If you’re looking for a career that includes problem-solving within the setting of a cooperative team, fast-paced decision-making, and the opportunity to serve your community in a tangible and hands-on capacity, becoming a physician assistant might be the right career path for you.
As further incentive, U.S. News ranks physician assistant as the #5 job in the country and the #2 best in healthcare. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has also reported that the projected demand for PAs will grow 28% from 2023 to 2033.
A physician assistant or physician associate (PA) is a licensed care provider who works in all major areas of medicine, collaborating with a physician to deliver healthcare in various settings, from family medicine to the ER. They may even assist in surgery. PAs work in hospitals, emergency rooms, rural clinics – anywhere healthcare is delivered.
Becoming a PA can provide flexibility. PAs are trained in general medicine, allowing them to move between different types of medicine throughout their careers. Over time, the PA role has evolved from limited care with physician supervision to more of a collaborative relationship, allowing them to deliver healthcare like any other healthcare professional.
From Student to Licensed PA in 10 Steps
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Earn a bachelor’s degree
While most PA school applicants have a bachelor's degree in the sciences, many programs will accept any undergraduate degree from an accredited U.S. institution. However, having an undergraduate degree in the sciences will better prepare students for the graduate-level science courses they’ll take in their PA program.
Whatever you major in, strive for a high GPA. While your GPA is only one metric that PA schools consider, your grades demonstrate that you can handle the academic rigor of a graduate-level program and can help you in the competitive application process.
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Complete prerequisite courses
If you don’t have an undergraduate degree in the sciences or didn’t take all the courses required for admission, you’ll need to complete some leveling courses before applying to a PA program. These courses might include biology, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, statistics and medical terminology. Students whose undergraduate degree in the sciences is over 10 years may also need some refresher courses.
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Gain healthcare experience
Before applying to PA programs, you must have experience with direct patient care, such as working as a:
- Medical assistant (MA)
- Emergency medical technician (EMT)
- Paramedic
- Nursing assistant
- Certified nursing assistant (CNA)
- Medic in the military
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Serve or volunteer in your community
Most programs seek students with experience in a particular service area through community work or volunteering to ensure applicants fit the school’s mission. At George Fox, our PA program focuses on serving medically underserved rural communities.
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Choose your program
As you consider where to invest in your education, explore what sets each program apart. Factors such as class size, leadership opportunities (specifically those that connect you with the particular population you hope to serve, i.e. rural, underserved populations, at-risk youth, etc.), clinical rotation opportunities associated with your preferred field, training facilities and mission are all important areas of research and reflection. You can also interview graduates to get an insider’s perspective on their experience.
At George Fox, we weave our legacy of serving the underserved into everything we do to support our vision of transforming the medical field by increasing access to high-quality, affordable care.
There is a movement toward the doctorate as the entry-level degree for practicing PAs. As the master’s degree for PAs currently exists, students already take an average of 115 credits, which is well above doctoral-level work. Since PAs are tackling the workload of doctoral credits, there is a move to allow them to earn a degree that reflects their credit load.
For those interested in research, professorship, or medical leadership, the bridge to a doctoral degree in PA studies can allow them to practice medicine as a PA and move toward other non-clinical roles throughout their career.
The Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) program (for students currently enrolled in our Master of Medical Science (PA) program) interweaves the PA curriculum with additional courses, allowing you to complete your doctorate in only one semester past your two-year master of science program. With extra classes in applied research, disaster medicine, tropical medicine and global service, the DMSc prepares students to lead healthcare delivery in high-need communities.
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Apply and interview
Once you’re ready to apply to PA programs, you’ll need to create an account with CASPA, the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants. This online application platform allows you to apply to multiple PA programs with one application. It also collects your transcripts, calculates your overall GPA, and sends your application to your chosen programs.
After applying through CASPA, you may receive an invitation to interview. The interview is an opportunity to highlight any facets of your application that may help you stand out. It’s also an opportunity to showcase your communication skills, which are imperative as a working PA. An invitation to interview is also an opportunity to discover what each program can offer you. As each school has a unique vision and mission, asking questions to ensure your values align with the program’s values will serve your decision-making process.
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Complete your PA program
Most PA programs are roughly 24 to 27 months long, with a didactic year and around 2,000 hours of clinical rotations. When you graduate, you will have earned a master’s degree, which is required to take the certification exam known as the PANCE.
