Saint Catherine University Physician Assistant Program prerequisites

General chemistry is not itself a prerequisite. St. Catherine asks instead for the full 8 credit organic chemistry sequence with lab plus biochemistry; general chemistry will normally be a campus prerequisite for those courses.

2 semesters · 8 credits · lab

"Organic Chemistry with lab (8 semester credits). An organic chemistry sequence for science or health-science majors is preferred." The full two-semester sequence with lab, one of the heaviest organic chemistry asks on this path, and no time limit applies to it.

1 semester · 3 credits

"Biochemistry (3-4 semester credits). Must be completed within ten calendar years prior to the term of intended enrollment." Required alongside the full organic chemistry sequence, not instead of it, and the other prerequisite with a hard ten year window.

2 semesters · 6 credits

English composition, usually two semesters where it is asked for at all.

1 semester · 3 credits

"Statistics (3-4 semester credits). Course content should include: reliability, validity, experimental control and design, statistical inference and comparison of group means, correlation and regression. These credits must be from a math, psychology or statistics department." AP credit is accepted here.

1 semester · 3 credits

"Pre-Calculus (3-4 semester credits). These credits must be at the level of pre-calculus or higher." Separate from and in addition to the statistics requirement; statistics does not satisfy it. AP credit is accepted for this one.

2 semesters · 6 credits

Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 3 credits.

Two psychology courses, not one: "General Psychology (3-4 semester credits)" plus "Lifespan Developmental Psychology or Understanding Psychological Disorders (Abnormal Psychology) (3-4 semester credits)." On the developmental option, "content must cover the entirety of the human lifespan from birth through late adulthood. Multiple courses can be completed to fulfill the requirement (i.e. Child Psychology, Adolescent Psychology, Adulthood and Aging); however, only one course is necessary if it covers all of the components." AP credit is accepted for general psychology only.

2 semesters · 8 credits

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

Two separate 4 credit courses. "Human or Vertebrate Anatomy (4 semester credits). Courses in order of preference are: human anatomy (often first half of combined anatomy and physiology sequence), mammalian/vertebrate anatomy, comparative anatomy. These credits must be from an anatomy, biology, zoology, physiology or kinesiology department." And "Human or Vertebrate Physiology (4 semester credits). Courses in order of preference are: human physiology (often second half of combined anatomy and physiology sequence), or mammalian physiology. These credits must be from a biology, zoology, or physiology department." The program does not state a lab requirement for these two, so none is recorded; it only says it encourages lab components to be taken face to face. No hard recency window, only a strong recommendation that they be within ten years.

3 credits

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

"Microbiology (3-4 semester credits). Must be completed within ten calendar years prior to the term of intended enrollment." One of only two prerequisites carrying a hard recency window. No lab stated.

1 credits

Most PA programmes ask for 1 credits and list it as recommended.

Required rather than recommended: "Medical terminology (one course)." No credit minimum is published. It is also the one course, besides 4 semester credits of other prerequisite work, that may be left for the summer before enrollment.

500+ hours

St. Catherine sets no separate patient care number. Its single 2,000 hour requirement covers "experience in a health, wellness or patient care setting" together and is recorded on the healthcare experience line, so no PCE minimum is carried here. The program still reads for hands-on depth: "Admissions value hands-on involvement, patient interaction, and reflective understanding of the healthcare environment."

2000+ hours

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

"Applicants are required to have a minimum of 2,000 hours of experience in a health, wellness or patient care setting prior to application. This may be sought through volunteering or paid employment." The number is recorded here rather than on patient care experience because St. Catherine does not split the two: its requirement covers health, wellness or patient care settings as a single bucket, and 2,000 hours is one of the highest published minimums on this path.

20+ hours

No shadowing requirement and no number: "Applicants are not required to shadow a physician or a PA for this time. However, they will need to clearly articulate their understanding and desire to pursue a career as a physician assistant."

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.

1 letter

Most PA programmes publish no minimum.

Two letters total, and "At least one recommendation should be from a healthcare provider." A PA satisfies that, but so does any other healthcare provider, so a PA letter is one good option rather than the requirement.

1 letter

Most PA programmes publish no minimum.

The second letter is open: "the other can be from a professor or employer." An employer or patient care supervisor letter answers it, and so does a faculty letter.