Pre-Physician Assistant
Essential Courses
| Course # | Title | Credit Hours | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|---|
| BI 105 | Biological Diversity and Ecology | 3 | None |
| BI 121 | Biology Lab I | 1 | BI 105 (corequisite) |
| BI 106 | Structure and Function of Cells and Organisms | 3 | BI 105 and CH 105 |
| BI 122 | Biology Lab II | 1 | BI 105 and BI 121(prerequisites) |
| CH 105 | Organic Chemistry Concepts I | 3 | None |
| CH 116 | Organic Chemistry Lab I | 1 | CH 106 (corequisite) |
| CH 106 | Organic Chemistry Concepts II | 3 | CH 105 (with C or better) |
| CH 118 | Organic Chemistry Lab II | 1 | CH 106 |
| BI 207 | Dynamics Of Biological Processes | 4 | BI 106, CH 106, and CH232 |
| CH 232 | Intro to Inorganic Chemistry | 4 | CH 105 and CH 116 |
| CH 250 | Analytical Chemistry* | 4 | CH 232 |
| MA 220 | Intro. to Probability & Statistics | 4 | MA 130 |
| OR | |||
| BI 305 | Biostatistics | 4 | BI 106 or EES 100 |
| OR | |||
| ND SS 214 | Statistics for Social Sciences | 4 | None |
| BI 231 | Microbiology I | 3 | BI 106 and CH 106; BI 232 (corequisite) |
| BI 232 | Microbiology I Lab | 1 | BI 231 (corequisite) |
| OR | |||
| BI 331 | Microbiology II | 3 | BI 207; BI 332 (corequisite) |
| BI 332 | Microbiology II Lab | 1 | BI 331 (corequisite) |
| BI 310 | Physiology | 4 | BI 207 |
| BI 367 | Comparative Anatomy | 3 | BI 106 and BI 122; BI 368 (corequisite) |
| BI 368 | Comparative Anatomy Laboratory | 1 | BI 367 (corequisite) |
| PY 101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 | None |
| EN____ | English course (in addition to CWS) | 3 | Varies |
*Not Required for St. Francis but is a prerequite for many schools. Check websites.
Statistics is preferred, but Calculus I, Precalculus, or Linear Algebra will also be accepted
Important Notes:
- Strongly recommend Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Genetics, foreign language (especially Spanish), medical terminology, and Ethics of Health Care. Also recommend Immunology, environmental science, Human Sexuality, history, religion, business courses, economics, art, and Communication courses.
- These courses reflect broad-based program requirements for schools in Pennsylvania. Although this course list will be sufficient for most other programs, make sure to check requirements of schools in which you are interested no later than your sophomore year.
- This course list does NOT represent a POE, nor does it cover College requirements. Design a POE in consultation with your advisor.
- Make sure to have an advisor on the Health Professions Committee, preferably Dr. Debra Kirchhof-Glazier.
- In addition to your course work you are urged to gain some experience shadowing a physician assistant either during the school year or over the summer.
- There are both bachelors and master's programs. The profession is moving toward the master's degree, but currently have no vocational advantages.
- If you study abroad the SAFEST strategy is to take ALL prerequisite courses for professional school in the U.S., which may require you to take courses in the U.S. over the summer, preferably at a 4 year institution. However, if this is extremely difficult for your situation, check with the professional schools you wish to attend to see if they will accept courses taken abroad and if so, get their response in writing. Also if you have a Biology POE and will not have BI 207 by the time you go abroad, check with the Biology Department to see if there is a Cell and Molecular course you can take abroad that will enable you to take upper level biology offerings at Juniata your senior year that require BI 207 (ex. Physiology, Immunology, and Microbiology).
Requirements
St. Francis
Regular Progression (4 years at Juniata) OR 4 + 2 B.S./M.P.A.S. Program
| Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| Chemistry with Lab | 8 |
| Anatomy and Physiology with Labs | 8 |
| Microbiology with Lab | 4 |
| Psychology | 3 |
| Statistics (or upper level math) | 3 |
| On-line medical terminology course (available through St. Francis) no later than fall of the year before matriculation at St. Francis |
Competitive Credentials:
For programs in general: Science GPA and overall GPA of 3.4-3.5. 500-1000 hours of "hands-on" health care experience for many programs (exs. nurse's aide, hospital volunteer, EMT; some schools do not count "shadowing") ; for master's programs GRE combined score of 1000 or better in the verbal and quantitative sections or an MCAT of 24-25
For our agreement with St. Francis: GPA of 3.0 overall and 3.0 in prerequisite courses with no less than a C in any given course and a B or better in the Fall online course in Medical Terminology at St. Francis (PA 200; register no later than August 15th of the summer before senior year); Health care experience encouraged but not required. GRE not required. ONLY 2 GUARANTEED SEATS; You must identify your interest in the 4 + 2 Program NO LATER than the second semester of the SOPHOMORE YEAR and the overall GPA and prerequisite course work in progress must be at least 3.0 by the end of the sophomore year. For transfer students, St. Francis prerequisite courses taken at the student's former institution(s) MUST transfer to Juniata to count toward St. Francis requirements; all additional prerequisite course work must be taken at Juniata or St. Francis. IF YOU APPLY TO THE 4 + 2 PROGRAM YOU CANNOT APPLY TO ANY OTHER PROGRAMS. Therefore, this affiliation is only for students for whom St. Francis is their first choice. The 4 + 2 students send their transcript and a Letter of Intent (with their full name, address, phone number, social security number, and date of birth) to St. Francis, accompanied by a letter of endorsement from the Health Professions Director, the fall of their junior year. The only additional requirement for application is a supportive Committee letter that is sent the summer after their junior year; Applicants NOT in the 4 + 2 program apply through CASPA during the summer or early fall of the year prior to their intended year of matriculation.
ALL PREREQUISITE courses MUST be taken at either St. Francis or Juniata College unless a prerequisite course was taken prior to matriculation at Juniata. If you take a prerequisite course abroad that is given credit and a grade on your transcript at Juniata, St. Francis will accept it.
Helpful websites:
Physician Assistant Education Association - www.paeaonline.org
American Academy of Physician Assistants - http://www.aapa.org
St. Francis University - http://www.francis.edu/MPAShome.htm
General Information: http://www.explorehealthcareers.org/en/Index.aspx
SUGGESTED CORE PROGRESSION FOR Pre-PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT*
*If you are planning to study abroad or if you are in accelerated program consult with your Health Professions advisor to plan your course progression
Bolded courses are offered only in the indicated semester and/or require a specific sequence due to Juniata prerequisites. Non-bolded courses are either offered in both semesters or represent open-ended choices, making them more flexible in when they can be taken.
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Freshman Year | Bi 105 | Biology Lab II |
| Biology Lab I | Organic Chemistry Concepts II (if C or better in OCC I) | |
| Organic Chem Concepts I | Organic Chem Lab I | |
| Psychology |
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Sophomore Year | BI 106 | BI 207 |
| Introduction to Inorganic Chemistry | English course | |
| Organic Chemistry Lab II |
| FALL | SPRING | |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Year | Statistics | Anatomy and Lab |
| Physiology | Analytical Chemistry (not required for St. Francis) |
|
| Microbiology and Lab* | ||
| GRE Exam Preparation** | GRE Exam Preparation |
*Microbiology I/Lab or Microbiology II/Lab could be taken in the fall of your senior year. Consult with your health professions advisor.
**Both semesters of the year that you plan to take the exam.
