Applying to PA School: Prerequisite Courses for PA School

So, this semester marks my last semester as an undergraduate student (hooray). I sat in micro lab today thinking about all of the many classes I have taken over the last few years. I couldn't help but think, you know what if this and that. What if I had taken more classes and completed my undergrad sooner? What if I had better arranged my schedule and taken prerequisite classes so I could have applied to more schools? Which brings me to today's topic of choice: prerequisite courses as a pre-PA student. If you take anything away from this post it should be,

The importance of consistently checking the prerequisite course requirements for your dream school.

Unlike Medical School, PA schools differ in their prerequisite requirements. What I recommend for pre-PA students to do is to look at the courses required by their first choice school. From there you can research the schools that line-up with those same requirements.

The reason I have chosen to write a post on the topic of prerequisite courses is due to a recent conversation I had with a fellow classmate of mine.

After discovering that we both were going into the PA profession, I asked him what schools he was looking to apply to. He began listing some great schools, schools whose prerequisite courses I had become familiar with. I asked him whether he had taken certain classes or was planning on taking them before submitting his application. He replied by saying that he didn't have to take those classes because they weren't required.


However, without those classes, I knew he did not meet the majority of his school's prerequisites.

I hated to be the one that burst his bubble.

He didn't believe me. He said I was wrong so I told him to research it himself. The evidence was quite damming. Right there, on the school's website, was a list of prerequisites to be completed before application submission. I am sorry to say that he will not be applying to some of his top choice schools.

Something I will touch on later is an excel spreadsheet and the magical powers it possesses.

In the meantime, here is a list of highly suggested prerequisites for PA School. Again, check the school's website for specific prerequisite requirements!

Normally required:

• Anatomy and Physiology with the Labs (most schools require this to be taken before applying)
• Biology I & II with Labs (some schools require only Bio I)
• Chemistry I & II with Labs (some schools require only Chem I)
• Organic Chemistry I & II (the majority of schools only require O. Chem I)
• Statistics (make sure it is taken in the correct department Bio, Math, Business)
• Microbiology with Lab (check with your schools if this is a requirement)
• Biochemistry (some schools will take O. Chem I & II in Lieu of Biochem) 

Not usually required:

• Psychology (general, developmental, abnormal)
• Sociology (not many schools require, but more and more are)
• Pathophysiology (helps you look good to adcoms) 
• Spanish (highly recommended, will definitely help you stand out)

I will continue to update this as I learn more about changing requirements.

Thanks for reading,