The UT Martin Pre-Physician Assistant Plan is designed to prepare students for application to a graduate physician assistant program. By following the Pre-Physician Assistant Plan recommendations, students will be eligible for admission into most Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (M.S.P.A.S.) programs; however, students are strongly encouraged to review the requirements for their school(s) of choice. Additionally, the Pre-Physician Assistant Plan is not a major and does not fulfill the requirements for a baccalaureate degree at UT Martin. The courses listed below are recommendations and are not required for degree completion unless also listed under the student’s chosen major.
Most M.S.P.A.S. programs require applicants to earn a baccalaureate degree before matriculation into the professional program. The Biology-Cellular and Molecular Biology concentration includes many of the courses listed below; however, students may choose to major in any subject area they wish as long as they also complete the courses required by their chosen M.S.P.A.S. program(s).
For most M.S.P.A.S. programs:
- Applicants must earn a baccalaureate degree before matriculation into the professional program.
- Applicants must demonstrate that all required course work will be completed with a grade of C or better prior to admission.
- Applicants must complete the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and meet the technical skills as defined by the professional school.
- Applicants are expected to have some knowledge of the field from direct observations as part of their pre-professional experiences.
- Applicants are expected to also have hands on healthcare experience prior to matriculation into the graduate program.
- Applicants should submit their application directly to each physician assistant school or through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) in the spring or summer of the year preceding the desired admission date.
At a minimum, most Physician Assistant programs require:
- 3 hours of psychology
- 8 hours of biology
- 8 hours of chemistry
- 8 hours of anatomy and physiology
- 1-3 hours of medical terminology
- 4 hours of microbiology
While the above list of classes meets the minimum requirements for most physician assistant programs, successfully admitted students take classes well beyond the minimum and students are strongly encouraged to pursue as rigorous a schedule of courses as possible to be competitive.
While not an exhaustive list, the following courses are strongly recommended for students considering applying to a graduate physician assistant program. Students should always check with their adviser and/or school(s) of choice before deciding which classes to take.