Course Preparation for Admission to Physician Associate/Physician Assistant Programs

Please note that one term at Carleton is recognized by other schools as equivalent to a one semester course.

Unlike Medical School, PA schools have a wide variety of pre-requisite courses, but this list includes all of the usually required coursework. The best option is to check specific schools for their specific prerequisites. Additionally, some schools require the GRE or other tests, but this is becoming rarer and rarer.

  1. The courses that are  most often required for preparation for PA programs are:
    • Biology with lab: 2 terms: BIOL 125, BIOL 126
    • Chemistry with lab: 2 terms: CHEM 123 or CHEM 124, CHEM 224
    • Biochemistry with lab: 1 term BIOC 301
    • Anatomy – Not covered by Carleton’s Physiology course
    • Physiology: 1 term:  BIOL 332
    • Microbiology with lab: 1 term: BIOL 234
    • Organic Chemistry w/lab: CHEM 233, CHEM 234
    • Statistics: 1 term: STAT 120 or PSYC 200 (required for Psychology majors)
    • Psychology: 1 or more terms
    • English Composition/Humanities: 2 terms — this requirement can usually be fulfilled by taking writing-rich courses. We recommend trying to take at least one English course but most schools accept writing-rich courses as fulfilling the requirement.

2. Other courses that are sometimes required:

    • Genetics with lab: BIOL 240
    • Medical Terminology
    • 3xx Biology class
    • 3xx Chemistry class
    • Pathophysiology
    • Nutrition

Take all prerequisite courses for a grade; the grade must be a C or better. You do not have to take all prerequisite courses at Carleton. Non-Carleton courses, however, must be taken at an accredited 4-year institution for a grade and you will later need to provide a transcript when you apply. These courses do not need to be transferred to Carleton. Any work taken elsewhere should be done either on a semester system or its equivalent. A quarter system can lead to difficulty.

AP policy: Most PA programs will accept AP credits so long as they appear on your official Carleton transcript and are equivalent to the appropriate college-level coursework.

Note: The courses listed above satisfy most of the admissions requirements for accredited PA programs in the U.S. However, each school may not require all of these and schools may require additional courses. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the applicant to know the exact requirements and deadlines for each school to which they apply. For more information, look here.