaplan offers a free practice exam online. Magoosh offers a free trial. Graduate & Professional School Advising makes no claims about the efficacy of prep programs, but only provides the names of known providers as a service. After taking the practice exam, you should be able to determine whether you will take a commercial prep course (in-person or on-line), or prepare yourself. The GRE also tests endurance as it is 3 hours and 45-minute online test. If you want to start PA school immediately following graduation, then you want to take your free practice test sooner rather than later. We advise applicants to take the official GRE by the spring semester or the summer of the year you are applying to PA school. Tests can be taken through your personal computer at home or in the General Services Complex multiple times a week.

Many PA schools have minimum GRE requirements and advertise their previous admission scores on CASPA to help applicants compare competitive scores. You can retake the GRE after 21 days, but when submitting your GRE scores to PA School, you usually share all attempts. You may also bring your practice exam scores to the pre-PA advisor, so they may compare them to the ranges the Texas PA schools have shared with them from previous application cycles. This may also help you decide how you’d like to prepare.

Registration for the exam is online.

What is a competitive score? – This is different for each program. Check the CASPA program directory for scores.

• Austin College – Sherman*
• Franklin Pierce University – Hybrid, Round Rock*
• Baylor College of Medicine – Houston
• Hardin-Simmons University – Abilene
• South University – Round Rock*
• Texas Tech University Health Sciences, Center – Lubbock
• University of Mary Hardin Baylor (UMHB) – Belton*
• University of North Texas (UNT) – Ft. Worth
• University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHSC) – San Antonio
• University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) – Galveston
• University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) – Edinburg
• University of Texas Southwestern (UTSW) – Dallas
• West Coast University – Richardson*

* Accreditation-Provisional