Rutgers University Physician Assistant Program prerequisites

Not on Rutgers's prerequisite list. Neither general nor organic chemistry is required; the only chemistry line is biochemistry, and the guidelines refuse organic chemistry as a substitute for it.

1 semester · 3 credits

"Biochemistry (3 credits)," and it must be biochemistry: the guidelines state "We will not accept Organic Chemistry in lieu of Biochemistry," and "Introductory-level biochemistry courses will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis."

1 semester · 3 credits

Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 6 credits and list it as recommended.

"English Composition (3 credits)." The guidelines add "We will accept other courses that have a writing-intensive component." AP credit awarded by the undergraduate institution, or CLEP College Composition with a score of 50 or higher, satisfies it.

1 semester · 3 credits

"Statistics (Preferably Applied Statistics or Biostatistics from the Psychology, Biology or Math Depts.) (3 credits)." AP credit awarded by the undergraduate institution satisfies it.

1 semester · 3 credits

"General Psychology (3 credits)," and specifically the introductory course: "We will not accept upper level psychology courses in lieu of general and/or introductory psychology, unless the applicant had an undergraduate psychology major." AP credit or CLEP Introductory Psychology at 50 or higher counts.

2 semesters · 6 credits

"Additional upper-level biology coursework (6-8 credits)." The guidelines PDF says "Recommendations include: genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, embryology, histology, and/or immunology. Courses that are 200-level or higher are preferred. Courses should not be introductory-level." This block is in addition to the anatomy, physiology, microbiology and biochemistry lines.

6 credits

Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.

Two rows, "Human Anatomy (3-4 credits)" and "Physiology (3-4 credits)," and "applicants may either take Human Anatomy and Physiology as two separate subjects or take a two-semester sequence of Anatomy & Physiology I and Anatomy & Physiology II." The guidelines set the combined floor: "Combined Anatomy and Physiology courses are acceptable provided the total amount of credits is a minimum of 6." Labs are preferred, not required.

3 credits

Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 4 credits · lab.

"Microbiology (3-4 credits)." Labs are preferred but not required.

Not among the prerequisite courses Rutgers lists.

500+ hours

Required, but with no published floor: "Patient contact experience is required. The program has not established a minimum number of hours of health care experience, but the most competitive applicants will be able to document experience working directly with patients." Recommended roles "include, but are not limited to, medical assistants, nursing assistants/aides, nurses, EMTs, patient care technicians, physical therapy assistants, and hospice volunteers." Scribing counts only if the scribe did more than transcribe another provider's history. Only hours completed at submission count; projected hours are not reviewed. The FAQ's Class of 2020 table gives a median of 972 patient care hours, minimum 40, maximum 4,170; those are class figures, not a requirement.

500+ hours

No minimum. Rutgers reports "Health Related Experience" separately from patient care in its Class of 2020 table: median 576 hours, minimum 54.

20+ hours

No minimum, but familiarity with the profession is expected: "applicants to the PA Program must be able to demonstrate familiarity with the PA profession through direct experience, which is best done through shadowing," and working alongside a PA in a clinical setting also satisfies it. The screening committee looks for "in-person PA shadowing." Class of 2020 median 93.5 hours.

No published minimum

No minimum: "There are no minimum-hour requirements for healthcare experience, patient care experience, PA shadowing, or volunteer work." But the screening committee looks for "a commitment to community service," and "when the Admissions Committee considers volunteer work, we seek applicants who have shown consistent commitment to serving the community." The FAQ's Class of 2020 table gives a median of 306 volunteer hours.

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.

No PA letter is required. "Three Recommendation Forms must be completed through CASPA" from people "thoroughly familiar with their academic ability, their work ethic and professionalism, and their general characteristics," and "many of our more highly competitive applicants have recommendations by healthcare providers such as physicians and PAs."

Not mandated. Rutgers gives "an instructor, a previous employer or volunteer supervisor, a community leader, etc." as examples and names no required writer.