Pre-Physician Assistant - College of General Studies

Advisor:
Greg Heiberger, M.S.
College of General Studies
Wecota Hall 218
(605) 688-4294

In response to the shortage and uneven distribution of primary care physicians, the Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina enrolled the first class of physician assistants (PAs) in 1965. Navy corpsmen with considerable medical training during their military service were selected and the curriculum was fashioned after the fast-track training of doctors during World War II. Today, most physician assistant programs continue to select community-minded college students who have previous health care experience and a desire to study and work hard. SDSU provides a strong academic program in the sciences in preparation for admission to a physician assistant program. As of January 2001, PA programs are accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC_PA) http://www.arc-pa.org.

Physician assistants are found in all areas of medicine, with the vast majority (over 50%) working in primary care which includes family and internal medicine, geriatrics, pediatrics, and gynecology. An additional 19% assist in general surgery or surgical subspecialties. As health care professionals, physician assistants are licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. PAs conduct physical examinations, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret diagnostic tests, counsel on preventive health care, assist in surgical procedures, and can write prescriptions in forty-seven states, the District of Columbia, and Guam.

No specific undergraduate major is required for pre-physician assistant students. Whatever the choice, you must complete the prerequisite coursework required by the PA program(s) to which you plan to apply in addition to all SDSU general education and major requirements. First year students may wish to start in the College of General Studies and Outreach Programs and indicate a pre-physician assistant interest. This college is designed to allow you to consider various graduation majors while directing you to a pre-professional advisor who can help you with pre-PA course selection. Your choice of a graduation major should be based upon your individual goals, aspirations, and interests.

Physician assistants are educated in intensive medical programs accredited by ARC-PA. Currently, 136 accredited programs (http://www.arc-pa.org/Acc_Programs/acc_programs.html) are available. Also, access to the web pages of all accredited PA schools may be gained through the accredited programs link at http://www.arc-pa.org. In South Dakota, the physician assistant program is located at the University of South Dakota (USD) in Vermillion. The Physician Assistant Program Directory is no longer available in hard copy. Information can be obtained on-line at http://www.apap.org/apapdirectory/Login.asp for a fee. Faculty have free access to the site, so information from the site can be obtained by visiting your pre-PA advisor. The American Academy of Physician Assistantsrepresent all medical specialties in any type of employment setting. Visit their website to find authoritative answers to your questions about the PA profession. Additional information can be obtained at 950 North Washington Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314-1552; phone (703) 836-2272; FAX (703) 684-1924; e-mail aapa@aapa.org.

In June 2003, the South Dakota Board of Regents decided that, effective in Fall 2004, the PA program at USD will become a graduate degree level program. This decision reflects a national trend. Consequently, a 4-year undergraduate degree will become a necessity in the near future.

Prerequisites for PA programs vary. Generally speaking they include one year each of major’s general biology and general chemistry, one course each in anatomy and physiology (preferably human), microbiology, major's biochemistry, and general psychology. Organic chemistry (Chem 326) is a prerequisite for major's biochemistry (Chem 464). All science courses listed above need to have an accompanying laboratory. In addition, USD’s prerequisites include developmental and abnormal psychology. Immunology and introduction to computers are strongly encouraged by USD. One year of math (including statistics) is required by many programs. Other highly recommended courses include medical terminology, medical microbiology, medication and the consumer, molecular genetics, and pathophysiology. A broad general education including courses in communication, humanities, and social science is strongly recommended. Identifying the programs to which you wish to apply during your first year of college will allow you to plan for and complete any other prerequisites by the end of your second to last semester as an undergraduate.

While you are completing your coursework, you also need to get as much direct patient contact experience as possible. Volunteering at a hospital or nursing home, working as a certified nurse assistant (CNA) or emergency medical technician (EMT), and/or providing hospice care are examples of ways to acquire this experience. The amount of experience required varies among PA programs. Health care experience for students gaining admission to a particular program also varies widely. For example, students recently attending PA school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center brought experience ranging from 1 month to 12 years to their PA program. In addition, learn about the role PAs play on health care teams by shadowing physician assistants in as many different health care delivery settings as possible.

