2. Career Choice
• I first decided I wanted to go into the medical field at
the age of 12. Science was my passion in school and I
was especially fascinated with how the human body
worked. Being able to apply that knowledge to cure
others seems like a major positive for my life. I have
recently decided on the profession of physician
assistant because of the great job growth and the
ability to be multi-dimensional. Physician assistants
can work in many different facets of health care
when they graduate. This is important to me because
I am not sure what specific area I would like to enter
yet. I believe that the career choice will be a great
one for my life.
3. History of Physician Assistants
• Created to improve and expand healthcare
• Mid 1960’s- shortage of general practitioners
• Naval men returning from the Vietnam War were
positioned to become the first PA’s because of their
extensive medical backgrounds
• First ever PA class graduated from Duke University in
1967
• PA school was based on fast track programs used for
medical personnel in World War II
• Today the profession has seen an enormous boom and
is recognized in all 50 states
4. Physician Assistant School 1- Baylor
College of Medicine
• Minimum GPA required- 3.0
• Average GPA of applicants- 3.7
• Hours of Patient Contact Care Required- 0
• GRE score required- 153 (verbal), 144
(quantitative)
• Number of Letters of Recommendation- 3
• Specific Requirement- Basic Life Support
Certification needed
• Application deadline- TBA
• Tuition per year- $31,471
5. Physician Assistant School 2-
Philadelphia University
• Minimum GPA required- 3.25
• Hours of Patient Contact Care Required- 200
• GRE score required- not specified
• Number of letters of recommendation- 3
• Specific Requirement- Medical Terminology
class required
• Application Deadline- 9/1/15
• Tuition per year- $39,510
6. Physician Assistant School 3- Nova
Southeastern University (Orlando)
• Minimum GPA required- 3.0
• Hours of patient contact care required- 0
• GRE score required- not specified
• Number of letters of recommendation- 3
• Specific Requirements- Basic Life Support
certification needed
• Application Deadline- 12/1/15
• Tuition per year- not specified
7. Physician Assistant School 4- Butler
University
• Minimum GPA required- 3.4
• Hours of patient contact required- 0
• GRE score required- 300
• Number of letters of recommendation- 2
• Specific requirements- none
• Application deadline- 8/1/15
• Tuition per year- $40,000
8. Physician Assistant School 5- Elon
University
• Minimum GPA required- 3.2
• Average GPA of applicants- 3.6
• Hours of patient contact required- 250
• GRE score required- 297
• Number of letters of recommendation- 3
• Specific requirements- none
• Application deadline- 11/1/15
• Tuition per year- $35,720
9. Why Physician Assistant?
• Average Salary- $92,970
• Growth rate- 38% (faster than average)
• Less time than a MD spent in school
• Less money than a MD spent on school
• Work as a team rather than independent
• Not as much liability
• Can choose any specialty of healthcare to
work in after being certified
10. My Relevant Traits
• Responsible
• Competitive
• Social
• Desire to learn
• Cooperative
• Ambitious
• Motivated
11. O*Net Profile
• Top interest- Investigative
– This fits with my career as a physician assistant as it means I like
to explore and learn about the human body. I am not content
with sitting around, and I like to always continue learning.
• Second highest interest- Social
– Being social is a huge part of working in the healthcare field.
Having this interest in my top two fits really well because I want
to be able to socialize and make patients feel welcome.
• Job Zone- 5
– Being in job zone 5 means that I need extensive preparation to
be able to fill my career goals. This job zone is a good fit for me
because I will have to get my master’s degree at an accredited
physician assistant school.
12. Backup Plan
• Take a couple years off and get my
phlebotomy certification
• Save money and gain more valuable patient
contact hours
• Re-apply for physician assistant schools when
the time comes
13. Conclusion and Thoughts
• Overall, I think I would be an excellent fit to be
a physician assistant. I love working in a team
environment and I would love the opportunity
to be able to use science to help people. Being
committed and cooperative, as well as having
good social skills would make me a valuable
asset to any medical team. The job has a great
outlook salary and growth wise and seems like
a perfect fit for me. I cannot wait to get
started with physician assistant school and be
able to start reaching my goals.
14. Works Cited
• “Summary.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics. Web. 18 May 2015.
• “Physician Assistant Program.” Baylor College of Medicine. Web. 18
May 2015.
• “Physician Assistant Studies.” Philadelphia University. Web. 18 May
2015.
• “Physician Assistant Program- Orlando.” Nova Southeastern
University. Web. 18 May 2015.
• “Admissions.” Butler University. Web. 18 May 2015
• “Admissions Information.” Elon University. Web. 18 May 2015
• “History of the Profession.” Physician
Associate Program. 9 Oct. 2013. Web. 18 May
2015.
