The pre-physician assistant program at Marian University is an undergraduate educational track that prepares you to be a competitive candidate for admission to a PA program after completing your bachelor's degree.
Nationally certified and state-licensed, physician assistants (or PAs) work as a member of a healthcare team that can include doctors, surgeons, and other healthcare specialists.
According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), they diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and often serve as a patient's principal healthcare provider. They can also assist during surgery and contribute to clinical research.
Being admitted to a PA program takes hard work and focus during your undergraduate career. PA programs are master's degree programs that average about 27 months in length and include more than 2,000 hours of clinical rotations.
While estimates vary, most experts agree that being admitted to the PA program of your choice is highly competitive. In fact, one source (thepalife.com/who-gets-in) reports:
In many cases, gaining admission to a PA program is just as or even more competitive than gaining admission to medical school and becoming a physician.
And, while becoming a PA is challenging, it also includes important professional benefits. One of the biggest benefits is the ease with which practicing PAs can change specialties throughout the course of their careers. In comparison, physicians specialize in one area throughout their entire career. So, if having variety and flexibility in providing team-based healthcare is important to you, being a PA is a great choice.
Having a strong GPA is just one of the selection criteria by which PA applicants are evaluated. For those who are successful, however, the rewards are good:
In addition, PA students can complete their studies in three years or less, which means you can start diagnosing and treating patients much sooner than other medical professionals (and typically graduate with much less student loan debt).
Marian's pre-physician assistant program takes the guesswork out of preparing for admission to the PA program of your choosing.
The admission criteria for every PA program is unique to that college or university. Some schools weigh their admission decisions on certain areas of your application and academic preparation more heavily than others.
The information on your PA application that is of primary importance includes:
1. Completion of prerequisite coursework
2. Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
3. Grade Point Average (GPA)
4. Clinical experience
5. Research experience
6. Letters of recommendation
© 2021 Marian University
Notice of Nondiscrimination
Marian University does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin, age or disabilities in the selection
of administrative personnel, faculty and staff, and students.
*Placement rates are gathered from data collected from graduates within six months of graduation.
Students may make a complaint to the Indiana Commission of Higher Education.
Marian University is sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, Indiana.
Submit a Marketing Request
Website built with