PA · Orange City, Iowa · private
Northwestern College Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What Northwestern College asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 10 lines differ from the standard PA school set, marked below.
Coursework
- General chemistry with labnot required here
Northwestern names no general chemistry requirement. Its chemistry asks are organic chemistry and biochemistry, and general chemistry will still be the practical prerequisite for those at most institutions.
- Organic chemistry with labrequiredextra here
3 credits
Organic chemistry is required here alongside biochemistry, not as an alternative to it. Minimum 3 credits, B- or better, no lab component required.
- Biochemistryrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
Required in its own right, not as an either or with organic chemistry. Minimum 3 credits, B- or better.
- English or writing-intensivenot required here
Not among the eight named prerequisites.
- Statisticsrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
Statistics, not calculus. The exception is regional: several Oklahoma and Texas programs require college algebra instead and do not count statistics, so check those individually.
- Psychologyrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
General psychology. Many programs fold it into a broader social or behavioural science block that sociology or anthropology also satisfies.
- Geneticsrequiredextra here
1 semester · 3 credits
One of the eight named prerequisites, minimum 3 credits, B- or better. An uncommon PA requirement. No lab needed and the course may be taken online.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequireddiffers
6 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
Human Anatomy and Human Physiology are listed as two separate courses at a "minimum of 3 credits each," so 6 credits total rather than the usual 8. No lab is required and the coursework may be completed online. These are two of the three courses carrying the five year recency window.
- Microbiologyrequireddiffers
3 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 4 credits · lab.
Minimum 3 credits, B- or better, no lab required. The third course subject to the five year recency window, waivable up to ten years with evidence of current application.
- Medical terminologynot required here
Not among the eight named prerequisites.
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerequired
500+ hours
"Minimum of 500 hours of patient care experience," and the front loaded part matters: "100 of the 500 hours must be completed by the time of application." You cannot leave the whole total to be finished later.
- Healthcare experiencerecommended
500+ hours
Many programs publish one combined healthcare figure instead of splitting patient care from healthcare exposure; where they do, the number lands here. Median published minimum is 500 hours.
- PA shadowingrequireddiffers
16+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 20+ hours and list it as recommended.
Required, not recommended: "Minimum of 16 hours of shadowing with a PA," of which "8 of the 16 hours must be completed by the time of application." It must be a PA.
Letters
- Science faculty letterrecommended
No published minimum
Only a handful of programs require a science faculty letter by name. An academic letter is welcome nearly everywhere and mandatory almost nowhere.
- PA letternot required here
No PA letter is named. Three letters are required and may come from healthcare professionals, previous employers or academic references.
- Supervisor letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
Three letters minimum, with the writer left open: "Letters can be from healthcare professionals, previous employers, academic references, etc." Family members are excluded. A patient care supervisor fits the second category but is not demanded.
Also on the school’s page
Northwestern's prerequisite list is eight courses and no more: "Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Microbiology, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Genetics, Psychology, Statistics," each a "minimum of 3 credits" and each "completed with a B- or better from a regionally accredited United States institution." Two things make this list unusual. First, the grade bar is a B- rather than the usual C, and the GPA bar is high: "Overall and science GPAs of 3.3 or higher on a 4.0 scale as calculated by CASPA." Second, labs are optional throughout: "Coursework can be completed online and does not need a lab component," though laboratory components are "highly encouraged" to strengthen preparation. There is no general chemistry and no general biology requirement. Recency applies to three courses only: "Anatomy, physiology and microbiology pre-requisites within 5 years of their projected enrollment date," with older coursework needing a waiver that demonstrates current application of the knowledge, considered up to 10 years back. On testing the program is explicit: "The GRE & Casper exams are NOT required." The PA-CAT is not mentioned. A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution is required, along with a 100 dollar non-refundable supplemental application fee, and applicants who have previously attended a PA or graduate medical program are not eligible.
Check your transcript against this list
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