Addison
What is the best undergraduate major to pursue if I want to become a physician’s assistant one day?
#college-majors #medecine #biology
2 answers
Sheila Jordan
Sheila’s Answer
Hello Addison: Having a passion for caring for patients in the healthcare industry is an awesome career. Getting that undergraduate degree is the first step in the educational path of an aspiring physician assistant. There’s no one right bachelor’s degree to get into a physician assistant graduate program. Some schools offer undergraduate degrees in physician assistant or pre-physician assistant studies, but these majors aren’t the only, or even necessarily the best, options. Students most often pursue a major in the field of science, but the major itself is less important than completing the right prerequisites, which may include:
*Anatomy and physiology
*Biology
*Chemistry
*Mathematics or statistics
*Microbiology Medical Terminology
*Healthcare Ethics
Source:
https://www.bestdegreeprograms.org/faq/what-is-the-best-degree-path-for-becoming-a-physician-assistant
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physician-assistants.htm#tab-6
Good Luck to You!
Rachel Diamond
Rachel’s Answer
In addition to Sheila's response, I have friends who majored in Kinesiology (the study of the mechanics of body movements) and who are now PAs. While it is most common to major in a field related to math or science, it is not totally necessary. The best thing to do would be to look up the prerequisites for PA school and make sure that you have completed those courses with good grades. There are typically patient contact hours that are required to get into PA school as well. Examples include (but are not limited to): Medical Scribe, Phlebotomist, EMT.
Rachel recommends the following next steps: