Physician Assistants (PAs) practice medicine under the supervision of a physician and can practice and prescribe medicine in all 50 states. They diagnose, examine, prescribe, treat and perform surgeries. Though they work under the supervision of a physician, they are often the primary care provider. PAs are trained as generalists in medicine, but also work in specialty areas such as orthopedics, emergency medicine, cardiology and dermatology.
Physician assistant programs are typically two- to three-year programs after completing a bachelor’s degree. ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ’s physician assistant program is a three year program once students enter the professional phase. Undergraduates in the biomedical sciences program at Marquette can apply as early as sophomore year to the program, and if accepted, would enter the three year professional program after their sophomore year. Interested applicants should visit Marquette's Department of Physician Assistant Studies.
Upon completion of prerequisites, students can apply to ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ’s PA program as sophomores, juniors, seniors or graduates. Admission is not guaranteed, but preference is given to ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ students. Students interested in applying for the PA program are encouraged to begin working or volunteering in a health care setting with patients as soon as possible.
A major component of gaining acceptance to physician assistant programs is the number of clinical hours a student has accrued. ÃÛÌÒÓ°Ïñ’s program requires a minimum of 200 hours, and some program require many more. While 200 is the minimum, students are encouraged to do much more than the minimum amount of clinical hours.
