Advising and Resources Center
Physician Assistant Prerequisites
Below is a summary of prerequisite requirements for Physician Assistant programs in California. It is essential for you to see a pre-health professional advisor if you are interested in becoming a physician assistant. An advisor can provide important details of the program planning process and recommend specific courses.
You are also advised to check the school websites (to the right) to learn more about these programs and other possible prerequisite requirements.
| Class | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| English | One Semester | Keck, Western, and Loma Linda require two semesters. Samuel Merritt and Touro have no specific English requirements. |
| Anatomy +Lab |
One Semester | |
| Physiology +Lab |
One Semester |
|
| Microbiology +Lab |
One Semester |
|
| General Chemistry +Lab |
One to two semesters | Stanford and Davis, high school chemistry can also meet this prerequisite requirement. |
| College Algebra |
Keck, Samuel Merritt, and Touro require statistics. Western requires both algebra and statistics. Loma Linda requires algebra with statitics recommended. | |
| Psychology | One semester | At Touro either psychology or sociology are acceptable. |
| Sociology | One semester | Cultural anthropology can also satisfy this requirement at many schools. |
Most competitive applicants will have a minimum of 1000-3000 hours of "hands-on" direct patient contact.
| Class | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Statistics | One semester | (see above) |
| Spanish | Strongly recommended at Western. Two semesters required at Keck. | |
| General Biology | Samuel Merritt and Keck | |
| Organic Chemistry |
Samuel Merritt | |
| Speech | San Joaquin Valley | |
| Genetics | Western | |
| Humanities | Western requires 9 units. |