PA · Portland, Oregon · public
Oregon Health & Science University Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What OHSU asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 12 lines differ from the standard PA school set, marked below.
Coursework
- Biology with labrequiredextra here
6 credits
"Complete two biology courses, minimum 3 credits each (semester or quarter)." General biology, cell or molecular biology and genetics are accepted; not accepted: "Microbiology (separate requirement), Anatomy and Physiology (separate requirement), Plant biology, Marine biology, Environmental science." "We recommend labs but do not require them." "AP and IB credit accepted if shown as a biology credit on your college transcript."
- General chemistry with labrequireddiffers
6 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
"Complete two chemistry courses, minimum 3 credits each (semester or quarter)." General, inorganic, organic and biochemistry are all accepted; plant and environmental chemistry are not. "We recommend labs but do not require them." "AP and IB credit accepted if shown as chemistry course credit."
- Biochemistrynot required here
Not required on its own. Biochemistry counts as one of the two chemistry courses and is listed among beneficial additional science courses.
- English or writing-intensivenot required here
Not on OHSU's prerequisite list.
- Statisticsrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
Statistics or biostatistics, one course, minimum 3 credits. "AP and IB credit accepted if shown as a statistics credit."
- Psychologyrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
One course, minimum 3 credits: general, intro, social, human development, or adult development and aging psychology; "Abnormal psychology (accepted but not preferred)." AP and IB accepted if shown as course credit.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
"Option A: Two semester courses (or three quarter courses) of combined human anatomy and physiology with lab. Option B: One semester of human anatomy with lab plus one semester of human physiology with lab." "All anatomy and combined anatomy and physiology courses must include a lab"; "We will consider physiology without a lab if your school did not offer one." No credit count is stated. "Finish your anatomy and physiology course within five years of your start date. If your last course was over five years ago, you must take a refresher," meaning one term of combined A&P with lab or separate anatomy and physiology lab courses.
- Microbiologyrequireddiffers
3 credits · lab
Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 4 credits · lab.
One course, minimum 3 credits: "We require a lab and will accept an online lecture with a lab." AP and IB credit are not accepted here. International students must complete it at an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution.
- Medical terminologyrecommended
1 credits
Listed among "Other beneficial courses: Epidemiology, Medical terminology, Spanish language course(s), Other courses relevant to healthcare practice." Optional.
- Additional science creditsrequiredextra here
10 semesters · 30 credits
"Complete a minimum of 30 semester or 40 quarter BCP credits": "any biology, chemistry or physics courses related to medical, human or animal sciences," excluding plant, marine, environmental and similar disciplines. "Prerequisite courses listed below can count toward the credit requirement," so the named prerequisites are part of the 30. International students must complete 20 semester or 30 quarter of these hours at an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution.
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerequireddiffers
1000+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours.
"You need a minimum of 2,000 hours of healthcare experience by the time you apply, completed within the last 10 years." "Most of your 2,000 hours should involve direct patient care. Up to 1,000 hours can be related to healthcare," so at least 1,000 of the 2,000 must be direct patient care; this line and the healthcare experience line together make the 2,000. Direct patient care roles named: medical assistant, EMT, paramedic, CNA I or II, RN, ER tech, hospital tech positions such as ultrasound and patient care techs, phlebotomist, medic or corpsman, clinical dietitian, physical therapy aide. Paid or volunteer counts; shadowing, hours earned as a student for credit or certification, and hours more than 10 years old do not. "Applicants should report only the healthcare experience hours completed at the time they submit the application."
- Healthcare experiencerequireddiffers
1000+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours and list it as recommended.
The healthcare-related share of OHSU's 2,000 hour minimum: "Up to 1,000 hours can be related to healthcare." Direct patient care hours beyond 1,000 fill this share too, so the two lines together must reach 2,000. Healthcare-related roles named: scribe, lab assistant or medical laboratory scientist, Peace Corps volunteer, clinical research assistant, community health researcher, medical technologist, newborn hearing screener, care coordinator, clinic receptionist, office manager or scheduler, patient transport, medical interpreter, pharmacy technician. Within the last 10 years.
- PA shadowingrecommended
20+ hours
"Shadowing (helpful for career exploration but does not count toward hours)." No number is published.
Letters
- Science faculty letternot required here
The preferred academic source is "an academic advisor, instructor or professor," with no science restriction; recorded on the any-discipline faculty line.
- Faculty letter (any discipline)recommendedextra here
1 letter
"We do not require letters from specific sources, but we prefer letters from: A physician associate (PA) or physician (MD or DO), A current or former work supervisor, An academic source, such as an academic advisor, instructor or professor." The academic source is this line, any discipline.
- PA letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
Preferred, not required: "A physician associate (PA) or physician (MD or DO)." An MD or DO letter fills the same preferred slot. Three letters required through CASPA, up to five more optional.
- Supervisor letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
Preferred, not required: "A current or former work supervisor."
Also on the school’s page
OHSU's prerequisites: two biology courses and two chemistry courses of at least 3 credits each (semester or quarter), one microbiology course with lab of at least 3 credits, one psychology course of at least 3 credits, one statistics or biostatistics course of at least 3 credits, and human anatomy and physiology with lab ("Option A: Two semester courses (or three quarter courses) of combined human anatomy and physiology with lab. Option B: One semester of human anatomy with lab plus one semester of human physiology with lab"). On top of the named courses, "Complete a minimum of 30 semester or 40 quarter BCP credits." Recency applies only to A&P: "Finish your anatomy and physiology course within five years of your start date. If your last course was over five years ago, you must take a refresher." "You need at least a C (2.0) in each prerequisite course"; "A grade of 'P' (pass) or 'S' (satisfactory) meets prerequisite requirements. Your transcript must show that the passing grade equals a C or higher. We do not accept a passing grade of C-." "You can apply with courses in progress. List any unfinished prerequisites as 'in progress'," and "You must complete all prerequisite courses with a grade of C (2.0) or higher before your program starts." "We prefer in-person courses but will accept online courses and labs from accredited schools." AP and IB credit are accepted for biology, chemistry, psychology and statistics when shown as course credit on a college transcript, not for microbiology. The page also lists beneficial but optional coursework: 300-400 level biology and chemistry beyond the prerequisites; genetics, biochemistry, pharmacology, pathophysiology, immunology; epidemiology, medical terminology, Spanish. The requirements page (https://www.ohsu.edu/school-of-medicine/physician-assistant/requirements) adds: "You must have a bachelor's degree to apply," any major; minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and minimum 3.0 BCP GPA; "You need a minimum of 2,000 hours of healthcare experience by the time you apply, completed within the last 10 years," paid or volunteer, with shadowing and hours earned as a student for credit or certification excluded; "Submit three letters of recommendation through your CASPA application. You may submit up to five additional letters, but they are not required." On testing, the admissions page (https://www.ohsu.edu/school-of-medicine/physician-assistant/admissions) says "The PA program does not require GRE scores for admission"; no PA-CAT or CASPer is mentioned. The deadline is August 1, 2026 at 8:59 p.m. PT, and "CASPA must verify your application by the deadline. We do not grant exceptions." Selection weighs mission fit, including growing up in a rural or frontier environment, commitment to underserved communities, and veterans and active military.
School
ohsu.edu/paCheck your transcript against this list
Cyclios keeps this list beside your coursework and tells you what OHSU still needs from you.
See it for PA school