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PA · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · private

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Physician Assistant Program prerequisites

What PCOM Philadelphia asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 15 lines differ from the standard PA school set, marked below.

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Coursework

  • Biology with labrequiredextra here

    2 semesters · 8 credits · lab

    General Biology I and General Biology II, 4 semester credits each, "Lab required" for both. These are the first two courses in the sequence for science majors.

  • General chemistry with labrequired

    2 semesters · 8 credits · lab

    General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II, 4 semester credits each, "Lab required" for both; the first two courses in the science-major sequence.

  • Biochemistryrequired

    1 semester · 3 credits

    PCOM's advanced chemistry line: "Other Chemistry Coursework, 3. Examples: Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry." Either course satisfies it; no lab is mentioned.

  • English or writing-intensivenot required here

    No English or writing course is on PCOM's prerequisite table.

  • Statisticsnot required here

    Statistics is not required specifically. "Statistics is considered an acceptable Math course" toward the two-course, 6-credit math block recorded on the college mathematics line.

  • College mathematicsrequiredextra here

    2 semesters · 6 credits

    "Math, 6: Any two math courses (semester courses). Statistics is considered an acceptable Math course." Math prerequisites fall under the 10-year recency rule.

  • Psychologynot required here

    Psychology is not required on its own; it is one example that counts toward the 9-credit Social Sciences block.

  • Advanced biologyrequiredextra here

    1 semester · 3 credits

    "Other Biology Coursework," 3 semester credits. "Examples: Microbiology, Genetics, Cell Biology, etc." A single course cannot double-count toward another prerequisite line.

  • Anatomy and physiologyrequired

    2 semesters · 8 credits · lab

    "Anatomy and Physiology, 8: Can be taken as separate courses or combined as Anatomy and Physiology I & II. Labs required." Must be within 10 years of June enrollment.

  • Microbiologynot required here

    Not required on its own. Microbiology appears only as an example that can fill the Other Biology or Health-related Science lines.

  • Medical terminologynot required here

    Not on PCOM's prerequisite table.

  • Social sciences and humanitiesrequiredextra here

    3 semesters · 9 credits

    "Social Sciences," 9 semester credits. "Examples: Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, History, etc." Psychology is not singled out; any mix of these fills the block.

  • Additional science creditsrequiredextra here

    1 semester · 3 credits

    "Health-related Science Course or Physics," 3 semester credits. "Examples: Physics, Nutrition, Immunology, Virology, Microbiology, Genetics, Cell Biology, etc." Any one of these answers it, but the same course cannot also fill the Other Biology line.

Experience hours

  • Patient care experiencerecommendeddiffers

    500+ hours

    Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours and list it as required.

    PCOM publishes no separate patient care minimum. Its single 200-hour requirement covers "patient care and healthcare hours" together and is recorded on the healthcare experience line. Hands-on roles the program names include certified nursing assistant, phlebotomist, LPN, EMT, paramedic, physical therapy aide and mental health aide. "Selection for the PA Studies program at PCOM is very competitive" and "Successful applicants will generally exceed the minimum criteria."

  • Healthcare experiencerequireddiffers

    200+ hours

    Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours and list it as recommended.

    "Applicants must have a minimum of 200 hours of patient care and healthcare hours in volunteerism or employment in the healthcare industry, as documented through CASPA at the time of application." The program does not split patient care from healthcare experience for this number. Roles named include CNA, pharmacy technician, phlebotomist, LPN, EMT, paramedic, scribe, medical translator, physical therapy aide, patient navigator, mental health aide and behavioral health aide. "Any volunteer work or paid work in a clinical setting wherein candidates are either providing hands-on care or witnessing care first hand can be acceptable, depending on the nature of the role." "Veterinary medicine hours will not be accepted."

  • PA shadowingrecommended

    20+ hours

    No number is published. "In-person health care shadowing experiences are counted and highly recommended," and shadowing hours count toward the 200-hour healthcare requirement. PA shadowing experience is listed among the factors weighed for interview.

Letters

  • Science faculty letternot required here

    No faculty letter is asked for; the other two of the three CASPA letters are unrestricted.

  • PA letterrequireddiffers

    1 letter

    Most PA programmes publish no minimum and list it as recommended.

    "PA Studies applicants must submit three letters of recommendation. One recommendation MUST be from a physician (MD or DO), physician assistant or nurse practitioner in order to be considered for admission." A physician or nurse practitioner letter satisfies this line equally.

  • Supervisor letternot required here

    Only one of the three letters is specified, and it must come from a physician, PA or nurse practitioner. No work supervisor letter is asked for.

Also on the school’s page

PCOM publishes a semester-credit table: General Biology I and II (4 each, lab required), Other Biology Coursework (3), Anatomy and Physiology (8, labs required), General Chemistry I and II (4 each, lab required), Other Chemistry Coursework (3), Health-related Science Course or Physics (3), Social Sciences (9), and Math (6). "'General' coursework denotes the first two courses in the subject sequence for science majors." "All prerequisite coursework must be completed prior to enrollment with a grade of at least a 'C' or 2.0 on a 4.0 scale"; pass/fail is accepted only for spring and summer 2020 terms. Recency: "All science and math prerequisites must be completed within 10 years prior to June enrollment. (e.g., June 2017 or later)." "One course cannot be used to satisfy multiple prerequisite courses." AP or IB credit counts if it appears on the college transcript; CLEP and audited coursework do not. Community college credit and online courses and labs are accepted. "No more than two science/math prerequisite courses may be 'Planned or In Progress' at the time of application," and everything must be done by the end of May 2027 for June 2027 enrollment. A baccalaureate from a regionally accredited college in the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom is required before matriculation. GPA floor for interview consideration: "an undergraduate science grade point average and an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale (as calculated by CASPA)." Testing: "No, standardized test scores are not required or reviewed for admission to PCOM's Physician Assistant Studies program with the exception of English language testing," so neither the GRE nor the PA-CAT is used; TOEFL (IBT 79, speaking 26) applies to non-native speakers without an exemption. Three letters through CASPA. For the 2027-2028 academic year, "Admission to PCOM is not open to applicants who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents."

School

pcom.edu/academics/programs-and-degrees/physician-assistant-studies

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