Don't Stress!
Picking a major that will prepare you for physician assistant school can seem very daunting at first. You may have always wanted to be a PA or you may have just decided half way through college. The first thing to remember is not to stress over this. Your college major will not make or break your chances at getting into PA school. Here are a few guidelines to remember when picking a major or evaluating if this major is right for you.
Prerequisites are Most Important
Your major is not very important, what is important is doing well in the required pre-requisite courses for PA school. You can use our school database to determine what courses you need to take during undergrad or in a post-baccalaureate program.
Be sure to make a plan for getting all your PA courses done. Make an excel spreadsheet with all the courses you need broken down and scheduled into each semester.
Search PA Schools by Prerequisites
Choosing a Major
Pick something you are genuinely passionate about. If you have always loved language and want to be a Spanish major, that is completely fine! So long as you have the time to finish your pre-requisite courses or have decided to take the courses after you graduate, you’re golden.
Sometimes being a non-science major can set you apart. For example, being a sociology major would make you stand out because you understand the sociologic drivers of health in society.
A Note for Kinesiology Majors
Beware Kinesiology majors. They offer many of the same courses that you will need for PA school, but many schools will not accept Kinesiology courses for your pre-requisite courses. For example, many schools would accept anatomy and physiology from the Biology Department, but not from the Kinesiology department. You can absolutely be a kinesiology major, but you may need to retake the courses in the college of arts and sciences at your school.
