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Pre-Physician Assistant
- Pre-Health Pathway
- 4-Year Undergraduate (BS) + 2-Year Master's Program (MS)
Begin a Journey that Transforms Lives
Turn your passion for helping people into a rewarding career as a Physician Assistant. The Pre-Physician Assistant program at D’Youville University is an undergraduate pre-health pathway program designed to provide the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to prepare students for the graduate-level Physician Assistant (MS) degree. Pre-health students are prepared in the necessary health sciences curriculum to provide care to a wide range of health settings, among people of various age groups and backgrounds.
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Why D'Youville
- Clinical Connections: Offer training in on-campus counseling clinic.
- Interprofessional: Learn alongside 12+ complementary health professions.
- Modern Facilities: Access to a campus of newly renovated spaces.
- Technology-focused: Experience state-of-the-art simulation training.
- Social Mobility: Generous financial aid leads to high paying jobs.
- Personal Touch: Offering very low 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
- $133,2602024 Median Pay
- 20%National Job Growth Projected by 2034 Much Faster Than Average
- 120Credits
- In PersonInstruction Required on Campus
Pathway Options
You can choose to apply to enter the Physician Assistant (MS) degree from any program, but we recommend enrolling into one of the following as the Pre-Physician Assistant Pathway:
- Biology (BS)
- Biochemistry (BS)
- Exercise Sports Studies (BS)
There are two pathways to set yourself up for applying to the Physician Assistant (MS) program.
1. PA Early Assurance Track:
D’Youville sets aside a number of early assurance seats available to exceptional first-time-in-college students each year. Early assurance is a track that guarantees students an interview in the Physician Assistant (MS) program at the completion of their undergraduate degree, provided they remain in satisfactory academic standing throughout their degree.
2. Pre-PA Advisory Track:
Students who are not eligible for early assurance can still take the Pre-Physician Assistant undergraduate prerequisite courses, then apply to the Physician Assistant (MS) program.
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Learn more about the pre-PA pathway degrees
Program Requirements
PA Early Assurance Track
To keep their early assurance seat, students must do the following:
- Must maintain a cumulative science grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0.
- Must maintain an overall semester and cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0.
- A minimum grade of a B- for all science courses (C for all other coursework) specified as a PA prerequisite. However, students must be aware of the 3.0 minimum semester and cumulative GPA requirements and 3.0 minimum cumulative science GPA.
- Complete a successful interview process with the PA Department during their junior year. This includes submitting three letters of recommendation, a written essay, and documentation of direct patient interaction hours if applicable.
- If a student’s GPA falls below the requirement or they are not successful in their interview, they will lose their early assurance seat. However, a student can still apply at the end of their undergraduate program to the Physician Assistant (MS) program.
Pre-PA Advisory Track
Students who are not accepted into early assurance (or lost their early assurance seat) can still take PA prerequisites in our pathway degree programs. Curriculum requirements for this program can be found in the Academic Catalog. Students on a Pre-PA Advisory Track can then apply into the Physician Assistant (MS) program at the end of their undergraduate degree. D’Youville students on this track are guaranteed an interview if departmental minimum standards are met, and they do not have to apply through CASPA. The following are the PA Department's minimum standards required for a guaranteed interview:
- Must maintain a cumulative science grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0.
- Must maintain an overall semester and cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0.
- A minimum grade of a B- for all science courses (C for all other coursework) specified as a PA prerequisite. However, students must be aware of the 3.0 minimum semester and cumulative GPA requirements and 3.0 minimum cumulative science GPA.
Careers
Physician assistants exercise autonomy in medical decision and your D’Youville training will prepare you to work with physicians in all clinical disciplines. Nationally, physician assistants are employed in both primary and non-primary care specialties.
A Physician Assistant's Role
Physician assistants are nationally certified and state-licensed medical professionals who practice medicine under the supervision of a physician. PAs responsibilities include but are not limited to conducting physical exams, diagnosing and treating illnesses, ordering and interpreting laboratory and radiological tests, counseling on preventive health care measures, and assisting in surgery.
PAs can write prescriptions in all 50 states, the majority of the U.S. territories and the uniformed services. Within the physician-PA team, physician assistants’ specific duties depend on the setting in which they work, their specialty, and their level of experience.
The training you receive at D’Youville will prepare you to work with physicians in all clinical disciplines in a wide variety of clinical environments. In fact, because physician assistants are in such high demand, many discover they can take their pick of clinical placements, allowing for substantial career flexibility and mobility.
Post-Professional Degrees
While many of our graduates go into clinical practice, others enter advanced academic programs in order to pursue careers in research and teaching in both private and public organizations. These students typically pursue post-professional degrees such as doctor of science (D.Sc.), doctor of education (EdD), or doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. If you choose to pursue this path you can rest assured that the rigorous academic, research, and clinical work you’ll complete in our PA program will provide you with a solid foundation for advanced study and practice.
Graduates who want to take their education one step further can also enter specialized residency programs that provide intensive training in specialties such as surgery, emergency medicine, pediatrics, and rural health. With the demand for physician assistants growing at such a rapid pace and showing no signs of slowing down — the opportunities for well trained, motivated, forward-thinking physician assistants like our graduates are limitless.
Career Outlook
Changing demographics and the expansion of the healthcare system in the United States have created a strong demand for healthcare professionals, and physician assistants are one of the groups in greatest demand.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that employment of physician assistants is projected to grow 27 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations.
In fact, because physician assistants are in such high demand, many discover they can take their pick of clinical field of practice, allowing for substantial career flexibility and mobility. In addition, physician assistants earn generous salaries and benefits, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting that the median salary for physician assistants in 2023 was $130,020 per year.
For more information about the job outlook for physician assistants, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.
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