University of South Florida Physician Assistant Program prerequisites

General chemistry is not on USF's published prerequisite table, which starts at organic chemistry. In practice general chemistry is the institutional prerequisite for the organic chemistry sequence USF does require, so most applicants will have it regardless.

lab

Two semesters of chemistry beyond the introductory sequence: "Organic Chemistry with laboratory - 1 Semester" plus "Organic Chemistry II OR Biochemistry - 1 Semester." The laboratory is flexible: it "can be taken with either Organic Chemistry I, Organic Chemistry II or Biochemistry" and "may be part of the main course or can be taken separately."

1 semester · 3 credits

Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 3 credits and list it as required.

Biochemistry is one of the two ways to answer USF's second chemistry line, "Organic Chemistry II OR Biochemistry - 1 Semester," so it is optional in itself: a second semester of organic chemistry fills the same slot.

Not on USF's prerequisite table.

1 semester · 3 credits

"Statistics - 1 Semester (or semester hour equivalent)."

No psychology or behavioral science course appears on USF's prerequisite table.

2 semesters · 8 credits · lab

"Human Anatomy and Physiology with laboratory - 2 Semesters (or semester hour equivalent)." AP, IB, CLEP, ACE and AICE credit cannot substitute, and the coursework must come from a U.S. regionally accredited institution.

1 semester · 4 credits · lab

"Microbiology with laboratory - 1 Semester (or semester hour equivalent)."

1 credits

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

Required rather than recommended, and cheaply satisfied: "Medical Terminology - 1 Semester (or an online certificate course)."

500+ hours

"A minimum of 500 hours of direct patient care experience in a health care setting must be completed prior to application." The hours must be in hand at application, not merely in progress.

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

No number is published, and shadowing cannot be counted toward the 500 hour bar: "Shadowing experiences are not accepted as direct patient care but are valuable for the applicant to gain a better understanding of the PA profession."

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.

USF does not name a PA specifically. A PA who supervised or worked with you clinically answers the required clinical letter, but so does anyone else in that role.

1 letter

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

"Three letters of recommendation/evaluation are required," and "one letter of recommendation must be from an individual who supervised or worked with the applicant in a clinical setting." A clinical coworker satisfies this line, not only a supervisor.