Program Overview

Introduction to the Pre-Physician Assistant Program

The Pre-Physician Assistant program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is designed to provide students with the necessary coursework and guidance to become competitive applicants for physician assistant programs. Physician assistants work under the supervision of a physician or surgeon to provide direct patient care, and the job outlook for this profession is extremely favorable, with an expected growth of 27 percent from 2022 through 2032.

Program Overview

The program offers all the prerequisite coursework necessary for application to physician assistant programs throughout the country. The coursework is similar to a pre-med program, with a focus on sciences and math. Students should plan their schedules beginning in freshman year to ensure they can complete all the requirements in a timely manner. The graduate-level schooling to become a physician assistant typically takes two to three years after completion of four years of college.

Program Requirements

Requirements for admission to physician assistant programs vary widely, but many programs consider the following as minimal preparation for admission:

• One year of English
• Mathematics through pre-calculus and statistics
• Two to three years of chemistry, including general, organic chemistry, and biochemistry
• Several biology courses

Courses That Typically Satisfy PA School Admission Requirements

The following courses are typically required for admission to physician assistant programs:

• BIO SCI 150: Foundations of Biological Sciences I (4 credits)
• BIO SCI 152: Foundations of Biological Sciences II (4 credits)
• BIO SCI 202: Anatomy and Physiology I (4 credits)
• BIO SCI 203: Anatomy and Physiology II (4 credits)
• BIO SCI 101: General Survey of Microbiology (4 credits) or BIO SCI 383: General Microbiology
• CHEM 102: General Chemistry (5 credits)
• CHEM 104: General Chemistry and Qualitative Analysis (5 credits)
• CHEM 343: Organic Chemistry (3 credits)
• CHEM 344: Organic Chemistry Laboratory (2 credits)
• CHEM 345: Organic Chemistry (3 credits)
• CHEM 501: Introduction to Biochemistry (3 credits)
• PSYCH 101: Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)
• CHPS 222: Language of Medicine (3 credits)
• Math: one semester of pre-calculus or calculus (4 credits)
• Statistics: any statistics course (3 credits)

Program Type and Format

The Pre-Physician Assistant program is a pre-professional program, and the format is on-campus.

Additional Information

Pre-professional programs are not majors, and students must still choose a major. The most common majors for students planning a career as a physician assistant are biology, biochemistry, chemistry, or neuroscience. By choosing a pre-professional designation, students are assigned to a specialty advisor who will provide guidance in becoming the most competitive applicant possible for a graduate healthcare program.