Prerequisite Course Selection

[DC45]

Hello all,

This is my first post so forgive me if I don't follow proper etiquette. I am just starting the second semester of my freshman year, as well as pre-PA courses (English and BIOL 1). I am starting to look at different PA schools to decide what courses to take but am having a hard time deciding, due to the wide variety of requirements. Is there a recommended set of courses to take that will be acceptable by most schools or do you have to pick and choose each course according to school? Thanks in advance!

 

[rev ronin]

There isn't one anywhere, but you can make one for all the schools you want to attend.

 

Someone, sometime, could probably put together a probabilities list. For example, 90% of PA schools require statistics, but only 70% require OChem, and only 25% require two semesters of OChem.

 

Here's what I would recommend for everyone:

* Intro Stats. Calc if you feel like the medschool-lite PA programs.

* General Psych, Lifespan/Developmental psych, Abnormal psych.

* Full year of general chemistry.  1-2 terms of Ochem. Biochem.

* Full year of majors biology. A&P full series. Microbiology. 

* Medical terminology

* Enough computer courses to demonstrate you know what you're doing.

* As much additional biology and related courses as you can stomach.  Pathology, nutrition, pharmacology... anything upper division that requires one of the other courses listed.

* Calculus-based physics if you want to go to a medschool-lite program.

 

Beyond that, my personal recommendations would include

* More statistics

* More science.  Algebra-based physics if you didn't opt for calculus-based physics. 

* Humanities!  Especially philosophy, ethics, religion.  History won't hurt, either.

* More Languages.  Spanish or whatever your targeted underserved population is. Greek and Latin will help with terminology, but aren't particularly practical choices.

* Billing/coding, maybe general accounting.

* Whatever else you think will make you a better, more well rounded practitioner.

[UGoLong]

The list of what schools require does vary, and sometimes by a lot. I did a year of Ochem (with the lab) and ended up going to school that didn't require it at all. Still, nothing you learn is ever lost and I'm glad that I took at least some of that. We made and tested our own antibiotics, which was cool.

 

I would suggest that you pick a few places you might want to go and build your own list. When you get within a year of applying, revisit the schools you are then interested in and revisit the class list.

 

If you follow any list we give you, you might end up upset that we either missed something important or sent you on a wild goose chase.

[DC45]

Thank you both for your responses. I will be sure to put together a list of courses together according to my school selection. Also, I did a search on "medschool-lite programs" but got no results. Could you elaborate please? 

[Z PA-C]

Also, I did a search on "medschool-lite programs" but got no results. Could you elaborate please? 

That is the cutest thing I've read all day. :D

 

But yes, stats, calc, anatomy+lab, physio+lab, micro+lab, psych, sociology, 1 yr english, 1 yr gen chem, ochem, biochem, 1 yr gen bio should do the trick. Many schools recommend medical terminology and Spanish

[rev ronin]

There are three groups of PA schools, in my opinion. My examples are from the Pacific Northwest, because that's where I am and what I explored:

* HCE heavy, science light.  UW MEDEX is like this.

* HCE light, science heavy.  OHSU is like this; it essentially requires close to what you need to get into medical school... only more in certain areas.

* Balanced programs, which require moderate amounts of each. Pacific is one example of this approach.

 

There is no formal delineation between them; they're really representative points on a continuum.

[DC45]

Thank you all for your information, it is greatly appreciated.