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Career Guide

Physician Assistant

Physician Assistants (PAs) provide healthcare services under the supervision of physicians. Their responsibilities include taking medical histories, examining and treating patients, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, making diagnoses, and prescribing medications. PAs should not be confused with medical assistants, who primarily perform routine clinical and clerical tasks.

Becoming a PA generally takes 6–7 years. Many PA programs require completion of a bachelor’s degree before entry, although some programs admit students directly as first-year undergraduates with limited transfer options.

Degree Requirements

PAs must earn a master’s degree from an accredited PA program. After graduation, they must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) to receive certification and apply for state licensure. To maintain licensure, PAs complete continuing medical education and take a recertification exam every 10 years.

Criteria for Acceptance

  • Healthcare experience (HCE) and especially Patient Care Experience (PCE) — typically 1,000+ hours required. Average PCE hours earned by accepted students: 3,235; Average HCE earned by accepted students: 1470 (based on the Physician Assistant Education Association report). )
  • Shadowing or interviewing a practicing PA.
  • A bachelor’s degree is usually required (typically in a science field, though not required).
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA; accepted students often have a much higher average. The overall GPA for accepted students is around 3.6 with a science GPA of about 3.5 (based on the Physician Assistant Education Association report).
  • GRE scores – about 50% of programs require. If required, a score above 300 is considered competitive.
  • Letters of recommendation - from faculty, advisors, supervisors, or healthcare providers. It is recommended to include a letter from a PA you have worked with.
  • Personal statement.
  • Extracurricular activities – may include volunteering, leadership roles, and/or research.
  • Applications are sent through CASPA (Central Application Service for Physician Assistants).

MCC Prerequisite Courses


Requirements vary by program, but common prerequisites or recommended courses include two semesters of general biology with labs; two semesters of general chemistry; organic chemistry or biochemistry; calculus; microbiology; anatomy & physiology; sociology; psychology; English; statistics; medical terminology.

Advanced Placement (AP) credit is usually not accepted for science coursework.

Examples of MCC courses to consider:

  • BIO 155 & 156 Intro to Cell & Molecular Biology and Organismal Biology & Ecology
  • CHE 151 & 152 General Chemistry I & II
  • CHE 251 & 252 Organic Chemistry I & II
  • BIO 202 Microbiology
  • BIO 144 & 145 Anatomy & Physiology I & II
  • HIM 104 Medical Terminology
  • ENG 101 or ENG 200 English Composition
  • PSY 101, PSY 206, PSY 212 - Psychology courses
  • SOC 101 Intro to Sociology
  • MTH 210 Calculus
  • MTH 160 Statistics
  • PHL 103 or 250 Ethics

Institutions


Local New York State institutions with PA programs:
  • Albany Medical College
  • Canisius University
  • Daemen University
  • D’Youville University
  • Ithaca College
  • Le Moyne College
  • St. Bonaventure University
  • SUNY Upstate Medical University
  • Nazareth University - starting a graduate PA program in January 2026
  • Northeast College of Health Sciences - starting a graduate PA program in January 2026
  • Rochester Institute of Technology: Awards a five-year BS/MS degree. This is a highly competitive program with very limited seat availability for transfer students. Advanced Placement (AP) credit is not accepted for Biology or Chemistry requirements. Read RIT’s website thoroughly and contact them with questions at paprogram@rit.edu. Students can reach out to the academic advisor (Chelsea Church ckciao@rit.edu) if they have questions regarding required courses.

Other Important Information

While every effort is made to ensure that the information in this guide is accurate, students are advised to contact transfer institutions for specific course requirements and the most up-to-date information.

Updated 09/25/2025