How to Become a Physician Assistant: A 5-Step Guide

Step 1: Assess what degrees you need

Do you wonder what physician assistant degree requirements are? To become a PA, you must earn at least a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. While your major can be in any field, focusing on areas like biology or chemistry is a good approach. However, some universities offer a physician assistant studies program that can be pursued at the undergraduate level. While you can pursue your postgraduate degree after you begin your career, schools, like Sacred Heart University, offer dual degree programs, meaning you will graduate on an accelerated timeline with both your bachelor’s and master’s degrees. It is important to note, however, that the University’s dual-degree programs do not accept students from different undergraduate programs, meaning you must enroll as an incoming freshman.

Step 2: Get real-world experience

In addition to pursuing your physician assistant master’s degree required education, gaining clinical experience is another crucial step in becoming a PA. In most cases, emerging professionals should expect to complete from 1,000 to 2,000 hours of clinical health care work. Many students complete early clinical experience in health care roles such as an EMT, certified nursing assistant, medical assistant or medical scribe. Clinical experience also provides interested candidates with a window into the world of health care, offering them the opportunity to see if it is the right fit for them.

Step 3: Attend an accredited graduate program

Should graduate study be on your radar, your top priority should be selecting the best physician assistant school – one that is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). An accredited college or university is one that meets the standards of training and education set by the ARC-PA. Sacred Heart University’s Master of Science in physician assistant studies (MSPAS), as well as its dual degree physician assistant studies program, are both fully accredited.

Additionally, SHU’s top physician assistant program rigorously prepares students to succeed in the field, as well as earn high marks on required certification exams.

Step 4: Pass the PA Certification Test

One of the final, and most important, steps to becoming a PA is passing the PA National Certification Exam (PANCE). The PANCE is a five-hour, 300-question, multiple-choice test administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. The exam is designed to test candidates on evidence-based medical knowledge.

Step 5: Get a state-specific license

The process of how to get a physician assistant license can take several steps. Following the completion and passing of the PANCE, SHU graduates will be qualified to work in settings across the health care industry and in all states of the nation. PAs can work in any state given they provide the health department with materials such as transcripts, PANCE scores and, in some states like Connecticut, a certification of 60 hours of didactic pharmacology instruction. Once approved, you will be a licensed PA. Upon finding employment, it is traditional to enter into a written agreement with a collaborating physician outlining delegation, prescribing authority and oversight protocols.

Looking to kickstart your physician assistant career?

SHU’s physician assistant studies program employs strategies rooted in empathy that prepare students to be kind, generous and leading health care professionals.

To learn more about SHU’s health professions graduate programs, reach out to Lea DiStasio, director of graduate admissions & recruitment, by scheduling a meeting, emailing distasiol2@sacredheart.edu or calling 203-371-7884.

Prospective international students should contact Edith Goutier, director of international admissions, by emailing goutiere@sacredheart.edu or calling +1-475-450-5714.

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