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This question is about physician assistant jobs.
Can a physician assistant become a doctor?
Yes, it is possible for a physician assistant to become a doctor after obtaining some additional training and education. Physician assistants typically begin their careers in the same way doctors do, with a four-year science degree that provides them with the foundational science and math courses they'll need to learn medicine.
Often, PAs complete exactly the same pre-medical program used by future doctors. However, while doctors go on to complete a four-year curriculum in a medical or osteopathic college, PAs complete a two-year master's degree.
While the course material is similar, physicians receive broader and deeper training and spend more time in clinical rotations. The undergraduate degree taken by PAs will usually satisfy admission requirements for a medical or osteopathic college, and some programs might offer preferential admission to PAs because of their clinical experience.
However, that experience doesn't translate into a shorter curriculum. PAs must still complete the same full four-year doctoral program as any medical or osteopathic student, as well as complete an approved residency program in their chosen field of medicine.
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