Pre-Physician Assistant/Associate courses
2024-25 catalog edits in-progress
Advisor:
TIERNEY R. BROSIUS, Associate Professor (Biology)
B.S., Wayne State College; M.S. & Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Augustana's pre-physician assistant advising program prepares students for the entrance requirements to any physician assistant graduate program in the country.
Besides taking challenging coursework in biology, chemistry and physics, Augustana pre-physician assistant students are encouraged to take advantage of the college's strong liberal arts foundation by taking classes in other areas of interest. Beyond their requirements of a Bachelor of Arts degree and strong science curriculum, pre-physician assistant programs may give consideration to students with a broader, well- rounded education.
Pre-Physician Assistant program outline
The following courses should be completed by the end of the first year:
Chemistry 131, 132 (General Chemistry)
First-Year Inquiry (FYI) 101 and 102
First-Year J Term course
Foreign Language 101, 102 if needed (less than 4 years of high school language)
Biology 130 (Molecules to Cells)* or Biology 140 (Organisms to Ecosystems)*
Summer after First Year:
Take Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Class or EMT class. This can be taken at a local community college near hometown. ALL schools require clinical hours (i.e. direct patient care); most programs require a minimum of 1,000-2,000 hours.
The following courses should be completed by the end of second year:
Biology 130 (Molecules to Cells)* and Biology 140 (Organisms to Ecosystems)*
Chemistry 321,322 (Organic Chemistry) *Organic Chemistry is not required for all PA schools. Most schools only require a single semester. However, since many schools also require Biochemistry, the prerequisite being two semesters of Organic, you will need to enroll in a full year of Organic Chemistry to take Biochemistry at Augustana.
Biology 250 (Genetics)*-BIOL 130 is a prerequisite
Psychology 100 (Intro to Psychology)
Psychology 240 (Psych. Stats) or Math 130 (Statistics for Health professionals) Calculus is NOT required, however a few PA schools require one math course. these courses fulfill that requirement.
The following courses should be completed by the end of the third and fourth year:
Biology 250 (Genetics)*(if it was not taken during the first year)-BIOL 130 is a prerequisite
Biology 360 (Comparative Physiology) or Biology 362 (Human Physiology)
Biology 343 (Microbiology)
Biology 351 (Human Anatomy)
Chemistry 441 (Biochemistry I)* if schools you are considering require it
Senior Inquiry Course- in Biology or another major; if done in a different major, then replace with another biology elective
Additional courses currently needed for some Physician Assistant Schools:
Additional courses currently needed for some Physician Assistant schools: Biology 345 (Immunology), Communication Studies-100, Public Speaking, Argumentation and Oral Advocacy, or Business & Professional Communication, Psychology-216 (Human Development), Psychology-224 (Psychological Disorders)
The Augustana physician's assistant program is not a graduation major, so a departmental major must be completed if the student intends to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree. The choice of graduation major is not critical for acceptance by a PA school, but the majority of students matriculating in PA programs have a major in the biological sciences, public health, or psychology. The Augustana PA – advising program covers the requirements of most graduate programs but due to the differences between programs students need to be aware of the entrance requirements for their top choice schools.