Are you “pre-med”? Are you having doubts about medical school? Are you looking for other career opportunities within the health field?
Many students enter Cornell with the goal of eventually becoming a doctor in mind. However, they do not realize the wide range of career opportunities the “pre-med” track has to offer. One career in particular is the Physician Assistant. A physician assistant (PA) is a healthcare professional who is certified to provide basic medical services (as the diagnosis and treatment of common ailment) usually under the supervision of a licensed physician. Physician assistants work as a part of a healthcare team with collaborating physicians and other providers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is an occupation that has a projected 10-year growth of 37%!
Most of the undergraduate class requirements for PA school are identical to pre-med requirements, including, general biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, anatomy/physiology, and other general science courses often with an accumulated GPA over 3.0. Some PA schools also require clinical experience, GRE score reports, and the CAPSA application. Be sure to look out for the CEC’s very own Physician Assistant Career guide with information on the pre-requisites for every PA school in the United States!
Accredited PA programs are approximately 26 months (3 academic years) long and award master’s degrees. PA students receive classroom instruction in anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, physical diagnosis, pathophysiology, microbiology, clinical laboratory science, behavioral science, and medical ethics. Students in these programs are also required to complete more than 2,000 hours of clinical rotation with emphasis on primary care in ambulatory clinics, physician offices, and acute or long-term care facilities. Check out the infographic below to learn more about statistics on life at PA school with data collected by Emory PA School Class of 2017!
Stay tuned for an updated Physician Assistant Career Guide coming to the CEC soon! Be sure to stop by for more information!