If you attended college outside the United States, two official transcripts from each college attended, with English translation and the degree or equivalent clearly stated, are required. A conversion to US equivalents by a foreign evaluator can be obtained from World Education Services or Educational Credentials Evaluators, Inc (www.ece.org); 414 289-3400.

In the late 1990s, most students gaining admission to PA schools had been practicing medicine in various capacities for many years. In recent years, students going directly from high school to undergraduate school are more likely to gain admission. Admission to PA schools is still highly competitive, however. Students recently admitted to PA school had overall and science GPA ranges of 3.05 to 4.0, 0-15 years of health care experience, and were 20-50 years of age.

Through a single, web-based application to Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) (www.caspaonline.org) you may apply to multiple programs. The deadline for CASPA application submission is November 1^st. To increase you chances of gaining admission to the PA program of your choice, submit the application early and check the status monthly thereafter.

Students interested in becoming a PA should maintain a pre-PA designation throughout their academic career at SDSU, regardless of their chosen major, and meet with their pre-PA advisor on a regular basis. The advisor assists you in building a strong academic program and guides you toward direct health care experiences so you may prepare a competitive application for admission to PA school. In addition, the advisor can recommend modifications to the following timetable to meet your individual needs and goals.

Application to physician assistant schools should begin the summer before your final year of undergraduate education. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) general test is required by schools offering a Master’s level PA degree. The nearest location for taking the GRE is Sioux Falls. To sign up for a time, call 1-800-967-1100 or 605 362-4875. All prerequisites should be completed by the December prior to your anticipated starting date.

Recommended Course Schedule:

First Year Courses	Number of Credits
Mathematics (Math 121 or Math 115 preferred over Math 102)	3 to 5
General Chemistry I (Chem 112/112L)	4
General Chemistry II (Chem 114/114L)	4
General Biology I (Biol 151/151L)	4
General Biology II (Biol 153/153L)	4
Introductory Psychology (Psyc 101)	3
Composition I (Engl 101)	3
Fundamentals of Speech (Spcm 101)	3
BOR system requirements in Humanities* or Social Science*	2 to 4
Second Year Courses	Number of Credits
Organic Chemistry (Chem 326/326L	4
Biochemistry (Chem 464/464L)	4
Human Anatomy (Biol 221/221L)	4
Physiology (Biol 325/325A)	4
Microbiology (Micr 231/231L)	4
Composition II (Engl 201)	3
BOR System Requirements in Humanities* or Social Science*	9
Third Year Courses	Number of Credits
Lifespan Development (HDFS 210)	3
Abnormal Psychology (Psyc 451)	4
SDSU Core Requirements/Major Courses	25
Fourth Year Courses	Number of Credits
Immunology (Micr 422)**	3
Intro to Statistics (Stat 281)	3
Completion of SDSU Core Requirements/Major/Minor Course Requirements	26
Complete CASPA application by early fall & prerequisites for PA programs to which you are applying by end of Fall semester.	128 credits (minimum)

* Careful selection of courses with an asterisk will allow you to fulfill the BOR system requirement of 6 credits in International/Global Diversity Courses while fulfilling the social science and humanities requirements.

** A recent SDSU graduate who is currently in PA school at Des Moines University strongly recommended taking Immunology, as well as Medical Microbiology (Micr 433/433L), Medication and the Consumer (Pha 201), and Introduction to Pathophysiology (Pha 320) to help make the rigorous PA program more manageable.

Other courses to consider include: Cultural Anthropology (Anth 210), Bioethics (Biol 383), Developmental Biology (Biol 483/483L), EMT Training (Hlth 364), Epidemiology (Hlth 440), Genetics and Organismal Biology (Biol 202/202L), Genetics and Cellular Biology (Biol 204/204L), Histology (Zool 441), Medical Terminology (Nurs 201), Intermediate Spanish (Span 201-202), Lakota Language (Lak 101-202), Human Nutrition (NFSH 321), Ethnobotany (Bot 127), Biomechanics (PE 454), and a speech communication elective [Interpersonal Communication (Spcm 201) or Public Speaking (Spcm 315) preferred].