Combat Medic To Physicians Assistant?
I have been attending University Of Phoenix. I am currently in the NG as a medic. I was wondering what are the requirements to go to PA school. How many credits do you need before hand.
I have been attending University Of Phoenix. I am currently in the NG as a medic. I was wondering what are the requirements to go to PA school. How many credits do you need before hand.
Comments
First off, you need the typical Pre-Med undergraduate requirements, like 1 yr. General Chemistry, 1 yr. Organic Chemistry/Biochemistry, 1 yr. General Biology, Math through Intro. Calculus, Microbiology...the usual stuff.
Then you need to find a BS in PA program...there are fewer and fewer of them.
The current trend is for one to get an MS in PA...which requires a BA/BS for admission.
PAs are commissioned in the Biomedical Sciences (the same branch that commissions us Psychologists) in the USAF. Here is a link...
http://dosomethingamazing.com/opportunities/health...
Here are the educational requirements:
"Education. For entry into this specialty, graduation from a Physician’s Assistant Training Program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education programs (CAAHEP) and acceptable to the Surgeon General, USAF, is mandatory. Certification by the national Committee on Certification of Physician Assistants is required. "
EDIT: Cecilia is correct for BS/PA programs, but you will need a BA/BS for admission to MS/PA programs.
Iconnor provided an excellent link for PA requirements. Know that for ANY PA program, to include the Army's or a civilian program, you need about 60 credits of pre-requisites completed by the time you are applying for PA school. Check into whichever PA school you plan to attend to make sure you take the right pre-req's. While most require the same or similar, you just want to check and be sure so that you don't waste time and money on a class that won't be considered.
EDIT: Thanks Yggdrasil for providing the additional important details!
Also, yearly you need to complete 40 or 50 CME hours. The Army has a PA course which I am doing... Draw back, you need a lot of books yourself for it. All they send are the tests.
http://www.usarec.army.mil/armypa/