Is it hard to become a physician assistant?

Application to PA school is highly competitive, so completing all of your prerequisites before applying to a program is critical. The majority of PA programs have the following prerequisites -- Chemistry, Physiology, Anatomy, Microbiology, Biology, and some PA programs may also require prior health care experience with hands-on patient care.

Most programs are approximately 26 months (three academic years) and award master's degrees. They include classroom instruction and clinical rotations.

A PA student will take courses such as anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, physical diagnosis, pathophysiology, microbiology, clinical laboratory science, behavioral science, and medical ethics.

In addition to the course work, PA students are expected to have more than 2,000 hours of clinical rotations, with an emphasis on primary care in ambulatory clinics, physician offices, and acute or long-term care facilities.

Once you've graduated from an accredited PA program, you're eligible to take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

If you pass the PANCE and maintain your certification, you may use the title Physician Assistant-Certified or PA-C.