Pre-Physician Assistant

Preparing for professional school starts year one at Carthage, and we are here to help you each step of the way! We recommend that you reach out to your advising team as soon as possible regarding your plans so they can help you start preparing. Carthage also has many articulation agreements that can assist you in reaching your professional goals.

Applying to Healthcare Professional School
While Carthage students usually apply to somewhere between eight and 12 schools, you can apply to as many schools as you would like. However, you should be aware that there is a financial commitment associated with application fees and the cost of submitting materials for review. As such, you should only apply to schools you would genuinely consider attending.

Applications will be submitted through the CASPA platform. If you plan on attending right after your undergraduate degree, you should apply in the summer of your junior year. It is recommended that you have all materials ready when the platform opens and submit them during late summer or early fall. Your application will be most competitive if you submit it before September 1. Below is the list of application materials.

• Shadowing hours
• Healthcare experience hours
• GRE scores
• Personal statement
• Three or more letters of recommendation
• Transcripts (official copy)

Shadowing/Volunteering Amount/Location
The median number of shadowing hours for students accepted into PA school is around 100, but to secure a strong application, you should aim for more! You should try to shadow at various places, such as under different types of PAs and in different healthcare settings. While volunteering or community service is often not explicitly required by schools, as many as half of students accepted into PA school had community service hours.

Prior Healthcare Experience
Many PA programs also require prior healthcare experience with hands-on patient care. Though it is not an exhaustive list, you can get healthcare experience by being a medical assistant, emergency medical technician, paramedic, athletic trainer, medic or medical corpsman, lab assistant, phlebotomist, registered nurse, emergency room technician, or certified nursing assistant. Most students have about three years or 2000+ hours of healthcare experience before entering a program.

Entrance Exam: Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
The PA schools you plan to apply to may or may not require the GRE. Some schools will also accept the MCAT or the PA-CAT, but most will require the GRE. Make sure you check your list of schools you plan to apply to before registering. The GRE will require less or more time studying based on how extensive your knowledge is on tested material, and you should pace out those hours around your own current and anticipated schedules. ETS.org has free resources and practice tests available to assist you. We recommend that you take the GRE at least one full year before you submit your application. This would align with the summer going into junior year or the fall of your junior year, allowing adequate time to prepare if you need to retake it and ensures you have your results before your application deadline.

Personal Statement
You will need to submit a personal statement with your application. To help craft your personal statement, attend our Personal Statement Workshop, typically held in the fall semester.

Letters of Recommendation
You will need several letters of recommendation (3-4) for your application. While different schools may have different expectations for where your letters of recommendation should come from, it is usually expected to have 1-2 from a science course professor and 1-2 from a healthcare provider you have worked with or shadowed under.

Ideally, you should ask for a letter of recommendation at least 2-3 months in advance of your application deadline, although give as much time as possible. This way, they have adequate time to reflect upon their experience and write the best possible letter they can. If you are participating in an experiential role, it is suggested that you ask for a letter a month or two prior to the close of that experience.

Please note that different professions require different degrees and levels of education.

Cardiology Physician Assistant
Cardiology PAs assist cardiologists in diagnosing and managing heart-related conditions, performing diagnostic tests like EKGs, and helping patients manage chronic conditions such as hypertension or heart failure.

Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant
Emergency medicine PAs work in urgent care or emergency departments, providing rapid assessment, diagnosis, and treatment for patients with acute injuries or illnesses.

Oncology Physician Assistant
Oncology PAs work with oncologists to diagnose and treat cancer, manage chemotherapy or radiation therapy, provide supportive care, and educate patients about their condition and treatment options.

Orthopedic Physician Assistant
Orthopedic PAs assist orthopedic surgeons in diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal injuries, providing rehabilitation support, and performing joint injections or other non-surgical procedures.

Pediatric Physician Assistant
Pediatric PAs work in pediatric clinics or hospitals, providing care for infants, children, and adolescents, including wellness exams, vaccinations, and treatment of childhood illnesses.

Primary Care Physician Assistant
Primary care PAs provide routine health maintenance, preventive care, diagnosis, and treatment for a wide range of medical conditions, often working in family medicine or internal medicine settings.

Psychiatric Physician Assistant
Psychiatric PAs work with mental health professionals to diagnose and treat psychiatric disorders, including prescribing medication and providing counseling or therapy for conditions such as depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia.

Surgical Physician Assistant
Surgical PAs assist in surgeries, helping with preoperative preparation, during procedures, and post-operative care, often specializing in fields like orthopedics, neurosurgery, or cardiothoracic surgery.