St. John's University Physician Assistant Program prerequisites

2 semesters · 8 credits · lab

"General Biology with laboratory, 2 semesters (minimum 8 credits)." A full introductory biology sequence sits alongside anatomy and physiology here rather than being replaced by it.

2 semesters · 8 credits · lab

The two-semester sequence with lab. Around a fifth of programs want only one semester or skip general chemistry entirely and start at organic or biochemistry.

1 semester · 3 credits

"Biochemistry (lab not required), 1 semester (minimum 3 credits)." Required outright; organic chemistry does not appear on the list.

1 semester · 3 credits

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

"English Composition, 1 semester (minimum 3 credits)." Required, not merely recommended, though a single semester answers it.

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.

1 semester · 3 credits

"Mathematics, 2 semesters (minimum 6 credits), including: Statistics, 1 semester (minimum 3 credits)." Statistics is recorded on its own line; this line is the second mathematics semester, which the page does not restrict to any particular course.

1 semester · 3 credits

General psychology. Many programs fold it into a broader social or behavioural science block that sociology or anthropology also satisfies.

7 credits · lab

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

"Human Anatomy & Physiology 1 and 2 with laboratory, 2 semesters (minimum 7 credits)." Both semesters with lab, within ten years of the CASPA submission date.

3 credits

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

"Microbiology (lab not required), 1 semester (minimum 3 credits)." One of the few programs that does not ask for the microbiology laboratory.

1 credits

Required outright by nearly half of programs, which is more than its recommended level here suggests. Several refuse a certificate or a free online course and want transcript credit; a few teach it after acceptance instead.

200+ hours

Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours.

"Applicants must have a minimum of 200 hours of documented and verified Patient Care Experience (PCE) at the time of CASPA application submission. Patient Care Experience must involve direct, hands-on patient care with responsibility for patient assessment, treatment, and/or monitoring within a structured healthcare setting." A low published floor; the page does not give an average for admitted students.

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.

20+ hours

Under a fifth of programs set a shadowing minimum; among those that do the median is 20 hours and a handful ask for 100 or more. Several count shadowing inside their experience total rather than separately, and a few have dropped it from scoring entirely.

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.

St. John's does not name a PA letter. Its one restricted letter comes from "a healthcare professional or supervisor" who can verify your patient care hours, and a PA who supervised you satisfies that as well as anyone.

1 letter

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

"Three (3) letters of recommendation are required. One required letter must be submitted by a healthcare professional or supervisor and must verify the applicant's Patient Care Experience." The other two letters are unrestricted on the page.