Overview

Admission to physicians assistant (PA) programs is a highly competitive process. Because of this, it is vitally important that students who want to pursue a PA degree thoroughly prepare themselves to be competitive applicants during their undergraduate years.

It is the goal of UVSC to prepare its students to be exceptional in any profession they choose. Listed below are some characteristics of successful PA applicants:

1. Academic ability displayed by competitive GPA and letters of recommendation from professors.
2. Clear motivation for choosing medicine as a career. Why become a PA over other healthcare professions such as nursing, physical therapy, etc.?
3. Dedication to serving the community and underserved populations.
4. A strong clinical background.
5. Knowledge of the medical profession and current healthcare issues.
6. Ability to understand personal strengths/weaknesses and learn appropriate lessons through a diversity of experiences.

It is the responsibility of the PA student to know the specific requirements, both academic and nonacademic, and the desirable characteristics that can make one competitive for admission into a PA program. The information on this website should be used as a general reference in addition to personal meetings with the pre-health professions advisor, professors, PA program representatives, literature, other websites, etc.