Many programs are also moving toward a problem-based learning model. This model allows students to engage with real-life clinical decision-making opportunities within their cohorts to learn the necessary clinical skills of collaboration and independent research. It also enables students to develop their skills as critical thinkers and prepare for the decision-making load they will experience as practicing PAs.
George Fox’s PA program utilizes this problem-based learning model within our 43,000-square-foot Medical Sciences Building, equipped with patient exam rooms, 3D Anatomage Tables, and group study spaces, to help students learn in a hands-on environment.
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Take the exam
After you’ve completed your PA program, you will need to take the certification exam, The Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE). The PANCE is a general board exam covering everything you’ve learned during your didactic year and clinical rotations and covers you for 10 years of practice. Learn more about PANCE
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Apply for an Oregon license
Once you’ve obtained your national certification, you will apply for an Oregon license through the Oregon Medical Board, which generally involves sending in the required documentation.
While the PANCE is national and covers all 50 states and U.S. territories, your PA license is state-dependent. Once you have your national certification and state license, you can practice in Oregon. However, if you move to another state, you must obtain a license through that state’s medical board before you can begin practicing.
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Choose your area of practice
One of the most notable aspects of a career as a PA is the ability to work in different areas of medicine. Though doctors and nurse practitioners train in one specific area, PAs are educated in a generalist training model, meaning that when they graduate, they can work in any area of medicine and have the flexibility to change their practice focus throughout their careers. It’s common to start in one area of medicine as a PA – the ER or urgent care, for example – and then move to something different, like orthopaedics or primary care. Your clinical year will give you a good idea of what area of medicine you’d like to try first.
When I was an assistant professor at OHSU, I had two students – a husband and wife – who began their careers in rural Oregon outside of Coos Bay, where they worked in a primary care family medicine office for a number of years. Life eventually brought them back to the Portland area to resettle near family, and they both ended up practicing in urgent care. Their experience in primary care allowed them to see patients with everything from chronic conditions to more acute needs, which helped them in their new roles as urgent care PAs, where the acuity was a couple of steps up. That’s the beauty of the PA field; there are always opportunities to learn, grow and use skill sets from different clinical experiences.
Preparing for the PANCE (Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination)
Your first step to being well-prepared for the PANCE is choosing a well-researched PA program that will prepare you both for the certifying exam and clinical practice. As a new graduate, you’ve spent roughly two years studying and preparing for the PANCE, which means you are well-prepared to pass with flying colors.
The bottom line: Yes, the exam is difficult. It’s designed that way, just like the U.S. medical licensing exam for physicians. We rightly want practitioners to have a high barrier to ensure those who have passed the exam are competent to care for patients safely. The exam covers pediatric care, women’s health, psychiatry, primary care, hypertension, diabetes and beyond. Here are a few extra steps you can take to prepare.
3 Tips for Being PANCE Ready
- Inquire with PA programs about their pass rates for prior classes. Higher PANCE pass rates mean that the students in those programs have been well-prepared throughout their PA education.
- Keep a learning log to research and summarize key points from patient care experiences during your clinical year. Creating a learning log will allow you to revisit these experiences and write your own PANCE review questions.
- During your clinical rotation year, you can dive into various self-assessment question bank books and apps that allow you to answer a particular set of daily questions based on multiple topics. Like a daily workout, you do your daily “reps” to stay ready and fit for the PANCE. The board prep video vignettes and quizzes can also supplement the learning you’ll receive during your training and allow you to test your knowledge.
Here are some examples of available self-assessment tools to prepare for the PANCE:
You’re a PA! Now What?
Now that you’ve done the work to become a certified, licensed practicing PA, you can join various associations for networking opportunities and support, such as the AAPA (American Academy of Physician Associates), a professional organization for physician assistants practicing in the U.S., and the Oregon Society of Physician Assistants. Also, if you’re in a particular specialty of medicine, you can find specialty organizations, such as the American Association of Surgical PAs, the Association of PAs in Allergy Asthma and Immunology, or the Association of PAs in Cardiology.
At George Fox, we encourage students to lean into our vision of compassion, service, leadership and knowledge throughout their careers. As a licensed PA, one way to do this is to connect with service-based organizations to volunteer time in your chosen field, whether through medical mission organizations or volunteer opportunities in your local community.