What degree do you need to be a physician assistant?

Common undergraduate degrees for physician assistants include:

• Biology

• Psychology

• Sociology

• Nutrition

Students typically need undergraduate coursework in biochemistry, organic chemistry, immunology, pathophysiology, genetics, and molecular or cellular biology for admission to a physician assistant's master's program.

Many master's programs also require applicants to hold previous healthcare experience. Some schools offer dual BS/MS physician assistant programs, which is a great way for students to save time and money.

All candidates for physician assistant careers will need to complete the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination, also called PANCE, which is administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). When you pass this exam, you can legally use the designation Physician Assistant-Certified, or "PA-C" for short.

To even be eligible for the exam, you will have to graduate from an accredited school. To take the test, you will have to submit an application and a $500 payment in advance. You may schedule the exam anytime within 180 days after payment.

The examination will involve many different topics related to the profession. The test takes five hours to complete and includes 300 multiple-choice questions that are given in five blocks of 60 questions. You will also have a total allotment of 45 minutes for breaks during your testing.

You will have six years after completing schooling to pass the exam. During these six years, you may take the test up to six times if needed. If you take the test six times and fail, or if the six years after graduation is completed, you will be ineligible to take the test again. If this happens, you will have to redo the entire program.