Physician Assistant

Career Info

What is a Physician Assistant (PA)?

Physician Assistants (PAs)—also known as Physician Associates—are licensed healthcare professionals who practice medicine as part of a collaborative team with physicians. They work in every medical specialty and setting—from family medicine to surgery to emergency care. While PAs work closely with physicians, they also make many independent medical decisions.

What Do PAs Do?

PAs are trained to provide a broad range of healthcare services, including:

• Taking medical histories and performing physical exams

• Ordering and interpreting lab tests and imaging

• Diagnosing and treating illnesses and injuries

• Assisting in surgery and setting fractures

• Counseling patients on treatment and prevention

Education & Flexibility

PA education programs prepare students as generalists, with a strong focus on primary care. However, after graduation, PAs have the flexibility to work in a wide variety of medical specialties, including:

• Cardiology

• Surgery

• Orthopedics

• Emergency medicine

• Psychiatry

• OB-GYN

• Dermatology

• Addiction medicine

• Public health

• Palliative care

Where Do PAs Work?

A 2023 Harris Poll conducted for the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) found that PAs work in a wide range of fields:

• 33.7% in primary care (family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine)

• 27.8% in surgical specialties

• 7.4% in emergency medicine

• 26.4% in other areas, including psychiatry, OB-GYN, addiction medicine, dermatology, public health, and more

The majority (92%) work in physician offices, hospitals, or outpatient clinics—making them accessible in nearly every type of healthcare environment.

Salary & Job Outlook

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

• The median annual salary for PAs in May 2024 was $133,260

• The profession is expected to grow 28% by 2033, much faster than average

More Information

Outlook: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm

O*NET: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-1071.00

WHAT IS A PA? 

Program Requirements

All PAs must graduate from an accredited physician assistant educational program and be certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants by completing a licensing exam. Most PA programs last between 27 months and grant a master’s degree upon completion. In order to remain certified, PAs must complete continuing medical education every 2 years and they must pass a recertification examination or complete an alternate program combining learning experiences and a take-home examination every 6 years.

Currently, there are more than 308 accredited programs in the United States, with  new programs emerging each year. Most PA programs require a master’s degree, and may require the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or an equivalent exam. Grades are important in the admissions process and many programs require at least a 3.0 GPA for consideration. However, the national average GPAs of accepted students in 2019 was 3.53 in the sciences and a 3.6 overall. Of the programs which require the GRE (53%), the average score (quantitative and verbal) of accepted students in 2019 was 310.

Also, most programs require at least 1,000 hours of direct clinical/patient care experience in a variety of situations and settings. However, the majority of accepted PA applicants averaged 3,000-4,000 direct patient care hours which equates to approximately 2.55 years of healthcare experience, including, but not limited to, direct patient care. PAs are helping to meet the need of the impending physician shortage, specifically in primary care and in rural areas with the highest need.
In 2017, 16% of PAs practiced in rural, medically underserved areas. As such, it is strongly recommended that applicants gain experience in medically underserved and rural areas and have a demonstrated commitment or interest in serving in and working with medically and economically underserved populations.

Additionally, many PA programs are now requiring applicants to take the CASPer exam, which is a situational judgment test. Examinees will be asked to respond to different ethical scenarios in which the exam is assessing students' interpersonal core competencies and non-cognitive skills. Please review the following link to learn more about this exam. 

CASPer Exam

Course Requirements

Most PA programs follow a semester system. Cal Poly currently operates on a quarter system, so fulfilling a two-semester sequence often requires three quarters of coursework. Always check with individual programs if you're unsure whether your coursework meets their requirements.

See below for an example of admission course prerequisites that may be required at CA programs. Please research professional programs for the specific admission requirements. If you need guidance on how to search for schools, please see the Peer Advisors during drop-in hours. 

Note:  Admission prerequisites vary by institution.  Most programs require a cumulative and science GPA of 3.0 or higher. Some schools will not accept AP credit for prerequisites.  Check the PA school requirements carefully!

One Year of General Biology with lab: Bio 161 (4), 162 (4), & upper-level Bio coursework (see suggested courses below & check PA school requirements carefully!)

• Note:
  • Bio, Mcro, Msci, and Bchm majors should enroll in Mcro 224. 
  • Microbiology requirements may vary between schools. Check individual school requirements closely. 
  • *For programs requiring 1-2 years of Biology and Microbiology, contact schools to determine additional Biology coursework to enroll in. 

Psychology: Psy 201 or 202

Behavioral Sciences (Anthropology/Sociology): Ant 201 or Soc 110 (D3)

Statistics: Stat 217 or 218 or 312

English/Writing: 3 quarters reading/composition

Genetics: Bio 302, 303 or 351 (Required by many schools)

Medical Terminology: Hlth 297 (Required by many schools)

Suggested preparation

Mathematics: Pre-Calculus (Math 118) and/or Calculus (Math 141 or 161)

Biology: Some programs may require more upper division biology courses. Check program requirements carefully. This can include Genetics, listed above, and/or additional 300 or 400 BIO level courses.

Biochemistry: Chem 314 (5) or Chem 369 (5) -Meets GE UD B 

Beginning Spanish Language: Span 101, 102, 103

Humanities Courses (art, music, ethics, philosophy)

Medical Ethics
Medical Spanish
Basic or Advanced Nutrition
Organic or Biochemistry

Last updated: 05/26/2025.

Examples of Direct Patient Care

Athletic Training (AT)
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
Paramedic
Medical Back Office Assistant
Certified Nursing Assistant
Phlebotomist
Respiratory Therapist
Health Education Specialist
Patient Care Attendant
Medical Technologist
Military Medical Corpsman
Radiology Technician
Surgical Technician
Pharmacy Tech
Physical Therapist or PT Aide
Occupational Therapist
Optometric assistant
Medical Interpreter
Dietician
Chiropractor
Dental hygienist/assisting
Acupuncturist
Nursing (RN, LVN)
Psychiatric Tech
Medical Scribe (may be acceptable for some programs)

Schools/Programs in California

California Baptist University
University of Southern California (USC)
Loma Linda University
Stanford University
Touro University
UC Davis
Western University of Health Sciences
Samuel Merritt University
Marshall B. Ketchum University
Chapman University
Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science
University of the Pacific
Dominican University
Point Loma
Southern California University of Health Sciences 

Provisional Accreditation (Granted by ARC-PA)*
California State University Monterey Bay
University of La Verne

Probationary Accreditation*
A.T. Still University of Health Sciences

*Click here to learn more about the different categories of accreditation.

Professional Association Links

For more information, visit the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) website at www.paeaonline.org and/or the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) website at www.aapa.org. 

Cal Poly Nursing/PA Club

To get involved with the Cal Poly Nursing/PA club, please sign up via this google doc, visit their website, and visit the club's Instagram page: @cpnursingpa.