REQUIRED

– 1 year of biology with labs

– 1 year of general chemistry with labs

– 1 year of organic chemistry with labs (although biochemistry is usually accepted as well)

– 1 year of physics

– Some schools require 1 year of English

– Some school may require calculus

RECOMMENDED

– Statistics (specifically biostatistics)

– Genetics

– Pharmacology

– Pathophysiology

– Psychology

– Medical Terminology

– Other science classes

The MCAT is necessary.

– The MCAT tests your understanding of general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, physics, reading comprehension, critical analysis, reasoning skills, psychology, and sociology.

-The average acceptance score for an MD school is 511.5

– The average acceptance score for a DO school is 503

– The average score for everyone that takes it is a 505

– The average GPA for those accepted is a 3.66 for science and 3.81 for non-science

– Volunteer hours are highly recommended. This doesn’t need to be medical in nature although that may be noteworthy if it is. Just know that medical school committees know the difference between quality volunteer hours and if you’re just trying to check the box. 

– Shadowing hours are very important. They want to see that you understand what the profession really looks like day-to-day. Make an effort to shadow in different areas of medicine to give yourself a variety of experiences. You’re investing a minimum of the next 7 years of your life towards your profession, they want to know not only that you will enjoy it, but that you will understand what the life of a physician is really like. 

– Involvement in organizations and/or unique hobbies is important. This is a way to stand out from all the other applicants. They want to know that you’re actively involved, motivated, and genuine.

– Clinical hours working are great. If you can work in the medical field as a CNA, ER tech, EMT, medical assistant, pharmacy tech, physical therapy tech, etc., that will give you experiences that you’ll be able to bring up during interviews.

Due to the fact that PA school isn’t as uniform as medical school prerequisites, it’s important to look at the prerequisites on every school’s website that you’re interested in.

Generally the following are required…

– 2 semesters of anatomy and physiology

– 1-2 semesters of general biology (can be replaced with other biology courses sometimes)

– 2 semesters of inorganic/general chemistry with labs

– 1 semester of microbiology with lab

– 2 semesters of English

– 1 semester of statistics

– 1 semester of psychology

– Other classes that are often or sometimes required are organic chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, sociology, foreign language, medical terminology

The GRE (Graduate Record Examination) is required at many schools, but not all.

– Sections include verbal reasoning, analytical writing, and quantitative reasoning (math).

– It’s generally accepted that the GRE isn’t as important to PA school as the MCAT is to medical school but a low enough score may rule you out.

– The magic score is to get above a 300

NEW TEST

– There’s a new test called the PA-CAT which is more similar to the MCAT. This is a new test and schools aren’t requiring this yet although it may be required or at least recommended in the future.

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

– Most schools require hands on patient care experience, however not all school do

– It is important to check with the schools you’re applying to in order to verify that a certain type of medical care qualifies. For example, some schools will require that it be in a job you’re getting paid for, volunteering will not suffice. Some schools require this to involve direct patient contact, so pharmacy tech, scribe, etc. would not be acceptable.

– Most schools require 500 – 3000 hours. It’s generally accepted that a full time job for 1 year will get you 2000 hours.

Other Recommended

– Volunteering

– Shadowing is important. It’s very wise to shadow multiple disciplines to demonstrate that you know the difference between doctors, PA’s, NP’s and more. One of the big questions during interviews will be, “Why did you choose PA school and not medical school?” If you shadowed all sorts of practitioners, you can relay some experiences that helped you decide on PA school.

No specific classes usually needed for those who are already RN’s, however there are some prerequisites for those who may be switching careers to the medical field. Typical required classes are…

– Anatomy and physiology

– Chemistry

– Microbiology

– Psychology

– Nutrition 

– Statistics

NCLEX – This is the test to become a registered nurse (RN)

GRE – About half of NP schools require the GRE

– A minimum GPA of 3.0 is usually required.

– A certain number of clinical hours as a registered nurse is sometimes required.

– Shadowing is recommended

– Volunteering is recommended

Dental school prerequisite classes are similar to those of medical school.

– 2 semesters of biology with labs

– 2 semesters of general/inorganic chemistry with labs

– 2 semesters of organic chemistry with labs

– 2 semesters of physics with labs

– 2 semesters of English

– 1 semester of psychology

– 1 semester of biochemistry

The Dental Admission Test (DAT) is required

– Understanding of biology, chemistry, perceptual ability, reading comprehension, and quantitative reasoning are all tested

– The average score for students who were accepted into dental school is a 20.5

– The average GPA for a student accepted into dental school is a 3.55

– Volunteering

– Shadowing

PT school requires roughly the same classes of medical school without the organic chemistry or biochemistry.

– 2 semesters of anatomy and physiology with labs

– 2 semesters of biology with labs

– 2 semesters of general chemistry with labs

– 1 semester of psychology

– 1 semester of statistics

– Some other classes that are sometimes required are medical terminology, some type of math, English, and exercise physiology

– Most schools require the Graduate Record Examination test (GRE). Some schools have a minimum score that you need to achieve. 

– The schools may clarify what score is needed on each section of the test as well. For example, the University of Miami requirds a 147 on the quantitative section, a 149 on the verbal section, and a 3.0 on the analytical section. 

– Experience is often required under the supervision of a Licensed Physical Therapist. Sometimes volunteer work satisfies this requirement, but in other cases it may need to be paid experience. They’ll likely ask for the practitioner to verify your hours as well, so make sure the hours are documented and that the practitioner is willing to sign off on them. This is a great way to separate yourself from the other applicants. The more experience you have in a variety of PT settings, the stronger of a candidate you will be. 

– Most schools require 24 semester hours in life and physical science courses. Possible classes include general biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, anatomy, physiology, zoology, biochemistry, physics, biomechanics, and exercise physiology. 

– Generally half of 24 semester hours need to have labs associated with them. 

– There is no necessary test to take to apply to Chiropractic school. 

– Minimum GPA is usually a 3.0 however if your GPA is between 2.75 and 3.0, you may be eligible for an alternative admission track plan, which many universities offer. 

– Nothing else required, although it’s obviously wise to have a well rounded application including a variety of undergraduate classes, shadowing, volunteering, hands-on experience, etc.